Pai Gow Poker Casino Rules
Pai Gow Poker is a casino table game and is played with a standard 52-card deck plus one joker. The rules are fairly simple. After making a bet, each player is dealt seven cards and must make two poker hands: A standard five-card poker hand and a two-card poker hand. The five-card hand is often called 'behind', or the 'bottom,' 'high,' or 'big' hand, while the two-card hand is called 'in front', 'on top', or the 'small,' 'minor,' or 'low' hand.
When forming your two hands from your seven cards, the five card hand must be higher than the two-card hand. In other words, if you are dealt A-A-3-5-7-10-J and you can‘t make a flush, you must include the pair of aces in the five-card poker hand, not the two-card poker hand.
Five-card hands follow the standard what-beats-what rules, with two exceptions: some casinos count A-2-3-4-5 as the second-highest straight. This is the case in some places in Nevada. Additionally, having a joker in the deck introduces the possibility of five of a kind which beats a straight flush.
The best two-card hands are pairs and then simply high cards. Straights and flushes don’t matter in the two-card hand. The worst possible 2-card hand is 2-3, while the best is a pair of aces.
The Joker in Pai Gow Poker
Instead of acting as a whatever-card-you-want wild card, the joker in Pai Gow is called a 'bug.' It acts as an ace unless it can be used to fill out a straight or a flush. This also means that you can have five aces, which is the best possible five-card hand in Pai Gow.
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Pai Gow Poker Casino Rules How To Play
Once players have set their two poker hands, they place their hands in front of them, the two-card hand in front, and the five-card in the back (hence those nicknames). All the players at the table are playing to win both hands against the 'banker.' The banker can be the dealer, or one of the players at the table, like in Baccarat.
The rule differences from the IP rules are that the Joker is wild, and the house commission is a flat $1 per hand ($10 minimum bet). Pai-gow poker is an easy game to play, and since each hand takes a while to play (dealer has to shuffle for each game) and most hands push, you can play on $20 at a $5 table for quite a while. . Casino employees are eligible for the Fortune Pai Gow Poker prize only when off duty. A Third-Party Provider of Proposition Player Services (TPPPPS) is not eligible to place a jackpot collection fee and become eligible for the Fortune Pai Gow Poker Progressive gaming activity when either in the player-dealer or player capacity. Updated February 15, 2019 Pai Gow Poker is a casino table game and is played with a standard 52-card deck plus one joker. The rules are fairly simple. After making a bet, each player is dealt seven cards and must make two poker hands: A standard five-card poker hand and a two-card poker hand. See how to play Pai Gow Poker in this exclusive instructional video from WinStar World Casino. The Pai Gow Poker at The Pogg has rules, analysis and a strategy calculator. The Casino-info.com site has a page of Pai Gow Poker rules and strategy. Pai Gow Poker Free has information on Pai Gow Poker rules, strategy and odds and a selection of places where you carn play online for fun.
Determining Who Wins
Each player compares his hands to the banker’s hands. If both the player’s hands beat the banker’s, the player wins. If one of the player’s hands beats the banker’s hands but not the other, it’s considered a push or draw and the player takes back his money. If the banker’s hands beat the player’s, the player loses. In the case of a tie, the banker wins. This is one of the ways the house keeps the advantage. If a player is banking, the house takes a commission from the winning hands and doesn't need an advantage.
Pai Gow Poker, while popular in land-based casinos, tends to draw enthusiasts to the table as opposed to beginners. That’s understandable. Pai Gow Poker rules often seem counterintuitive, especially to gamblers who are accustomed to playing conventional poker. That often makes novices leery of getting involved.
On this page, we’ll explain exactly how the rules work in Pai Gow. You’ll discover that the rules, while different than those for other popular casino games, are easy to learn quickly. We’ll give you a complete rule guide so you can get started playing the game immediately (we’ll reveal one of the best online casinos at which to play). We’ll also clarify a couple of Pai Gow Poker rules that occasionally confuse beginners.
Complete Guide To The Rules Of Pai Gow Poker
Master The Rules of Pai Gow Poker and Start Your Quest To Slay The Dragon
First, the basics.
- Pai Gow Poker is played with 53 cards, including a standard 52-card deck and a joker.
- The Joker can only be used to complete a straight or a flush (treated as an ace otherwise)
- Once you choose your bet amount, you and the dealer will each receive 7 cards. Your cards will be face-up. The dealer’s cards will be face-down.
- The next step is to split your 7 cards into two hands – one 5-card hand and one 2-card hand. The dealer will do the same.
- Your goal is to beat the dealer’s two hands with your own.
- The ranks of your hands follow a standard ranking hierarchy. For example, a single pair beats a high card. A full house beats a flush. And so on.
- One thing to keep in mind is that the dealer always wins a tie.
There are 3 possible outcomes for each round.
- You can win both hands
- lose both hands
- or win one while losing the other (winning only one hand is a push)
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Losing both hands results in your losing your entire bet. If you win both hands, you’ll be paid even money, but a 5% commission is applied to your winnings. For example, if you bet $20 and win both hands, your net winnings will total $19. That’s the rub, and that’s how the casino gets its edge. Once you learn more about the Pai Gow game you’ll see that it is an even match against the dealer, but they win the ties and they take the commission, that’s their edge.
Two Pai Gow Poker Rules That Confuse Novices
There are two Pai Gow Poker rules that tend to confuse beginning players. The first rule involves how the joker is treated.
- What does the Joker in Pai Gow represent?
In Pai Gow The Joker can be used to complete straights and flushes. If this isn’t available you consider it an Ace. It is not a ‘wild card’ where you can use it however you like, instead it is limited in it’s roll to these scenarios only.
- Ace
- straight
- or flush
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When a joker is used in other popular casino games, it usually represents whatever the hand owner wants it to. It can help fill out a full house, 3 of a kind, or even a 4 of a kind. That’s not how the joker is treated in Pai Gow Poker. The Joker can only represent a card that completes a straight or flush (a straight flush would also fall within that criteria). If you have a joker in your hand, but cannot use it to fill out a straight or flush, it functions as an Ace. A lot of novice players are excited to have a joker in their hand without realizing its value is limited.
The second Pai Gow Poker rule that baffles beginners is that your 5-card hand must rank higher than your 2-card hand. For example, if your 7-card hand only has a single pair, you cannot place the pair into your 2-card hand. If you did, it would outrank your 5-card hand.
Pai Gow Poker Rules: Online Versus Land-based Casinos
The rules for Pai Gow Poker are practically identical whether you’re playing pai gow poker online or in a land-based casino. However, there are two small differences; one of them can cost you money. The first difference is the number of players. Online, it’s you against the dealer. In a land-based casino, there can be up to six players at the table (not including the dealer).
The second difference involves how an improper split is handled. Online, the software will prevent you from splitting your 7 cards if you try to make a 2-card hand that outranks your 5-card hand. In a land-based casino, you won’t be as lucky. An improper split is usually considered a foul. You’ll automatically lose your bet.
Where To Put Pai Gow Poker Rules Into Action
Whether you’re a novice or a Pai Gow Poker enthusiast, we recommend that you visit Bodog Casino. Not only are they one of the most trusted names in online gambling, but they have designed a playing environment that is fluid and seamless. You can enjoy the game in their free gambling software or play it online within your browser. Both options allow full betting privileges. You should also make sure you have a grasp of fundamental pai gow strategy because it can be confusing the best way to split up your hand to maximize your chances.
Visit Bodog Casino and take advantage of their free playing environment to learn Pai Gow Poker rules. We have a feeling you’ll love the experience.