We’re moving right along with our Pai Gow series. You’re almost a professional Pai Gow player now. Since you know most of the game play, it’s now time to talk about the hand rankings Pai Gow. After all, it doesn’t make much sense to play if you don’t understand what makes a winning hand.
Five Aces
Unlike traditional poker-based games where the Royal Flush is king, in Pai Gow, the five aces hand is trump. Getting five aces is tough and there’s only one way to do it. You need to get all four aces in the deck and the joker.
Royal Flush
To get a royal flush, you must have the 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace of one suit-like Clubs. The Joker can be used in place of the Ace.
Straight Flush
The straight flush consists of five cards in sequential order that are all of the same suit. Here’s an important note. In Pai Gow, the A-5 straight flush is the highest ranking straight and the King-high straight flush is the second highest.
Four of a Kind
To get a four of a kind, you need four cards of the same rank, such as four Jacks. Remember, the Joker can be used as an Ace.
Full House
When you have three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank-like three Jacks and two Queens-you have a full house. Should both you and the Banker have a full house, the player with the highest-ranking three set of cards wins. The pair won’t matter.
Flush
Five cards that are all of the same suit and not in sequential order is a flush hand. The Joker can be used as an Ace of any suit, so if you have the Joker, you just need four cards of the same suit.
Straight
When you have five cards in sequential order and they are of more than one suit, you have a straight. If they were all the same suit, you’d have a straight flush. The Ace can be used at the front, such as A 2 3 4 5, or the end, such as 10 J Q K A.
Three of a Kind
Simply put, three cards of the same rank is a three of a kind hand-like AAA.
Two Pair
You have this hand when you have two cards of one rank and two cards of another rank, such as: JJ KK.
One Pair
Having two cards of the same rank is having one pair-like 44.
High Card
Finally, if you have absolutely nothing above, you have a high card hand. This is the worst hand in Pai Gow.
When you’re setting your 2nd highest hand, which consists of just two cards, you’ll have either a high card hand or one pair. Needless to say, when you have one pair as your 2nd highest hand, you have a great shot at winning that hand.
And there you have it. You’re now ready to take on the Pai Gow playing world. In our final article on playing Pai Gow, we’ll go over a couple of quick strategy tips.
Turf Paradise stewards have suspended jockey Fausto Henrique Rodrigues Da Silva 30 days for what they ruled was “conduct detrimental to racing” after he eased 1-20 favorite Juror at the start of a $3,500 maiden claiming race on March 10 at the Phoenix, Ariz., track.
The ruling cites Da Silva “for his failure to take his mount … to the track vet for an examination, after he suspected that the horse might have an injury.”
It's not clear whether or not a track veterinarian conducted a pre-race examination of Juror on March 10. Turf Paradise general manager Vincent Francia said Juror “would have been subject to” a pre-race inspection but could not confirm whether a track or regulatory veterinarian actually did see the horse that morning. Dr. Sue Gale, state veterinarian for the Arizona Department of Gaming, could not be reached for confirmation.
Juror was claimed out of the race by trainer Eliska Kubinova on behalf of Gary and Deborah Lusk and D.J. Saddler. Arizona does not have a voided claim rule, meaning a claimed horse becomes the property of new owners once the starting gate opens, whether or not the horse finishes the race.
Juror was making his 15th career start and second for trainer Juan Pablo Silva and owners Tijuana Racing Stable. Prior to this $3,000 maiden claiming contest, he raced for a $30,000 claiming price in his previous start on Feb. 1, finishing second.
The Tapit gelding previously raced for California-based trainer Sal Gonzalez and Tricar Stables, Inc., which had claimed him for $50,000 in his third career start at Del Mar on Aug. 28, 2020. His last race for Gonzalez was June 20, 2021, in a $50,000 maiden claiming race in which he finished seventh of 12 runners.
Equibase shows Da Silva with 17 wins from 88 lifetime mounts in North America, all at Turf Paradise, beginning last Dec. 28.
Juan Pablo Silva, Juror's trainer of record on March 10, has numerous regulatory rulings against him since 2005, according to ThoroughbredRulings.com, including a 2008 license revocation from the Arizona Department of Racing that gives as the reason: “being of not good repute or moral character.” Silva, who has won 446 races from 2,333 starts since 1997, did not have any starters from June 2008 until April 2014.
Turf Paradise track announcer Craig Braddick, who posted the Da Silva ruling on Twitter, said trainer Silva had his hearing before the stewards postponed until March 24.
The post Turf Paradise Jockey Who Pulled Up Heavy Favorite Suspended 30 Days appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
