Author: horse-racing-free-tips

Pai Gow Poker is an American card-playing derivative of the centuries-old game of Chinese Dominoes. In the early nineteenth century, Chinese laborers introduced the game while working in California.

The game’s popularity with Chinese gamblers eventually attracted the attention of entrepreneurial gamers who substituted the traditional tiles with cards and modeled the game into a new form of poker. Introduced into the poker rooms of California in 1986, the game’s immediate acceptance and popularity with Asian poker players drew the attention of Nevada’s casino operators who quickly absorbed the game into their own poker rooms. The popularity of the game has continued into the 21st century.

Pai Gow tables accommodate up to six players and a dealer. Differentiating from traditional poker, all players play against the dealer and not against each other.

In a counterclockwise rotation, each player is dealt seven face down cards by the dealer. Forty-nine cards are dealt, including the dealer’s seven cards.

Each player and the dealer must form two poker hands: a high hand of five cards and a low hand of two cards. The hands are based on traditional poker rankings and as such, a two card hand of two aces would be the highest possible hand of two cards. A five aces hand would be the highest five card hand. How do you get five aces in a standard fifty-two card deck? You are actually playing with a fifty-three card deck since one joker is allowed into the game. The joker is considered a wild card and can be used as another ace or to complete a straight or flush.

The highest two hands win each game and only a single player having the two highest hands simultaneously can win.

A dice throw from a cup containing three dice determines who will be dealt the first hand. After the hands are dealt, players must form the two poker hands, keeping in mind that the five-card hand must always rank higher than the two-card hand.

When all players have set their hands, the dealer will make comparisons with his or her hand rank for payouts. If a player has one hand higher in rank than the dealer’s but a lower second hand, this is considered a tie.

If the dealer beats both hands, the player loses. In the case of both player’s hands and both dealer’s hands being identical, the dealer wins. In casino play, ofttimes allowances are made for a player to become the dealer. In this case, the player must have the funds for any payoffs due winning players. Of course, the player acting as dealer can corner some large pots if he can beat most of the players.

Some casinos rule that players cannot deal or bank two consecutive hands, and some poker rooms will offer to co-bank 50/50 with any player that elects to take the bank. In all cases, the dealer will ask players in turn if they wish to be the banker.

In Pai Gow Poker, you are dealt “static” cards which means you have no opportunity to change cards to possibly improve your hand. However, as in traditional five-card draw, there are strategies to make the best of what you have been dealt. An example is keeping the flushes or straights in the five-card hand and the two cards remaining as the second high hand.

If you are lucky enough to draw four aces and a joker, you can keep three aces in the five-card hand and strengthen your two-card hand with the other ace and joker. Two pair? Keep the higher pair in the five-card hand and the other two matching cards will make up the second hand.

I’ll admit it. I like playing Pai Gow, but it can be lonely. Walk through just about any Vegas casino and you’ll do some work to spot the Pai Gow table(s). This “Americanized” version of an ancient Chinese game isn’t as popular as it should be.

Pai Gow is growing among gamblers, but in the real world of limited floor space, it still takes a backseat to Craps, Blackjack, Roulette, and even Three-Card Poker. I think many players stay away, because the name of the game confuses them. Pai Gow just sounds intimidating, but it isn’t.

I’ll submit to you that learning to play Pai Gow is fairly straightforward and simple. If you learn to play, I’ll bet that you’ll be having a lot of fun with the game right out of the gate.

The Pai Gow Table

Pai Gow is played on a table that’s similar to Blackjack. So, if you play Blackjack, this should make it more comfortable for you to start. The game has six seats for six players and the dealer spot, which is at the top of the table just like Blackjack.

Each player’s spot has three game areas, which are vertically one after the other. The first game area is where you put your wagers and this spot is on the top. Next, you have two areas for your cards. You see, once you get your cards, you’ll split them into two hands-this is where the magic happens.

The two card areas in Pai Gow are for your highest hand-bottom game area-and the 2nd highest. These are two hands that you’ll create. This is where strategy plays in and we’ll go over all of this in other Pai Gow articles on this site. Right now, let’s just concentrate on some simple basics and build a good foundation for enjoying this fun game.

Quick Play Information

I’m not going to run down play in detail here, but I will in other articles on this site. Let’s go over the general play flow of Pai Gow.

Pai Gow is played with a regular 52-card deck, like Blackjack can be, but there’s one change. Pai Gow uses one joker card. If you’ve played poker or video poker, you’re already set, because the winning hands work pretty much the same way-we’ll go over this and the couple of differences in another article.

Even though there are other players in the game (possibly), everyone is playing against the dealer-just like in Blackjack. You’re betting that your hands will beat the banker’s hands.

Ah, now here’s where we need to pause. I said the banker’s hand. Unlike Blackjack, players can get the opportunity to be the banker. As a player, you can accept or decline when it’s your turn to be the bank. But, again, I’ll go over this in more detail in another article.

Get Excited

I hope you’re curiosity is up just a little. Pai Gow is an exciting game to play and I’ll be teaching all the ins and outs on this site.