Pai Gow Poker
Pai Gow poker is a spin off from the game of Chinese Dominos. The difference being that poker hands are used instead of Domino bones. You play Pai Gow poker with a standard 52 card deck. The Joker is a wild card which can be used only as an ace, or to complete a straight, a flush or a straight flush.
Play begins with seven cards being dealt to each player. With the exception of the dealer all players look at their cards and divide them into two hands. Once hand is the High hand and the other is the Low hand making the best of each. The five card hand should be arranged so that it is the highest ranking poker hand. In the case of Pai Gow poker this would be [As][Ac][Ad][Ah][JOKER].
During the process of making your hands you are not allowed to discuss your hand at any point in the game play with other players or the dealer. You have to display your hand so that the five card hand is higher than the two card hand and both hands are placed face down on the playing table.
Once everyone has arranged their hands accordingly the dealer then displays his seven card hand. Once the dealer displays his cards you may no longer touch your cards. The dealer will then go about arranging his cards in the same manner making both a High five card hand and a Low two card hand. Once the dealer has completed this task all of the players hands are exposed and the results are determined based on whether the player has a better hand than the dealers in both High and Low cases.
- If the player wins both hands the dealer pays out the bet placed by the player.
- If the dealer wins one hand and the player wins the other no money changes hands. This is called a “push”.
- If the dealer wins both hands the dealer wins the player’s bet.
After reviewing the hands if either hand is a tie the dealer will win that particular hand. Clearly the dealer has the advantage in that the dealer wins in the event of a tie. So in order to even this out everyone should deal an equal number of times to balance out any advantage one dealer would have if the deal never changed hands.
Pai Gow Strategy
Optimal play in Pai Gow poker will yield a thirty percent win rate over the long run. Although that may not seem like much initially thirty percent can be a very hefty take if the cards are running your way that particular session. Obviously if you have the opportunity to be the dealer you want to take it as often as possible due the advantage you get from winning ties.
As we have emphasized how key the Banker / Dealer is to your winning percentage it is the most optimal way to improve your odds of winning and therefore you must take advantage of this by betting accordingly. Another key to play winning Pai Gow poker is how you choose to arrange your hand. It may seem simple to the novice but experienced played know that arranging your hand properly to maximize your odds of winning cannot be overlooked. Ultimately your success at Pai Gow will come with the time and commitment you put into the game to become a better player. The game of Pai Gow poker has a lot of nuances to it and I would recommend that you purchase a book and do a little reading on the internet before you play. By doing so you will be much more comfortable with the game play and things will run smoothly for others that are playing with you.