What is Pai Gow Poker? Pai Gow Poker is actually a mix of the traditional Chinese game of Pai Gow with the characteristic American poker. The standard 53-card deck, with a joker is used to play Pai Gow Poker. To calculate the rank of the hand, the joker is valued as an Ace. You can also fill the missing card value with a joker to complete any straight or flush.
The literal translation of Pai Gow means to “make nine”. An easy and uncomplicated game, Pai Gow Poker does not involve too much money. This traditional Chinese game has now become the craze of casino players in cities such as
The earlier famous Chinese games in vogue were the yu-p’u and yeh-tza. These games are said to be similar to what is now called the modern poker dice. If you are an ardent poker fan, chances are you will love playing this game. A word of caution – players are not allowed to touch their cards or even talk about them after it has been cut. Initially, a player might find it complicated but once you get the hang of it, it is very simple. This article focuses on the rules and gives you some tips on how to play and win.
The game is played on a one-to-one basis and can have multiple players. The player (or players) competes with the banker. The game is a slow one and can drag on for a couple of hours. It is certainly less exciting than other fast-paced casino games. The plus point is that you can play for quite long with a moderate sum of money.
How to Play Pai Gow Poker
First, individual bets are placed. A person appointed as the dealer throws the dice to decide which player is dealt the first card.
Seven cards in all are distributed to the players, from which they make two poker piles or as they are called-“hands”. The hands are a two-card hand and a five-card hand. These are arranged as the Highest Cards (comprising of the 5-card hand) and the Low Cards section (comprising of the 2-card hand). This is similar to the standard poker hand ranking methods. The five-card hand should be the highest-scoring hand. If you put the highest-scoring cards in the Low Cards section, you are disqualified. The arrangement is outlined below -
Poker Hand Rankings
1. 5 Aces (including joker)
2. Royal Flush
3. Straight Flush (A, 2,3,4,5 highest-ranking straight flush)
4. 4 of a Kind
5. Full House
6. Flush
7. Straight (A, 2,3,4,5 the 2nd highest straight)
8. Three of a Kind
9. Two Pair
10. One Pair
11. High Card
A player wins the game if both his hands beat both the hands of the banker and vice versa; that is, if both the player’s hands lose he loses. However, if one hand turns out higher and the other lower, the hand becomes a tie or a “push”. However, if the value of both hands of the player is precisely equal in value to the banker's two hands, the banker wins.
