Pai Gow Poker is free pokies game that can be played with a deck of 53 cards. A normal deck has 52 cards, and a Pai Gow deck of cards is a normal deck plus one joker. Pai Gow is a very different poker game then the rest. Each player and the dealer are dealt 7 cards. These 7 cards are used to make a 5 card hand of poker and a 2 card hand of poker. The objective in Pai Gow is to make a better 5 card hand and a better 2 card hand then the dealer can make.
How to Play Pai Gow Poker. Pai gow poker is played with a standard 53-card deck of cards. (“53” is not a typo—it’s a 52-card deck with the addition of a joker.) In most card games, jokers are “wild cards”—they can stand in for any card you need them to. A hand on the Bovada question/complaint thread brought up an interesting quirk of the Joker in Pai Gow Poker. A question arose as to whether the joker takes on a specific card value - so where you can have in existence a suited pair operating in the deck - at the time that it is used in a hand, or is it like a 'connector' or fill-in putty, where the completed flush or straight is simpy 'a. PAI GOW POKER GAME RULES Overview 1. Pai Gow Poker (Pai Gow) is played with one deck of cards including one joker (total of 53 cards). Up to six players can play on one Pai Gow table. The Joker card in Pai Gow may be used as an Ace or to complete a straight or flush. Standard poker hand rankings apply. The rules of Pai Gow Poker, including the Bonus and Fortune versions. All rules and terms are explained: front hand, back hand, joker, House Way etc. With a link to a Poker Hand Ranking chart.
The rules of the game are simple to follow. There is one joker card in play. The joker can be used to complete a straight, a flush, or straight flush. Otherwise the joker is considered an Ace. The 5 card hand is ranked according to standard poker rules: Ace-2-3-4-5 is the second highest straight, behind Ace-King-Queen-Jack-Ten and 5 Aces is possible with the joker and is the highest hand that can be made.
The 2 card hand will always be either a pair or two different cards. A pair of aces is the highest ranked two card hand, and the worst 2 card hand is 2-3 Your 5 card hand must be better then the 2 card hand. If you have an ace in the two card hand you better have a pair in the 5 card hand. If you have a pair in the 2 card hand you need to have at least a higher pair in the 5 card hand. If your two card hand ends up being higher then the 5 card hand, you will automatically lose both hands and your bet.
The 2 card hand will always be either a pair or two different cards. A pair of aces is the highest ranked two card hand, and the worst 2 card hand is 2-3 Your 5 card hand must be better then the 2 card hand. If you have an ace in the two card hand you better have a pair in the 5 card hand. If you have a pair in the 2 card hand you need to have at least a higher pair in the 5 card hand. If your two card hand ends up being higher then the 5 card hand, you will automatically lose both hands and your bet.
You win your bet minus a 5% commission taken by the dealer when you win both the 5 card hand and the two card hand.
The House Way is the way that the Dealer will play his cards. If you understand this, you can avoid getting beat on both low and high hands. Here is what you need to know:
- Cards ranked 2 to 6 are considered Low; cards 7 to 10 are Medium; jack to ace are High.
- When the Dealer has 2 Pairs: The dealer will split the pairs up and put the lower of the two pairs in the Low Hand if they have two medium or low pairs, except when the dealer also has a King or Ace.
- If the Dealer has a High Pair and a Low Pair, the Dealer will put the low pair in his Low Hand unless the Dealer also has an Ace. If the Dealer has two high pairs, a high pair and medium pair or a pair of Aces and any other pair, the Dealer will always split the two pairs
- If the Dealer has a Straight or Flush, the dealer will only break it up if they have one of the following: a. Pair of Aces and any other pair b. Two pairs 10’s or higher c. Two pairs and an Ace (the Ace is used in the Low Hand)
- If the Dealer has a Four of a Kind: if the rank is Low then it is kept intact; if it is medium then it will be split unless the dealer also has an Ace and a face card; if it is high then it will be split unless the dealer also has a medium or high pair.
- If the Dealer has High Card, then the dealer will take the 2nd and 3rd highest card to make the low hand. If the Dealer has One Pair, then the dealer will take the highest two remaining cards to make the low hand.
- If the Dealer has Three Pairs, then the dealer will put the highest ranked pair in the low hand. If the Dealer has a Three of a Kind, the dealer will only break it up if it is three Aces and one is needed for the low hand.
- If the Dealer has a Full House, then the dealer will split it up and put the pair in the low hand, except if the pair is a pair of two’s and an Ace/King can be played.
If each of the player’s hands beats each of the banker’s corresponding hands, then he wins the bet. If only one of his hands beats the banker then he pushes (ties) in which case neither he nor the banker wins the bet. If both of his hands lose to the banker then he loses.
Click to PlayLatest Answers to Common Questions
Pai Gow Poker has its roots in China, and the current version of Pai Gow Poker available in land and online casinos is an Americanized version created by Fred Wolf and Sam Torosian.
Instead of the traditional Chinese dominoes, the game uses playing cards. To play a game of Pai Gow Poker, players need a standard deck of 52 playing cards and one joker. As many as six players can play a game of Pai Gow Poker, and the aim of each player is to defeat the house.
How to Play
Joker In Pai Gow Poker
Playing Pai Gow Poker is incredibly easy. Like all variants of poker, it begins with the placing of a bet, after which each player receives a hand of seven cards and is challenged to create two different poker hands using their seven cards.
- A five-card hand – This hand is called the “bottom hand,” “behind hand,” “high hand,” or “big hand.”
- A two-card hand – This hand is called the “front hand,” “small hand,” “low hand,” “top hand,” or “minor hand.”
![Pai Pai](/uploads/1/3/4/7/134744986/584200608.jpg)
The five-card hand must be better than the two-card hand. For example, if a player is dealt a pair of Aces, a three, a five, a seven, a ten, and a joker, he/she must use the Ace pair to create the five-card hand, not the two-card hand. The best two-card hands that players can create are the pairs, especially a pair of Aces.
Once players have created their two hands, they must place their two-card hand in front of the five-card hand.
Pai Gow Game
Learn how to play Pai Gow Poker using the following video
This video has been produced by Winstarcasino
About the Joker
![Joker In Pai Gow Joker In Pai Gow](/uploads/1/3/4/7/134744986/551230036.jpg)
Unfortunately, the Joker does not play his traditional role of the wild in case of Pai Gow Poker. However, players can use a Joker to create a Flush or a Straight. In all other cases, the Joker can only substitute for the Ace.
Who is the Winner?
The hands of each player are now compared with the hands of the banker. To beat the dealer, both the hands created by the player must be better than both the hands created by the dealer. If only one of the hands created by the player is better than the dealer’s hand, the game is considered to be a tie and the player gets back his/her bet amount. Needless to say, if the dealer’s hands are better, the dealer wins the game and the player loses his/her bet amount. If one of the player’s hands is equal to the dealer’s hand, the dealer is considered to be the winner, which is how the casino makes money out of Pai Gow Poker.
Learning the Strategies
Pai Gow Poker is slightly tough as players have to make two different poker hands. However, if players learn and implement some of the following strategies, they can play a better game.
- The players’ goal is to create two strong hands. Each hand should be better than the hand created by the dealer.
- If players’ hands do not have the potential for flushes, straights, and pairs, they must put their best cards in the five-card hand. The next best cards must be used to create the two-card hand and the rest of the cards must be used to create their five-card hand.
- If players get a pair, they must use that pair to create a five-card hand, and the next best cards must be used for the two-card hand. The other three cards must be used to create the five-card hand.
- If players have three pairs, the best pair must be used to create the two-card hand.
- If players have three Aces, they can use two of these Aces to create their five-card hand and the other Ace pair can be placed in the two-card hand.
- The house advantage of Pai Gow Poker is 1.5%. Although it is much lower than that of Roulette and Keno, players will still find themselves losing more often than winning. By implementing some strategies, players can play for a longer time and avoid losing more money.
- If the casino gives players the chance to become the dealer, they must grab the chance.
- On no account should players’ two-card hand be stronger than their five-card hand. If players make this mistake, they might lose both their hands.
- Players should also avoid blowing their entire bankroll on Pai Gow Poker.