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PAI GOW POKER
Overview
Pai Gow Poker is a card game played with a 53-card deckÂa
standard deck of 52 cards and one Joker.ĦE In this version
of Pai Gow Poker, the banker (or house) always plays as the dealer
and covers all bets, and the player only competes against the dealer.ĦE The
player receives seven cards, which must then be "set” or
split into two poker hands:ĦE a five-card hand and a two-card
hand.ĦE Once split, the player's two hands are compared
with the dealer's two hands to determine the winner.ĦE The
bank pays the winnerÂminus a 5% commissionÂand the
game ends.ĦE The commission is 5% of the bet and is rounded
up to the next quarter.ĦE For example, a minimum bet of $6
would be a commission of 50 cents.ĦE (5% of $6 = 30 cents,
but since the commission is rounded up to the next 25 cents; the
commission is actually 50 cents.ĦE 5% of $11 = 55 cents, which
makes the actual commission 75 cents.)
The Deal
For each game, the dealer shuffles the deck and deals out seven cards into
each handÂthe dealer's cards remain unknown.ĦE The player
must then "set” or split their seven cards into two poker hands:ĦE a
five-card hand and a two-card hand.ĦE
Splitting cards and rules on the Joker
Pai Gow Poker places only one restriction upon splitting the initial seven
cards:ĦE the five-card hand must have a higher poker rank than the two-card
hand.ĦE The only other twist during the game is how to play the Joker.ĦE The
Joker can be used to complete a five-card flush, straight, or straight flush.ĦE Otherwise,
the Joker counts as an ace.
Ranking The Hands
The hands are ranked according to standard poker rules with one exception:ĦE the
Ace-2-3-4-5 straight is the second highest straight.ĦE Straights
rank, from highest to lowest:ĦE Ace-K-Q-J-10, Ace-2-3-4-5, K-Q-J-10-9 ¹ 6-5-4-3-2.ĦE Also,
keep in mind that the best two-card hand is a pair of aces; the two-card hand
cannot have a flush (since a flush requires five cards).
Determining The Winner
The player's two hands are compared with the dealer's two hands
to determine the winner.ĦE If both the player's five-card hand and
two-card hand has a higher poker rank than both the dealer's hands (5
cards and 2 cards), the player wins.ĦE If both of the dealer's hands
beat both of the player's hands, the dealer wins.ĦE If either the
player or the dealer wins only one of the two hands, the game is a push and
neither the dealer nor the player wins.ĦE When either the five-card hands
or the two-card hands rank exactly the same, the equal hands are called "copies” of
each other.ĦE The dealer wins all copy hands.ĦE For example, if the
player beats the dealer in the five-card hand but copies the dealer with the
two-card hand, the game is a push.
The Payout
When the player's two hands beat the dealer's two hands, the player
wins an amount equal to the original bet minus a 5% commission.ĦE The commission
is 5% of the bet and is rounded up to the next quarter.ĦE For example,
a minimum bet of $6 would be a commission of 50 cents (5% of $6 = 30 cents,
but since the commission is rounded up to the next 25 cents; the commission
is actually 50 cents.ĦE 5% of $11 = 55 cents, which makes the actual commission
75 cents.)ĦE When the dealer's two hands beat the player's
two hands, the banker wins the player's original bet.ĦE When the
game ends in a push, neither the player nor the dealer wins and the player
keeps the original bet.
Pai Gow Poker Differences , Physical vs. Online
Physical: |
Players may play more
than one hand when sitting at a Pai Gow table with
fewer players than hands.ĦE The extra hands are
called "dragon” hands. |
Online: |
The player may play
only one hand; dragon hands are not supported. |
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Physical: |
A player may choose
to be the banker and must cover all winning bets. |
Online: |
The dealer is always
the banker. |
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Physical: |
Splitting the seven-card
hand incorrectly so the two-card hand has a higher
poker rank than the five-card hand forfeits the game. |
Online: |
The player may re-split
the hand.ĦE The game only continues when the five-card
hand has a higher poker rank than the two-card hand. |
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Physical: |
The player can ask the
house for help when deciding how to split the hand.ĦE The
house would then show how it would split the hand. |
Online: |
The online version does
not support asking the house for help. |
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Pai Gow Poker Hand Ranks (highest to lowest)
The hands are ranked according to standard poker rules with one
exception:ĦE the Ace-2-3-4-5 straight is the second highest straight.ĦE Straights
rank, from highest to lowest:ĦE Ace-K-Q-J-10, Ace-2-3-4-5,
K-Q-J-10-9 ¹ 6-5-4-3-2.ĦE The best two-card hand is a
pair of aces; the two-card hand cannot have a flush (since a flush
requires five cards).
| Hand Name |
Description |
Example |
| Five of a Kind |
4 aces plus the Joker |
AS, AH, AD, AC, Joker |
| Royal Flush |
10, J, Q, K, A of same
suit |
10H, JH, QH, KH, AH |
| Straight Flush |
In sequence, 5 cards of
same suit |
3S, 4S, 5S, 6S, 7S |
| Four of a Kind |
4 cards of same rank |
6D, 6S, 6C, 6H |
| Full House |
3 of a kind, plus a pair |
2H, 2D, 2S, 3H, 3S |
| Flush |
5 cards of same suit |
2D, 4D, 6D, 8D, 9D, |
| Straight |
5 cards in sequence |
3H, 4C, 5H, 6S, 7D |
| Three of a Kind |
3 cards of same rank |
7H, 7S, 7D |
| Two Pair |
2 pairs of different rank |
4H, 4S, 6D, 6S |
| One Pair |
1 pair (2 cards) of same
rank |
KD, KH |
| High Card |
5 cards of different ranks
and suits |
AH, KS, 10D, 5C, 2 |
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Pai Gow Poker Interface
Deal
Clicking on the deal button after placing the initial bet starts a new game.
Split
After selecting two cards to place into the two-card hand, clicking the split
button arranges the seven cards into two handsÂa five-card hand and
a two-card handÂand continues the game.
To better see all possible ways to split the initial seven cards,
re-arrange the hand by dragging cards to different locations.
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Overview