Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow PokerPai Gow Poker is a game of skill and luck. Players receive 7 cards each and must make a 2 card hand and a 5 card hand. The 5 card hand always has to be higher than the 2 card hand.

The Basics of Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow Poker is a variation of the Chinese Domino Game "pai gow". It is played with a single deck of 53 cards and one joker is included. Each player will be dealt 7 cards.

How to Play Pai Gow Poker

First, bets are made and then 7 cards are dealt to each player face up and 7 cards are dealt to the dealer face down.

The 7 cards must be split into a 5 card hand and a 2 card hand. The 5 card hand always has to be higher then the 2 card hand. The joker can be used to complete straights or flushes, if not it counts as an Ace.

The dealer turns over his cards when all the players have their cards and he will divide them into a 2 and a 5 card hand. When the player is satisfied with both his hands, they are compared to the dealers 2 hands. If both of the players hands are ranked higher than the dealers hands the player will win even money (1 to 1).

If the player wins 1 hand and loses the other, this results in a tie. The players bet will be returned because this is a push. If the dealer wins both hands the player loses his bet. If the 2 card hand happens to be higher then the 5 card hand, both hands are said to be a "fowl" and the player automatically loses. If the players 2 card hand and the dealers 2 card hand are the same (For Example: Both the dealer and the player have a Q and a 4) these are called copies. All copies are won by the dealer. This is the same with the 5 card hand.

Hand Rankings

  • 5 of a kind

    4 aces plus the joker

  • Royal Flush

    A, K, Q, J and 10 all of the same suit

  • Straight Flush

    Five cards of the same suit in sequence

  • Four of a Kind

    Four cards of the same rank

  • Full House

    A Full House contains three cards of the same rank and a pair (two cards) of another rank

  • Flush

    Five cards of the same suit

  • Straight

    Five cards in sequence of mixed suits

  • Three of a Kind

    Three cards of equal rank

  • Two Pair

    Two cards of one rank and another two cards of one rank

  • Pair

    Two cards of the same rank

  • High Card

    Five cards of different rank and a variety of suits

Payouts

When a player wins, the payout is 1-to-1, less a 5% house commission. Games that are a push (tie) , means that the player's bets are returned.