How to Play Pai Gow Poker
Short Description:
 Casino-on-Net's
Pai Gow (pronounced "pie-gow") Poker is an exciting
game of skill, which fuses the ancient Chinese game
of Pai Gow (meaning: "makes nine"), and modern Poker.
In Pai Gow Poker the player competes, one on one, against
the dealer. The object of the game is for the player
to arrange seven dealt cards into two hands ("setting"
the cards). The seven cards must be set in such a way
so that the player's five-card ("High") hand scores
a higher value than the two-card ("Low") hand. The player's
High and Low hands must then have a greater value (see
Poker Hands Value Chart below) than the dealer's High
and Low hands.
Pai Gow Rules:
The game is played with a standard 52-card deck, plus
a Joker (totaling 53 cards). (The Joker may be used
either as an Ace or to complete a Straight, Flush or
Straight Flush, only.) After placing their bet, the
players are each dealt seven cards. The players must
then set their cards into two separate hands. The first
hand, which must consist of 5 cards, is referred to
as the "High Hand", as it must have the highest value
of the two hands. The second hand, which consists of
the remaining two cards, is referred to as the "Low
Hand".
You may ask the house to suggest the best way to arrange
and set your cards, by clicking on the "House Way" button.
If you wish to arrange your cards by yourself, click
on the cards, as you see fit, then click on the "Set"
button.
The goal of Pai Gow Poker is to beat both of the dealer's
hands, according to the standard Poker hand values rules
(see chart below). If both hands beat the dealer's hands,
the player receives "even money" on their bet (minus
a 5% vigorish or house commission). If both of the player's
hands lose against the dealer's hands, the dealer takes
the player's bet. If only one of the player's two hands
win, the round results in a tie or "Push".
Winning Combinations:
High (Five-Card) Hand:
The Five-Card Hand must have the highest rank of the
two hands. The object is to form the best rank for the
Five-Card Hand, from the seven dealt cards.
Low (Two-Card) Hand:
The Two Card Hand must have the second-highest rank
of the two hands. The highest-ranking Two-Card Hand
possible is a pair of Aces. If the Two Card Hand is
not composed of a pair, the value of the cards will
determine the hand's rank.
The Wild Card:
The Wild Card is the Joker card, which can be substituted
only as a single Ace or to complete either a Flush,
Straight, or Straight Flush.
Copy Hand:
When the player and the dealer compare hands that have
the same rank, the hand is referred to as a "Copy Hand".
In Pai Gow Poker, the dealer wins the Copy Hand, as
opposed to BlackJack, where a Copy Hand results in a
"Push".
Pai Gow Poker Hands:
(in order of value) | | 5 Aces (using Wild Card) | | Royal Flush | | Straight Flush | | Four of a Kind | | Full House | | Flush | | *Straight | | Three of a Kind | | Two Pair | | One Pair | | Ace | | King | | Queen | | Jack | | Ten, etc. |
*In Pai Gow Poker there exists an exception when calculating the value
of a Straight (compared to common Poker Hand Values). The highest
valued Straight in Pai Gow Poker is: A-K-Q-J-10 (as is true in Poker).
However, in Pai Gow Poker the second highest valued Straight is:
A-2-3-4-5 (in Poker this is the lowest valued Straight). For example,
in Pai Gow Poker an A-2-3-4-5 Straight, beats a K-Q-J-10-9 Straight,
but loses to a A-K-Q-J-10 Straight.
Shortcut Keys:
| To | Click | | Deal Cards | C or D or Space Bar | | Repeat Bet | R | | Set Cards | S | | House Way | H | | Back to the Lobby | ALT Left or Backspace |
Table limits:
Minimum bet: $1.
Maximum bet: $250.
The betting limits may change according to Casino Policy. |
