Pai Gow Poker
The game of Pai Gow Poker combines the ancient Chinese game of Pai Gow and Poker. This game uses one deck of cards with a joker. The joker acts as a wild card and a player can use it to complete a straight, flush, or straight flush. In other conditions, the joker acts as an ace.
Pai Gow literally means, Make nine. In ancient China, the word p’ai stood for both the cards and the dominoes. The same word represented both the objects, as there is no significant difference between cards and dominoes in China. Chinese people started playing it thousands of years ago with domino tile sets. In modern times, Pai Gow Poker has become a great attraction among the gamblers in cities like California and Nevada.
While people used to play the Chinese Pai Gow with domino tiles, its American version uses normal cards. Pai Gow Poker has a very similar playing style with many other card games. People who learn the game often end up being avid players. It does not take much time to understand the beauty of this popular Chinese game.
It may be little difficult to learn Pai Gow Poker than any other variation of poker. However, the game is highly exciting and it can pay off big at the casinos. An easy way to learn the game is to play at an online casino where you can play with credits or points rather than real money. Once you make yourself familiar with the rules of the game, you can move ahead to real money games.
When it comes to the winning hands, the rules of Pai Gow Poker are very similar to straight poker. However, there are differences in game play. The use of a joker with the standard 52-card deck leaves with five-of-a-kind a possibility in Pai Gow poker. The highest possible hand in standard poker is a Royal Flush that means five cards of the same suit in sequence from Ten to Ace. However, a five-of-a-kind will score over a Royal Flush. The highest hand after a Royal Flush is a straight flush from Ace to Five.
Remember that all the seven cards determine the winnings in Pai Gow. All players in the game play against the dealer. The players begin the game by putting up their stakes. The dealer deals seven cards facedown to each player. Then all players pick up their cards and make a five-card hand and a two-card hand.
In Pai Gow, players cannot discuss their cards. The five-of-a-kind is the highest possible hand in the game. Pair and High Card are the only possibilities for the two-card hand. The players must place their cards facedown on the table side by side after arranging them. They need to place the higher of their two hands first.
The dealer also arranges his cards like all the players. Then all the players and the dealer reveal their hands. The players win money according to the strength of their hands.
The players compare their five-card hand with the dealer’s five-card hand. The same happens with the two-card hands. You will win if you beat the dealer’s hands and the payout will be according to the money you have bet. You keep only your stake and do not get further payout if you win one hand and lose one to the dealer. You will lose if both of your hands lose the dealer.