How to Play Paigow Poker | Online Poker Mac

Pai Gow Poker is a casino game that is very popular with gamblers who only play for fun. This is because Pai Gow Poker will end in a draw quite often. This allows gamblers to play for a long time without having too much money change hands.

Basic Pai Gow Poker Hand

The players place their bets.
Seven cards are dealt to each player and the dealer.
The players rearrange their cards into a five card poker hand and a two card poker hands. The five card hand must be of higher value than the two card hand.
The dealer arranges his hand according to the “House Way” which is the casino’s rules for forming a hand. This is usually a very good way of arranging the cards.
The player’s hands are compared to the dealer’s hands. If both the player’s five card hand and two card hand beat the dealer’s five card and two card hands, then the player wins the bet. If both of the dealer’s hands beat both of the player’s hands, then the dealer wins. If the player wins one hand and the dealer wins the other, then a draw occurs. If one of the player’s hands matches the dealer’s corresponding hand, then the dealer’s hand is better.
If the player wins, they get paid even money on their bet, but the casino will take a 5% commission on the winnings.

The Foul in Pai Gow Poker

It is a foul if a player arranges their cards in such a way that the two card hand is stronger than the five card hand. This is an automatic loss for the player.

The Joker in Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow Poker is played with the standard 52 cards, plus one joker. The joker can only be used to complete a straight or a flush, otherwise it is considered an ace. The rules on the joker may change depending on the casino, so make sure to verify what the rules for the joker are.

Banking in Pai Gow Poker

Players can choose to be the banker in Pai Gow Poker. The opportunity to be the banker will rotate around the table. A player must have enough chips to cover everyone’s bet to be the banker. The dealer will play a hand with a bet that is the same size as the banker’s last bet. Players should always be the banker whenever they can. The banker will win on equal hands, and the 5% commission that the casino takes will only be charged on the total winnings, and not the individual winnings.

Co-Banking in Pai Gow Poker

Some casinos allow co-banking. The casino will pay half of the winning bets when a player is co-banking. However, a player must arrange their hands according to the “House Way.”

Pai Gow Poker Strategy

The best strategy in Pai Gow Poker is to have the bets be larger when you are the banker. This will make your winnings bigger as a banker. The house way is also a good way to organize your hands, so if you are unsure of what to do, be sure to ask the dealer for help in arranging your hands.