Pai Gow Basics

Pai Gow Poker name

This version of poker originally comes from the ancient Chinese game called 'Pai Gow', which means, "make nine" in Chinese. The ancient game has since merged with the basic form of poker to become a very popular, and relatively new, gambling game.

Origin of pai gow poker game

It only entered Vegas casinos in 1987, but was an instant success due to its established popularity in California and surrounding areas. The game debuted in Atlantic City casinos the following year and has been a popular and exciting activity at casinos ever since.

Basics of Pai Gow Poker

The Basics

Pai Gow Poker has its roots in the ancient Chinese game, Pai Gow. However, it has merged with American Poker to evolve into the modern game of Pai Gow Poker. Pai Gow Poker is a simple game but it offers many strategic options. This gives you the option to play conservatively and maximize your playing time for little money, or go for the quick win.

Pai Gow is played with a 53-card deck consisting of a standard 52-card deck with 1 wild card. The object of the game is to split your hand into a five-card hand and a two card hand with both hands beating the dealer's two hands to win.

The wild card is not a true wild card and there are specific rules for the use of the wild card. The wild card can only be used as an ace or as the fifth card in a straight or a flush.

After you receive your seven cards you must split them into two hands, a five-card hand and a two-card hand. The five-card hand must always rank higher than the two-card hand. To split your hand move the mouse pointer over the cards you want to make your two-card hand. Click on the two cards one at a time and they will split out of the deck. Notice that once you have chosen an eligible two-card hand (not better than your five-card hand) the split button becomes available. If you are happy with your choice click on this split button and you will have your two playing hands. If you are not satisfied with your choices click on the card or cards which you want to change and they will go back into your seven-card hand. Now choose the new cards you wish to play with. You may do this until you press the split button at which point your hands are locked-in. The dealer will then split his hand and the game will play itself out.

Each five-card hand is ranked according to the standard poker hand hierarchy. Remember that because of the wild card, you have the potential to have five aces, which beats a royal flush. Your two-card hand can either be a pair or no pair, therefore, your highest possible two-card hand would be a pair of aces. The wild card can function in several ways. It can act as an ace in any hand or the fifth card in a straight, a flush, a straight flush, or a royal flush.

Payoffs

You must win both hands outright to receive a payout. The house wins if both of the dealer's hands are winners, or if one hand wins and the other hand is a draw. Any other combination results in a push. This will lead to many draws, so there will be a 5% commission on all player wins, which will be deducted from your payout. Apart from the commission, all winning wagers are paid out at even money (1 to 1).