The object of Pai Gow Poker is to make two poker hands that beat the banker's hands, from the seven cards dealt from the dealer. Detailed rule explanation included.

Pai Gow Poker

In Brief

The object of Pai Gow Poker is to make two poker hands that beat the banker's hands, from the seven cards dealt from the dealer.

Pai Gow Poker, Detailed Explanation

Pai gow poker is a banking poker game played in Las Vegas and some of the California card clubs.

The object of pai-gow poker is to make two poker hands that beat the banker's hands. The player is dealt 7 cards that he makes into a five card hand (high hand) and a two card hand (low hand).

The hands are played and ranked as traditional poker hands (with one exception: A2345 is the second highest straight), and the 5 card hand must be higher than the 2 card hand. If both hands are better than the banker's hand, you win, if both lose, you lose, otherwise it's a push. The banker wins absolute ties (i.e. K Q vs K Q).

The game is played with a 52 cards plus one joker. The joker can be used as an Ace or to complete a flush or straight.

The table layout has 7 spots one in front of the dealer and 6 for players. The players sit in a smei-cirle around the dealer.

Each player spot has spaces for a bet, low hand, high hand and sometimes the house commission. The dealer deals 7 7-card hands in front of the chip tray. The banker can be a player, but is usually the house.

The banker designates which hands go to which player by shaking a dice cup with three dice; the banker's position is either 1, 8 or 15 and the hands are passed out counterclockwise.

So, if the dealer is the bank and the dice total to 6, player 5 gets the first hand, player 6 gets the second, the dealer gets the third and so on. The dice mumbo-jumbo appears to be ritual stuff --- you don't need to worry about anything until you get your hand.

The player puts the two card hand face down in the box closest to the dealer, and the five card hand face down in back. Once everybody has set their hand, the dealer turns over and sets the bank's hand.

The dealer goes counterclockwise around the table comparing the banks hand to the players, and taking, paying, or knocking. There is a 5% commission on winning bets that you can either put out next to your winning bet, or the dealer will subtract from your payoff.

The lowest minimum bet is $5, seen at the Imperial Place and Four Queens.

From the rec.gambling Frequently-Asked-Questions (by John F. Reeves)

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