Online Pai Gow Poker Game

Pai Gow Poker

Pai gow poker is a cross between the Chinese domino game pai gow and poker. If you know the ranking of poker hands you are well on your way to learning pai gow poker. The game is played with a single deck of 53 cards, the additional card is a Joker. The first thing to remember is that the Joker is not a pure wildcard. It can only be used as an Ace or to fill out a straight or a flush.

Pai gow poker is played at a table that looks like a blackjack table. There can be up to 6 players and the dealer. 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: The A, 2, 3, 4 & 5 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).

Each player spot has spaces for a bet, low hand, high hand and sometimes the house commission. To start the game, the players make their bets according to the table minimum. The dealer shuffles the cards and deals out seven stacks containing seven cards. This is done no matter how many players there are. The Banker shakes a cup containing three dice to determine who gets the firsthand. 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 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 counter clockwise 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.

Pai Gow Strategy

The only strategic decisions in Pai Gow poker are how much to bet and how to set your hand. The simple basic strategy for setting your hand is to make the highest 2-card hand that is less than your five card hand. Since pairs generally win the 2-card hands, and two-pair wins the 5-card hands, the only difficult decisions are when to split two pairs.

A 'Pai-gow' is a hand with no pairs, such as Q J / K 7 8 6 2.

Below is the basic strategy for pai gow poker. You have seven cards and divide them as shown.

Back = 5 card hand
Front = 2 card hand

If you have no Pairs - Use the highest card in the back and second and third highest in front
If you have one pair - Place the pair in back, highest other two cards in front.

If you have two big pairs, (Jack thru Ace), place small in front.
If your two pairs are 7's thru 10's, place both pairs in back if you can put Ace in front.
If your two pairs are 2's thru 6's, place both pairs in back if you can put a King in front; otherwise split

If you have three pairs, place the biggest pair in front.

Three of a kind:
If you have 3 Aces: Place an Ace and next highest card in front.
If you have 3 Kings or below: Place three of a kind in back and two highest cards in front.

Two sets, place pair from higher set in front.

If you have either a Straight, Flush or Straight Flush.
If there are no pairs: Place two highest cards in front that leave a complete hand in back.
If you have one pair: Place two highest cards possible (pair or no pair) in front that leave a complete hand in back.
If you have two pairs: Use the two pair strategy.
and with three of a kind: Place complete hand in back, pair in front.

Full House: Put pair in front.

Four of a Kind:
Jacks thru Aces: Always split.
7's thru 10's: Place four of a kind in back if you can put Ace or King in front; otherwise split
6's or Below: Never split.
With a Pair: Play four of a kind in back; pair in front.
and with three of a kind: Put highest pair in front; full house in back.

If you have Five Aces: Place pair of Aces in front.