Online Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow Poker Overview:

Pai Gow Poker is a cross between Chinese dominoes and poker. Pai Gow Poker is played with a 53-card deck, the standard 52 cards plus a joker. The joker can be used as and Ace or to complete a straight or flush. Pai Gow Poker is played on a blackjack sized table, each player is dealt seven cards face down. The players then need to "set" their seven cards into the best possible five-card ("Highest") and two-card hand ("lowest").

Hand Ranking:

Hand ranking differs in Pai Gow Poker to standard poker in two ways; Due to there being a joker in the deck the highest hand is five aces which beats a royal flush, some casinos rank A-2-3-4-5 as the second highest behind a royal flush (A-K-Q-J-10.) and in front of K-Q-j-10-9. It i a good idea to check if this rule applies at the online casino where you are playing Pai Gow Poker. The two-card hand is either a pair or the a high card.

Rules of Play:

To determine which player is to receive the first seven-card hand, the banker shakes three dice in a cup three times then places the covered shaker on the layout (some casinos use a Random Number Generator to accomplish this, usually displayed as a LCD screen on the table). The dealer then removes the shaker cover to reveal the numbers. The dealer then starts counting counterclockwise from from the bankers spot. The counting, including the dealers spot, is concluded when sum of all thee dice are reached. The player or dealer at this spot receives the first seven-card hand, after the initial hand is dealt the dealer then deals the remaining seven seven-card hands counterclockwise, irrespective if there is a player seated a spot or not. In total 49 cards of the 53-card are always dealt for each game. Online Pai Gow Poker is a little different, you get dealt seven cards then the dealer gets dealt seven cards (it's just you and the casino so there is no need to deal the full seven hands each game), a new deck is generated (shuffled) after each game.

Setting Hands:

Players set their hands after the dealer has picked up the unused cards and put them in the discard tray. When setting a hand in Pai Gow Poker the five-card hand has to be higher ranking than the two-card hand. If the two-card hand has a higher ranking than the five-card hand the hand is declared dead and you lose your money. An example would be a five-card hand of A-J-8-5-3 and a two-card hand of 2-2, a pair is a better hand than Ace-High.

After players are finished setting the two hands, they are placed facedown on the designated spots on the layout. A winning hand is one that beats both the dealers hands, the two-card hand and the five-card hand beats the dealers two-card and five-card hand. If the hand splits, one hand wins and the other loses, a draw in effect is called and no money exchanges hands. Where one of the dealers hand is the same as one of the players hand and the dealers second hand beats the players hand the dealer wins and collects the bet. BUT if a players hand is the same as one of the dealers hand and the players second hand beats the dealer, the hand is declared "no decision" and no money is exchanged.

Part of the house edge (+- 1.3%) comes on these tie hands and the house-edge is enhanced by a further 3% from the house 5% commission or "rake" collected by the casino on every winning hand.

Always keep in mind that you need to choose a good five-card hand as well as a good two-card hand. Let's use an example, you are dealt a hand of A-A-A-9-7-5-3. It would be tempting to keep the three aces in the five-card hand while setting the two-card hand as 9-7. The five-card hand is strong but the two-card hand will most probably lose. Breaking up the aces will increase your chances of winning both hand therefore winning the bet.

Remember many dealers will be happy to help you set your hand, all you need do is ask.

Basic Pai Gow Poker Strategy:

The following indicates what you should do when dealt that type of hand:

Your hand has a high card;
Set the second and third highest card as your two-card hand and the rest as your five-card hand.

Your hand has a pair;
No straight or flush, put the pair into the five-card hand and the two highest remaining cards into your two-card hand.

Your hand has two pair;
Set the high card pair into the five-card hand and the low pair into the two card hand.

Your hand has three pair;
Set the high pair into the two-card hand and the other two pairs in the five-card hand.

Your hand has three of a kind;
Queens or lower should be set in the five-card hand while aces and kings should be set in you two-card hand and five-card hand as pairs.

Your hand has a straight, straight flush and flush;
Set the in the five-card hand as a straight, straight flush or flush and the remaining two into the two-card hand.

Your hand has a full house;
The three of a kind should be set in your five-card hand and the pair in your two-card hand.

Your hand has four of a kind;
Set the four of a kind in your five-card hand if they are 2,3,4,5 or 6 otherwise split them up and place them in your two-card hand and five-card hand.

Banking Decision:

When you decide to act as the banker you need to cover all the other players bets for the next round. The role of banker usually rotates from player to player, if there are two or more players willing to act as the banker. Some casinos only allow you to bank the game every other hand, you need to find out what the casino policy is. If the players bet ore than what you have you pay them off in turn, counterclockwise, until you have no money left. The remaining hands are declared as no-play hands and the bets are returned.

You can gain the advantage on other players by being the banker. To gain this advantage you need the other players to bet high while you are the banker and you need to bet small when you are not the banker. If the players play sound strategy this advantage is taken away by you having to pay the "rake" on all winning hands. The best you can hope for is that you are playing with other players of less skill.

Online Pai Gow Poker:

The object is to split your seven cards dealt to you into the best possible hands. The "Highest", the five-card hand and the "2nd Highest", the two-card hand.

Play starts by you placing your bet, after you have placed your bet you click on deal and seven cards is dealt first to you then the dealer. You can now either set the cards yourself or you can choose the house way (the casino chooses for you on a set rules). If you decide to set the cards you need not worrying about your two-card hand being higher than the five-card hand, the software will not allow the game to commence (in a land-based casino you would loose the bet). Once you have set your cards you click on the done button. The dealer will now the casinos cards to determine who the winner is. If both the dealer’s hands are higher, you lose your bet. If one of the dealer’s hands is higher, one lower, it is a push and your bet is returned. If both your hands are higher, you win even money on your bet (1 to 1) minus 5% bank commission.

In case of an exact match between hands (called a copy) the tie goes to the banker.

House Way:

If you select the House Way to set your cards then these rules are used to determine your hands. These Rules are those of Casino Del Rio.

The "front" refers to the two card hand and the "back" refers to the five card hand.

No pair: Place the highest card in the back and the next two highest cards in the front.
One pair: Place the pair in back and the next two highest cards in the front.
Two pair: Play two pair in back, except split in the following situations:
One pair is 7's or greater and no ace singleton.
Pair of jacks or better and 6's or better and an ace singleton.
Pair of aces and any other pair.
Three pair: Always play highest pair in front.
Three of a kind: Always play three of a kind in back except break up three aces.
Full house: Split except with pair of 2's and an ace/king can be played in front.
Full house with three of a kind and two pairs: Play the highest pair in front.
Three of a kind twice: Always play highest pair in front.
Straights, flushes, straight flushes, and royal flushes:
Always play straight or flush in the high hand except play as a two pair if one of the following:
Any two pair and an ace singleton.
Pair of jacks and pair of 6's.
Pair of aces and any other pair.
With a six or seven card straight or flush put the highest hand possible in front while maintaining the straight or flush in back.
Play staight or flush over straight flush to improve front hand to jack or better.
Play staight or flush over royal flush to improve front hand to king or better.
Four of a kind: Play according to the rank of the four of a kind:
2 through 6: Always keep together.
7 through 10: Split unless an ace or better can be played in front.
Jack through king: Split unless hand also contains a pair of 10's or higher.
Aces: Split unless a pair of 7's or higher can be played in front.
Five aces: Split unless pair of kings can be played in front.

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