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Pai Gow Casino Games |
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Pai gow poker is a variation of the Chinese domino game pai gow. Pai gow poker is commonly referred to as simply "pai gow", which is wrong, as "pai gow" alone is a completely separate game. Pai gow poker is played with a 53-card deck, including a joker. The game is one on one, the player(s) against the banker, each competing to make the best possible hands. Due to a rather slow pace and a lot of ties, pai gow poker is less intense than most casino games and a modest buy in can usually last a long time.
Pai Gow Poker Guide
Pai gow is a fun and popular online card game that combines the Chinese domino game of gai gow with poker. Played in both online casinos and land-based gambling venues, pai gow is really worth checking out if you're a fan of skill games. For best results try playing online pai gow via java based software simulation. It's free to play as much as you want either for fun or as a way to polish your skills for when you're ready to join a game of online pai gow played for real money.
In pai gow poker the player receives 7 cards after the initial bet and must split them into two poker hands of 5 and 2 cards. The 5 card hand (often referred to as the bottom hand) has to contain a higher overall rank than the 2 card hand (which is known as the top hand) when the player is splitting up the 7 total cards. When it comes to ranking the pai gow poker hands, the 2 card hand can either be ranked by pair or high card. The 5 card hand follows the same ranking hierarchy as standard online poker.
Pai Gow Poker Rules
- 5 card hand must rank higher than the 2 card hand.
- Cards are ranked according to standard poker rules.
- Joker can only be used to complete straights or flushes, otherwise it counts as an Ace.
- Dealer wins any copied hand.
- The Player can win if both the 5-card and the 2-card poker hand outrank the dealers hand.
- The Player loses if both the 5-card and the 2-card poker hand are outranked by the dealers hand.
- The dealer outranks either of the two hands and the other hand is a copy.
- The Player pushes if the player wins one hand and the dealer wins the other.
Hand Values in Pai Gow Poker
The hands are ranked according to standard poker rules with one exception: the Ace-2-3-4-5 straight is the second highest straight. Straights rank, from highest to lowest: Ace-K-Q-J-10, Ace-2-3-4-5, K-Q-J-10-9, 6-5-4-3-2. Also, keep in mind that the best two-card hand is a pair of aces; the two-card hand cannot have a flush (since a flush requires five cards).
Pai Gow Key Features:
- Bonus Bet: Watch as the panda bear climbs the stairs to the Bonus Bet Hut each time you win.
- Fortune Bonus: Get token rewards when you're dealt high poker values.
- Helpful Hints: Use the hints to help you make the right moves in this online poker game.
Pai Gow Poker Strategy
Good hand construction is vital to reducing the house edge in Pai Gow Poker, but it must be remembered that it is a game of two hands, not one. Both need to be strong if you are to win. Having said that, it is a good idea to play defensively in Pai Gow Poker, as winning on only one hand is still preferable to losing on both hands.
Where strategy becomes difficult in Pai Gow Poker is deciding on when to weaken a strong 5-card hand in order to make a better 2-card hand. This is normally only an issue if you have Two Pair, as a Pair is the highest rank you can make in the 2-card hand. Most of the time, it is a good idea to split Pairs, as this gives the 2-card hand a much better chance of winning than a Two Pair hand has of winning the 5-card hand. |
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