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Pai Gow Poker: Rules to Go By

Pai gow poker rules are a combination of some Asian or Chinese pai gow and poker. Rules based on poker specifically cover rules regarding hand ranking. The main difference of pai gow poker from Asian poker lies in the accessory used. Pai gow poker utilizes a 53-deck card (a joker is added into the 52-deck card) while Asian pai gow utilizes domino tiles. The joker may stand for an Ace, or be used to create a flush or a straight or a straight flush.

Pai gow poker rules cover aspects of betting, dealing of cards, house fees, and winning. It must be noted that pai gow poker rules as observed in casinos may be slightly different from pai gow poker rules as practiced in homes or in other settings.

As with any other card game, pai gow poker begins with every player placing one's bet. The banker or dealer then places 7 stacks of cards with each stack having 7 cards placed face down. Along with hand ranking, this is perhaps the most consistently followed among the pai gow poker rules. This manner of distribution does not change with changes in number of players at a table. A pai gow poker table may have a maximum of six players at a table.

The banker may be a casino staff. A player, however, may also act as a banker, or players may rotate roles as bankers.

Players are then to create a poker hand consisting five cards and another hand consisting two cards. Pai gow poker rules regarding winning hands are inherently the same as in any other poker game variants like Omaha hold 'em and Spit the Ocean. That is, hands are ranked according to the game's built-in ranking system.

The 2-card hand must be of slighter value than the five-card hand. Otherwise, it is deemed foul. In such a case, the player loses the game. The 2-card hand has to be arranged in front of the 5-card hand.

In order to win, all of the player's hands must rank better than the banker's. Otherwise, the player loses. Here, the player is not competing with other players but only with the banker. The pay is 1:1. However, a 5% rake will be deducted from it. Thus, if the player placed a $10 bet, the player will receive a total of $19.50 winnings.

If only one of the player's hands beats the banker's, it is regarded as a tie. If all of the player's hands have the same rank value as the banker's, it is referred to as a copy and the player loses.

Five-card hands are ranked according to poker's built-in hand rank system. However, casinos may differ how they regard the hand A-2-3-4-5. In many casinos, specifically in Nevada, this hand ranks higher than K-Q-J-10-9, yet ranks lower than A-K-Q-J-10. In many California and Michigan casinos, A-2-3-4-5 is regarded as the least valued straight.

Pai gow poker rules in the areas of betting, winning, dealing of cards, and hand ranking are a combination of Asian pai gow rules and hand rank system of poker. But though pai gow poker rules may be based on Asian pai gow and poker, it is neither purely pai gow nor purely poker, but, as discussed above, a game uniquely its own.