Pai Gow Poker was originated in the United States and is also known as double-hand poker played with playing cards as an alternative to usual Pai Gow’s Chinese dominoes.
The main agenda of playing Pai Gow Poker is to defeat the dealer or another player or any team that is created on the table. It is a generally a six-player game. Starting to play, one needs to make two decks of seven cards each called poker hands, each deck comprising of:
- A five-card “high” hand
- A two – cards “low” hand
Your high hand should be better than your low hand, for example, is two cards are sevens, then your high hand should beat the pair of sevens. Once all is set, the dealer exposes the cards or rather the hands, which opens up 3 ways:
- The player has a win-win situation by winning both hands.
- The player loses both the hands to the dealer
- The neutral win wherein one hand is won by the player and the other won by the dealer, here no money exchange takes place.
After setting all up, the two-card hand also called small, minor, on top, or in front, the hand is kept to expose first. The high cards are left invisible by placing them behind. If the low hand beats the high hand then it is considered a foul hand and said to rest according to house rules only if the dealer is a banker. If the dealer is a banker of a particular hand, then the player is free to set their hands according to them.
Side bets of Pai Gow Poker
In order to increase the involvement of the audience, casinos around the world are trying to adopt this version of Pai Gow Poker which has better chances for the player to win. The higher the hand, the higher the bonuses, and the core reason behind introducing side bets was for the players to bet extra. A few famous form of side best are:
- Fortune Pai Gow: trips are the ways where the player makes more from their side bets.
- Pai Gow Mania: two side bets can be floated at the same time
- Emperor’s Challenge: side bet can be played on Pai Gow.
- Progressive Fortune Pai Gow: side bets are made along with the seven-card straight flush winning the jackpot.
STRATEGIES
Since no betting takes place here, it is highly dependent on the player how he or she deals with their hands. It is important to set the hands incorrect manner.
For example, if dealt K, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 9, a player has the option of setting his/her hand like:
- K, 9/K, Q, J, 10, 9 (mediocre top hand, very strong bottom hand)
- Q, J/K, K, 9, 9, 10 (mediocre top hand, strong bottom hand)
- 9, 9/K, K, Q, J, 10 (strong top hand, fairly strong bottom hand)
If you have any doubt regarding hands confusing on how to play, don’t shy away just ask the dealer.
