Pai Gow Poker Rules

Game Rules - Pai Gow

Pai Gow poker is somewhat different from normal poker, though the desired hands remain almost the same. It is played with 53 cards, which is the standard 52 cards used in poker plus one joker, which can be used as an ace, or to compete a straight, flush or straight flush.

The player receives 7 cards to divide into one five-card hand and one two-card hand. A two-card hand can be either a pair or two single cards.

The player then must make a five card hand with the seven cards which scores higher than the two-card hand.

If your five-card hand beats the dealer's five-card hand and your two-card hand beats the dealer's two-card hand, you win the hand.

If the dealer's five-card hand beats your five-card hand and the dealer's two-card hand beats your two-card hand, the dealer wins the hand.

If you and the dealer each win one hand, the result is a push, and you receive your original bet back. If you fail to set your cards so that the five-card hand outscores the two-card hand, you foul and the dealer wins by default.

The Rules

Play begins by making a wager. Next everyone receives seven cards. A roll of the dice or a randomly generated number determines which player gets the first set of cards. The players then each arrange their seven cards into a five-card hand and a two-card hand. The five-card hand is ranked as in poker, with the exception that an A-2-3-4-5 straight is the second highest straight. The two-card hand will either be a pair or two individual cards. The highest two-card hand is a pair of aces and the lowest is a 2-3. After all the players have arranged their hands the banker arranges theirs according to a set of fixed rules known as the "house way." Then the player's five-card hand is compared to the dealer's five-card hand. Likewise the player's two-card hand is compared to the dealer's two-card hand. The highest hand wins. In the event of an exact match between hands, called a copy, the tie goes to the banker.

If the player beats the dealer with both hands the player wins even money, less a 5% commission.

If the player wins one and loses one the bet is a push. If the player loses both the player loses the entire wager. When setting the hands the two-card hand may not be higher then the five-card hand. If it is then both hands are deemed "foul" and both lose. The joker can only be used to complete a straight, flush, or straight flush, otherwise it is treated as an ace. At some places if there is an empty seat the dealer will also deal a "dragon" hand.
Another player may assume the dragon hand if they wish, essentially playing two positions rather than one. The player may have to use the house way in setting the dragon hand. In pai gow poker any player may elect to be the banker in turn. If a player banks the 5% commission is charged on the net win. When a player is the banker the dealer will still play, betting an amount equal to the last bet the player made when the dealer was banking.

It is strongly to the advantage of the player to be the banker as much as possible because the dealer wins on copies and the 5% commission is charged after losses are set against winnings.

The opportunity to bank usually rotates from person to person, including the house, but sometimes will zig-zag between the players and the dealer. If the player wants to bank they must have enough money on the table to pay off all winning bets of the other players and dealer. The player must also have played a previous hand against the house banker to bank. Some casinos will allow the player to co-bank with the house. If this option is elected the casino will assume half the financial responsibility of the outcome. The player must set their hand according to the house way if co-banking.

Strategy

The most important factor in improving your odds in pai gow is the ratio of how much is bet when you are the banker to as a player. The greater the ratio the better your odds are. The second most important factor is how well you arrange your cards. The house way (explained below) is a very safe strategy that is difficult to improve upon. In my pai gow poker appendix I have a table that shows the probability of any given 5 or 2 card hand beating the house way.
Theoretically you could use these charts to play any hand, maximizing your odds of winning, but in real life nobody would have enough time to look up the numbers and add them up.
In addition my pai gow poker appendix 2 I present my own strategy for splitting a two pair that will shave 0.04% off the house edge compared to the house way rule for splitting a two pair.

Pai-Gow Poker can be played by up to seven people. The object of the game 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: A2345 is the second highest straight), and the 5-card hand must be higher than the 2-card hand. The two-card hand can of course only be a pair or two individual cards (maximum possible is a pair of aces, worst a 2 and a 3). The additional joker included in this game can be used as an ace, or can be used to complete a straight or a flush. The table layout has a dealer seat, and six player seats. Each player spot has spaces for a bet, low hand, high hand and sometimes the house commission.