Pai
Gow Poker Basics for the Online Player
Pai Gow Poker is a
Westernized version of the Chinese domino game of the same name and
similar precepts. The game
played at most online casinos is even more simplified because it becomes a
single player rather than a multi-player game with a rotating dealer.
To see the rules for live casino pai gow poker check the Where to
Bet casino rules pages.
Online pai gow is
played against the house with a standard 52-card deck plus 1 joker for a
total of 53 cards. The joker
is wild and can act in place of a missing card in any straight, flush, or
straight flush. If the joker
is not used in a run or flush it is regarded as an ace (some casinos will
allow the joker to be used as a general wild card but this is uncommon). Game
play is easy. You will be
dealt seven cards to arrange into two separate hands, one with five cards
and the other with two. The
five-card hand is known as the high hand or back hand and
the two-card hand is called the low hand or front hand.
The object is to have both hands beat the dealer’s corresponding
cards. Your high hand must be
a higher play than your low hand. If
it is not it is a foul and you automatically lose. Be sure to not make this beginner’s mistake!
If both of your hands
are higher the dealer’s hands you win and are paid 1-1, less a 5% bank
commission - $5.00 wins $4.75. (Some
online casinos have tables that waive these fees so be sure to check for
the best odds!) If one of
your hands is higher and the other is lower than the dealer’s you will
have a push and no money will change hands.
If the dealer wins both the high and low hands you lose.
If one or both of your hands are identical to the dealer’s,
called a copy or copies, the dealer wins (this is where the house
win percentage is worked in!) Those
are the basic rules of the game, all in all very simple.
Card rankings are
identical to standard poker rules with the following exceptions:
the highest hand is 5 aces (four natural plus the joker); the third
highest, after the royal flush, is the straight flush A-2-3-4-5.
Here is the hand values breakdown:
|
Rank
|
Hand
Name
|
Hand Description
|
|
1
|
Five Aces
|
Five aces and a
joker
|
|
2
|
Royal Flush
|
A, K, Q, J, 10
all of same suit
|
|
3
|
Straight Flush
|
Five cards of
the same suit in sequence
|
|
4
|
4 of a Kind
|
Four cards of
the same rank
|
|
5
|
Full House
|
3 of a Kind and
a Pair
|
|
6
|
Flush
|
Five cards of
the same suit
|
|
7
|
Straight
|
Five cards in
sequence
|
|
8
|
3 of a Kind
|
Three cards of
the same rank
|
|
9
|
2 Pair
|
Two cards of
one rank, plus two of another
|
|
10
|
1 Pair
|
Two cards of
the same rank
|
One thing to remember
is the importance of the two card low hand.
Many people concentrate on a strong backhand when the game is more
often won on the low hand. There
are basic strategies you should employ when playing pai gow. Here is a chart breaking down pai gow basic strategy:
|
If you hold:
|
Play your hand
this way:
|
|
No pairs, no
straight, no flush
|
2 - use your
second and third highest card
5 - use your highest card
|
|
One pair, no
pairs, no flush
|
2 - use your
two highest single cards
5 - use the pair
|
|
Two pairs
|
If you have a
single ace, use the ace in the two-card hand and keep the pairs
together in the five-card hand. Otherwise split the pairs as
follows:
2 - use the lower pair
5- use the higher pair
|
|
Three pairs
|
2 - use the
highest pair
5 - use the second and third highest pairs
|
|
Straight and
two pairs
|
Play as two
pair, ignore the straight
|
|
Five-card
straight
|
2- use the two
cards not in the straight
5- use the straight
|
|
Six-card
straight
|
2- use the two
highest cards that you can
5- use the remaining straight
|
|
Flush and two
pair
|
Play as two
pair, ignore the flush
|
|
Other flush
|
2- play the
highest cards in this hand
without breaking up the flush
5- flush
|
|
Full house
|
2- use the pair
5- use the three of a kind
|
By following these
basics you can play successfully at any online casino.
Good
Luck !
|
