Pai Gow Poker RulesPai Gow Poker is based on the Chinese Domino game by the same name but uses poker combinations. The game uses 52 cards as well as a joker, and is played with up to seven players. The single joker is designated as wild and can be on only one occasion as an ace, or in finishing out a straight, a flush, or a straight flush. Before the cards are dealt, each player puts up a stake. The dealer also competes with the other players. Pai Gow Poker begins with players placing two bets of equal size. The cards are dealt in a counterclockwise direction. After all the players receive their seven cards (face down), they must form two hands. On the deal, each player receives seven cards, and all except the dealer are allowed to look at their cards. They then separate them into two hands – one with two cards, and the other with five. This game is similar to poker in that the comparative values of the five card hands are the same. There is one difference though; the five hand combination A-2-3-4-5 is the second highest kind of straight or straight flush, falling between the A-K-Q-J-10 and K-Q-J-10-9 hands. The highest hand is five aces, and it will top a straight flush. With regard to the two card hand, any pair will beat any unmatched set. There can be no discussion of hands between players at any point. Players must arrange their hands in such a way that the five card hand can beat the two card hand. This means for example, that if the two card hand was composed of two aces, the five card hand would need at least two pairs (or something better) to beat the pair of aces. In playing Pai Gow poker, players put their two hands face down. When all are set, the dealer's shows his or her seven cards. The other players cannot touch their cards from here on. The dealer then turns the seven shown cards into the respective five and two cards in the same fashion the players did. After the dealer created the two hands, all the players' cards are shown. The dealer’s hands are then compared with the player's hands. The game’s outcome is determined by the following rules: 1. If a player has two hands that beat the dealer, the dealer pays out the player’s bet. 2. If the dealer wins one hand and a player wins the other, this is called a “push,” the players’ bets are returned, and no money changes hands. 3. If the dealer wins on the two hands, he or she takes the player's bet. When cards are dealt in this game, there are seven players with seven cards, so the four remaining cards are left unseen. In determining who gets the first hand, the dealer throws three dice and starting with himself, counts around the table counter-clockwise until he gets to the dice total. Since the dealer has the advantage (wins tied hands), the game will be fair if everyone deals an equal number of times during a session. No player should deal twice consecutively.
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