Guide To Pai Gow Poker Rules
Although Pai Gow poker has some traces in Chinese dominoes, this is an American game. It was Fred Wolf who created the game in 1980. But the nature and the Chinese-inspired origins often make gamblers consider Pai Gow an Asian poker variation.
This format is just of of the multiple poker varieties. Pai Gow rules are very different from the classic poker version. Its key advantage is that the player needs to outplay only one rival represented by dealer, whereas in a traditional format you should play against several opponents. This feature made the game much easier. Such a simplicity attracted the gambler’s attention to it. So, it won’t be a problem to learn how to play Pai Gow even without previous experience in poker.
Pai Gow rules
- In the game, it is applied a deck of 52 cards and 1 joker. Each participant is dealt seven cards and only the player can see his cards.
- Then, the player should divide these seven cards into 2 holdings. The first high hand includes 5 cards, and the second low one – two cards. But along with this, the combo of the low hand should not be stronger than the high one. Otherwise, you will automatically lose.
- The cards are revealed.
- Dealer also divides his cards into 2 hands and shows them to his opponent.
- Combinations of both hands are compared. If your both hands are higher than the dealer ones, then you win with a chance of 1 to 1 (due to casino commission). If one hand is stronger than the dealer's, a draw is the result of the game. In this case, the player gets his bet back. The casino wins if both hands are weaker.
- Joker can complete such combinations as royal flush, straight flush, flush, straight. If there are no such combinations, joker acts as an Ace. In the low hand, the joker is always considered an Ace.
This game is a great opportunity to have a good time playing cards without worrying about your playing skill. Luck plays a key role.
New players are even able to ask the dealer for advice about Pai Gow hand, but this is only allowed at the beginning of the game. The dealer will definitely help. In this game, only one thing matters – whose cards are stronger.
Pai Gow hands probabilities
Before start playing, you should first understand the probabilities and advantages of the casino in this game. The percentage probabilities clearly show where's the punch line:
- Draw: 41%
- Player’s victory with both hands: 29%
- Dealer’s victory with both hands: 30%
Except for the probabilities, players have to consider the likelihood of certain hands. 7 cards player and the dealer get, will form a pair or two pair with high probability.
| 1 pair: 41,7% | 2 pairs: 23,1% | High card: 16,1% |
| Straight: 7,3% | Three of a kind: 4,8% | Flush: 4% |
| Full house: 2,7% | Four of a kind: 0,2% | Straight or royal flush: 0,137% |
The table shows that the odds for a good holding are quite good, and the probability of winning is much better than in other casino games, even without applying strategies. For example, the chance of 4 of a kind in Pai Gow is 0,2%. Those playing Texas Hold’em can hit this combo with a 0,00025% probability.
Example
Player gets 6-7-8-9-10 to the hand and two Aces. You move Aces to low hand (which form a pair). 6-7-8-9-10-A-A (a straight combo) move to a high hand. 2-2-2-A-K-4-5 are the dealer’s cards. He puts A and K to a low hand. The remaining ones go to a high hand, where 2-2-2 form the 3 of a kind. Thus, both hands have an advantage, and you’re the winner.
The hand values ranking in Pai Gow has many common traits with traditional poker. But one distinction persists.
A-2-3-4-5 in Pai Gow is lower than the A-K-Q-J-10
As for the real differences, there’s one to be mentioned. Pai Gow has a royal flush of 5 aces, where Joker acts as the 5th card. This combo is the highest one. By the way, the best combination in a low hand is a pair of aces.
Pai Gow card ranking
| Combination | Description |
|---|---|
| 5 of a kind | Four aces + Joker |
| Royal Flush | A, K, Q, J, 10 - all come in the same suit |
| Straight Flush | 5 cards go in sequential order and have the same suit |
| 4 of a Kind | 4 same-suit cards |
| Full House | 3 of a kind and a pair |
| Flush | 5 cards of the same-suit |
| Straight | 5 consecutive cards of any suit |
| Three of a Kind | 3 cards of the same number |
| Two Pairs | two sets of 2 cards of identical rank |
| One Pair | 2 cards of the same number |
If you want to get acquainted with Pai Gow rules once again, we offer you to watch the following video:
As you can see, Pai Gow is not a difficult game, especially since it has the main advantage – you need to play against only one opponent. Those who want to win really big money in this poker format, it is better to study Pai Gow strategy. Good luck everyone!
