Frankly speaking, Pai Gow Poker is known to be a very peculiar gambling game. In fact, it combines features of traditional poker and ancient Chinese game Pai Gow.
It should be noted that this game has become widely recognized recently. Consequently, a great number of online casinos have included Pai Gow Poker into their lists of gambling games.
Rules of Pai Gow Poker
From the first sight it may seem that the rules of this casino game are complicated and difficult to understand. Actually, they are simpler than you can imagine.
First of all, it should be noted that a deck of 52 cards is utilized to play this game. Moreover, Pai Gow Poker is one of the modifications of traditional game, where the joker is used. So, everybody should take this into consideration before starting to play it.
Indeed, the joker usually substitutes Aces in Pai Gow Poker. Nevertheless, it really depends on the gambling situation. For instance, if you want to complete a straight or a flush, you can utilize the joker as if it were a wild card. Sure thing, it results in decreasing the house edge.
Furthermore, if you know how to play traditional poker, there is no doubt that it will help you to play Pai Gow Poker. In this variation of the game all the players and the dealer get 7 cards. To win you should make 2 hands, which will be stronger than those of the dealer. They are a 2-card hand and a 5-card hand.
Moreover, you should remember that according to the rules of Pai Gow Poker, your 5-card hand has to be always stronger than the 2-card hand, otherwise you will lose automatically.
A Player vs. a Dealer
As it is mentioned above, there are two hands in this game. That is why there are some peculiar outcomes, which can appear:
- Both your hands are stronger the dealer's ones. In such a case you win and you are paid out accordingly.
- You beat the dealer's one hand, but your second hand is weaker than his. If it happens, it means a "push".
- Both your hands are weaker than the dealer's ones. In this case you lose.
Moreover, to succeed in Pai Gow Poker, a gambler should not forget about strategies and tips.