Pai-gow Poker is an American card-playing derivative of the centuries-old casino game of Chinese Dominoes. In the early 1800’s, Chinese laborers introduced the game while working in California.
The game’s popularity with Chinese gamblers eventually drew the attention of entrepreneurial gamblers who replaced the conventional tiles with cards and modeled the game into a new form of poker. Introduced into the poker suites of California in 1986, the game’s instant acceptance and reputation with Asian poker players drew the interest of Nevada’s betting house operators who rapidly assimilated the casino game into their own poker suites. The reputation of the casino game has continued into the 21st century.
Pai-gow tables cater to up to 6 gamblers along with a croupier. Differentiating from classic poker, all players play against the dealer and not against each and every other.
In a counterclockwise rotation, every single gambler is given 7 face down cards by the croupier. 49 cards are dealt, including the croupier’s 7 cards.
Each player and the croupier must form two poker hands: a good hand of 5 cards and also a low hand of two cards. The hands are based on traditional poker rankings and as such, a 2 card hand of 2 aces would be the greatest possible hands of 2 cards. A 5 aces hands will be the highest five card palm. How do you have 5 aces in a standard fifty-two card deck? You are really betting with a fifty-three card deck since one joker is permitted into the casino game. The joker is regarded as a wild card and may be used as another ace or to complete a straight or flush.
The highest two hands win just about every casino game and only a single player having the two highest hands simultaneously can win.
A dice toss from a cup containing 3 dice decides who will be dealt the very first palm. After the hands are given, players must form the 2 poker hands, keeping in mind that the 5-card hands must usually position larger than the 2-card hands.
When all gamblers have set their hands, the dealer will make comparisons with his or her hands position for payouts. If a player has one hand greater in rank than the croupier’s except a lower second hands, this is regarded a tie.
If the croupier beats each hands, the player loses. In the case of both gambler’s hands and each croupier’s hands being identical, the croupier is victorious. In casino play, ofttimes allowances are made for a player to become the croupier. In this situation, the player will need to have the money for any payoffs due succeeding gamblers. Of course, the gambler acting as dealer can corner a few large pots if he can beat most of the gamblers.
A number of gambling establishments rule that players cannot deal or bank two consecutive hands, and a few poker rooms will offer to co-bank fifty/fifty with any player that decides to take the bank. In all cases, the croupier will ask gamblers in turn if they would like to be the banker.
In Pai gow Poker, you’re dealt "static" cards which means you’ve no chance to change cards to perhaps enhance your hands. Even so, as in traditional 5-card draw, you can find strategies to make the best of what you have been dealt. An example is maintaining the flushes or straights in the 5-card hand and the two cards remaining as the second great hands.
If you are lucky enough to draw four aces along with a joker, you can keep 3 aces in the 5-card hand and strengthen your 2-card hands with the other ace and joker. Two pair? Keep the greater pair in the five-card hands and the other 2 matching cards will make up the 2nd palm.
