About - Pow Gow Poker

Pai gow poker is also known as double hand poker, and is an adapted version of Pai Gow Chinese dominoes. Each pai gow poker game is played with a normal 52 card deck along with one joker, played on a table for 6 players plus a dealer. Players will try to beat the dealer who is at most casinos the banker, however the banker can be one of the other players but this is rarely seen.

Pai gow poker offers the object of a player to make two separate poker hands out of the 7 cards that are dealt consisting of a five card hand and a two card hand. The five card hand total value must be more than the two card hand in all casinos. The two card hand is most of the time called an on top or in front, even sometimes called a small hand. The five card hand is called a bottom or high hand, and this is based on how they are placed in front of a player when the player is finished setting the hands.

To begin, pai gow cards are shuffled and dealt face down to all players and the banker, starting with the banker and rotating counter clockwise on the table. A number between one and seven is chosen, mostly with electronic dice in casinos. The deal will then begin with that position on the table in a counter clockwise motion. If a player is not sitting at that spot, the hand is still valid, but then placed onto the discard pile when the deal is finished. Once all players have their hand, they are asked if they want to place a bet on the ‘dragon hand’. Dragon hands are those that are set out at empty spots on the table. The bet on these hands can be the minimum required for the table, up to the amount a player best on their own original hand. The first person to bet on the dragon hand gets the cards and this player is actually playing two separate hands. Rules will vary based on the casino entered, but the dealer normally will turn over the hand and sets it away. The only two card hands consist of a pair and high cards. Five card hands uses the standard poker rankings except the fact that many casinos in Las Vegas will rank an A-5 card hand a king high straight while anything below the Ace through 10 hand is called a below ace high straight. The lowest straight available is the Ace through 5 hand.Jokers play as a bug, meaning it can be used to create a straight or flush but if no flush is possible it is used as an ace. In a two card hand, it is always an ace with the exception of some California casinos where a joker is always wild.

If a player’s separated hands beat the banker hand, the player wins the bet. If only one of the hands beats a banker’s corresponding hand, the player pushes. If both hands lose to the banker, the player simply loses the game.