Pai Gow Poker Banking Rules

Pai Gow poker is played with a 53 card deck with the fifty-third card being the joker. The game is commonly referred to as the blackjack of Poker and is a fast-paced game played against the dealer. Pai Gow basic strategy is based on knowledge of Poker hands. It is unique from other forms of poker because in Pai Gow the player is required to make two hands. One hand is a five card hand and the other is a two card hand, both hands are compared against the dealer’s hands to determine the outcome of the bet. The game begins with the player placing an ante bet, just as in the majority of poker games.

If you play in a live Pai Gow Poker game, you’ll find yourself given the opportunity to bank every few hands or so, depending on exactly how the game is structured. Some casinos rotate the chance to bank around the table, while others have the casino bank every other hand in between the player opportunities to bank. Pai-Gow Hand Rankings. While most of the rankings in double-hand poker are the same as regular poker, there are a few minor differences. Five of a Kind - The highest possible pai gow poker hand, it's comprised of four aces and a joker. Royal Flush - Made up of the following cards in the same suit: A, K, Q, J, 10. The object of fortune pai gow poker is to create a five card poker hand and a two card poker hand from seven cards that beat both of the bank's hands. The five-card hand's rank must exceed that of.

How to Play Pai Gow Poker

Once the wager is placed the game can begin, the game begins with the dealer rolling dice. It is the dice roll that is used to select the set of cards the player gets. With the seven cards determined, the game proceeds to the next stage. The player divides the cards into two hands, a five card hand and a two card hand. The five hand card is referred to as the back hand or behind hand. The back hand should rank higher than the remaining two cards. In fact the back hand should be the highest ranking poker hand you can make from your seven cards. A hand is formed from the two cards that are left. This second hand is referred to as the front hand. It helps if you can make the two cards a pair as this makes it a better hand. The names of the hands are taken from the position that the hands are placed. The back hand is placed behind the front hand, nearer the player.

Pai Gow Poker House Way

Once the players indicate to the dealer that they are done sorting their hands the next phase of the game begins. At this stage the banker will start the house rules. The dealer and the player compare cards to see who has a better hand. The cards are shown to everyone starting with the back hand then both the dealer and the player will reveal the front hand. If the players hand is better than the dealer’s hand the player gets even money. When the player wins one hand and losses the other hand it is referred to as a push. This will result in the player getting one bet back. If the cards are a tie then the banker gets the winnings. A tie is known as a copy. The banker also earns a 5% commission on all winnings. When the dealer’s hands are better than the players hands the player loses both bets.

Pai Gow Poker Bankers

The banker can be anyone on the table. The position of banker rotates around the table in a clockwise direction. The banker must have enough money to cover bets on the table. To be the banker you may be required to play a hand against the house back. Some online casinos Australia allow co-bankers in a game. To be banker, the player needs to know the house rules. Most casinos provide the banker. When you come across an opportunity to be the banker you should take it. The banker has better odds to make money on the table.

Playing Pai Gow Poker Online

This game is more of a low risk game ideal for players who are content raking in low wins regularly. You need to see the Pai Gow Poker tips before playing the game. With these tips you are likely to enjoy a leisurely day on the Pai Gow Poker table improving your bankroll.

Pai Gow Poker is a casino table game and is played with a standard 52-card deck plus one joker. The rules are fairly simple. After making a bet, each player is dealt seven cards and must make two poker hands: A standard five-card poker hand and a two-card poker hand. The five-card hand is often called 'behind', or the 'bottom,' 'high,' or 'big' hand, while the two-card hand is called 'in front', 'on top', or the 'small,' 'minor,' or 'low' hand.

When forming your two hands from your seven cards, the five card hand must be higher than the two-card hand. In other words, if you are dealt A-A-3-5-7-10-J and you can‘t make a flush, you must include the pair of aces in the five-card poker hand, not the two-card poker hand.

Five-card hands follow the standard what-beats-what rules, with two exceptions: some casinos count A-2-3-4-5 as the second-highest straight. This is the case in some places in Nevada. Additionally, having a joker in the deck introduces the possibility of five of a kind which beats a straight flush.
The best two-card hands are pairs and then simply high cards. Straights and flushes don’t matter in the two-card hand. The worst possible 2-card hand is 2-3, while the best is a pair of aces.

The Joker in Pai Gow Poker

Instead of acting as a whatever-card-you-want wild card, the joker in Pai Gow is called a 'bug.' It acts as an ace unless it can be used to fill out a straight or a flush. This also means that you can have five aces, which is the best possible five-card hand in Pai Gow.

Showdown

Once players have set their two poker hands, they place their hands in front of them, the two-card hand in front, and the five-card in the back (hence those nicknames). All the players at the table are playing to win both hands against the 'banker.' The banker can be the dealer, or one of the players at the table, like in Baccarat.

Determining Who Wins

Pai Gow Poker Banking Rules Card Game

Each player compares his hands to the banker’s hands. If both the player’s hands beat the banker’s, the player wins. If one of the player’s hands beats the banker’s hands but not the other, it’s considered a push or draw and the player takes back his money. If the banker’s hands beat the player’s, the player loses. In the case of a tie, the banker wins. This is one of the ways the house keeps the advantage. If a player is banking, the house takes a commission from the winning hands and doesn't need an advantage.​