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Pai Gow Poker
Pai Gow poker is a recent addition to
online casinos, and is one of many Asian influenced poker
games. It is a game based on the Chinese domino game Pai Gow
(meaning 'makes nine' ), and is quickly becoming very
popular. By combining the Asian domino game with American
poker, this game of skill offers players a reasonable chance
of winning.
In this game of poker, players are not
wagering against each other, they are wagering against the
bank/ dealer (similar to Blackjack). A deck of 52 cards plus
one joker is used. The joker is a wild card and can only be
used as an ace, or to complete a straight, a flush, or a
straight flush. Before the deal, each of the other players
must put up a wager.
Seven cards are dealt to each player. All
players except the dealer look at their cards and divide
them into two separate hands (a two card hand and a five
card hand). The relative values of the five card hands are
the same as in poker, with one exception. A-2-3-4-5 is the
second highest type of straight or straight flush. This
means it ranks between A-K-Q-J-10 and K-Q-J-10-9. Five aces
is the highest ranking hand, beating a straight flush.
For the two card hand, any pair beats any two unmatched
cards, no other combinations are possible.
Each player must arrange the cards so that
the five card hand is higher than the two card hand. For
example, if the two card hand is a pair of kings, the five
card hand would have to contain a pair of aces or better.
Players do not discuss their hands at any time.
The players then place their two hands
face down, then when all are ready, the dealer's seven cards
are then displayed. After this is done, the other players
cannot touch their cards again. The dealer then forms the
seven displayed cards into a five card and a two card hand
just as the other players have already done.
After this is done, all the players' cards
are then displayed. The result between the dealer and each
individual player is determined by comparing the player's
five card hand with the dealer's five card hand, the
player's two card hand and the dealer's two card hand.
If the player wins both hands the dealer
pays out the amount wagered by the player. If the dealer
wins one hand and the player wins one hand no money will
change hands. This is called a 'push'. If the dealer wins
both hands, the dealer wins the players wager. If either
hand is tied, the dealer wins that hand. This means that if
the dealer wins one hand while the other is tied, or if both
hands are tied, the dealer wins. It also means that if one
hand is tied and the player wins the other it is a 'push'.
One thing to take note of is that when
this game is played formally, there is a complex method of
dealing that is used. When this type of formal dealing takes
place there are seven hands of seven cards dealt, one at a
time, and the last four cards are discarded and never seen.
The dealer then throws three dice and counts around the
players at the table counter-clockwise, starting with
him/herself, up to the total on the dice to see who gets the
first hand that was dealt. The remaining hands then go to
the other players, also in counter-clockwise motion.
The best way to get an edge at Pai Gow
poker is to be the dealer. The dealer has an obvious
advantage by winning tied hands. Because of this, it is
important that for fair play that turns are taken at
dealing. Typically the dealer will deal twice, then the
position is moved to the next player. The amount of money
that the dealer can risk is limited to the amount of money
on the table. The dealer may also be required to place
enough money on the table to cover all the player's bets, or
the dealer may be permitted to risk less than what the
players in total want to bet.
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