Page 17 - September 2004 • Southern California Gaming Guide

The Game
Pai Gow Poker merges the ancient Chinese tile game of Pai Gow with American poker. Pai Gow is a slow-paced gambling game, and it lets you stretch your gambling stake for quite a long time. The game is played one-on-one, with the player(s) playing against the banker, each competing to make the best possible hands. The game is played with a -card deck (standard deck plus a Joker).
The Rules
After making a wager, each player receives seven cards. Next, each player arranges the seven cards to form two poker hands—a standard 5-card hand, called the “high” or “back” hand and a 2-card hand, called the “low” or “front” hand. Once the player has created his or her hands, the cards are kept face-down on the table.
The “high” hand must be the better of the two hands—in other words, if you have a pair of Aces and a pair of eights, the Aces would have to be in the “high” hand, and the eights would have to be in the “low” hand. The Joker can only be used to complete a straight, a flush, or a straight flush. Otherwise, it counts as an Ace.
When the players have formed their hands, the bank’s seven cards are revealed and arranged into “high” and “low” hands. The player’s 5-card and 2-card hands are compared with the bank’s.
• If the player wins both hands, the bank pays out the amount staked by the player.
• If the bank wins one hand and the player wins the other, no money changes hands. This is called a “push.”
• If the bank wins both hands, the bank wins the player’s stake.
• If either hand is tied, the bank wins that particular hand. So in this case, if the bank wins or ties the other hand, it is a win for the bank; if one hand is tied and the player wins the other hand, no money changes hands.
The Bank
In Pai Gow, every player, including the house, is given the opportunity to be the bank. It’s not a requirement, of course, but when you are the bank, you have a distinct advantage over the house. Not only do you win when hands are tied, but you also receive a 5% commission on all winnings for the hand if a player wins the hand when you are the bank.
Of course, banking does carry some risk. In order to be able to bank, you must be able to cover all bets for the hand out of your table stake. While you’ve got a better chance of winning, for each hand you lose, you have to pay the winner out of your own stake (less the 5% commission). In some casinos, the house rules allow you to co-bank with the house and cover 50% of the wagers, sharing any bank winnings with the house.
The Hands
The hands in Pai Gow are ranked as in poker, with a few exceptions.
Visit Us Online at www.TheGamingGuide.com September 2004 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE Page 17
1. 2.
3.
4.
5.
Five Aces 6. Straight Flush 7.
Four of a Kind 8.
Straight
Three of a Kind
Two Pair
One Pair
High Card
Full House (3 of a Kind & a Pair)
Flush (5 Cards of the same Suit)
9. 10.
While the highest-ranking straight is A-K-Q-J-10 the second highest-ranking straight is A-2-3-4-5, which beats K-Q-J-10-9.
The Strategy
Since the odds in Pai Gow weigh heavily in favor of the bank, the simplest strategy is to bet low when you’re a player and to bank as often as possible. The biggest question in Pai Gow is when to split two pair. The house rules at most casinos use these guidelines for house hands (where 2 through 6 are Low cards, 7 through 10 are Medium cards, and Jack through King are High cards):
• • • •
Low Pair and Low or Medium Pair: Split unless holding King or Ace
Low Pair and High Pair: Split unless holding an Ace
Medium Pair and Medium Pair: Split unless holding an Ace
Always Split: Medium Pair and High Pair; High Pair and High Pair; Pair of Aces and any other pair.
Remember, the “high” 5-card hand must always be a higher-ranking hand than the “low” 2-card hand.
Where to Play
A listing of where to play Pai Gow is included on page 19.