.: Pai Gow Poker Casino Game Review

Pai Gow Poker is one of the top ten best casino bets because of the low casino advantage. Intelligent gambling means playing those games and strategies that have a casino advantage of less than 3%. Basic rules follow and are offered for novice players seeking to add another casino game to their playbook. Pai Gow Poker is an American derivative played with standard playing cards requiring that the player set two hands--a high and a second highest--trying to beat the bankers two hands.

.: How to Play Pai Gow Poker

The cards in Pai Gow Poker are ranked like standard poker hands; the exception being that one joker is found in the deck and can be played as an ace or the high card to finish a straight, flush, straight flush or royal flush. You must win both hands to win your bet and the house receives a commission on all winning hands. All players play against the banker, which could be the dealer, or a player putting up the required funds. Each player receives seven cards and must make two poker hands, the high hand made up of five cards and the low hand containing two cards. The highest five-card hand is five aces and the highest two-card hand is two aces based on poker rankings.

A Pai-Gow Poker table has six players seats and a dealer, similar to a blackjack table. The players high hand is displayed closest to the space in front of them, while the 2nd highest or low two-card hand is placed on top of the high hand towards the dealer. A chung or marker is set in front of the banker.

Rotation is counterclockwise, dealer shuffles and deals seven hands (each of up to 6 players, plus the banker) of seven cards face down, which equals 49 cards, therefore, 4 are left in the deck.

Receiver of the first hand is determined by a dice throw from a cup containing three dice. After all the players receive their seven cards face down, they must form two hands. The most important rule to remember when playing is that the rank of the five-card high hand must be higher than the two-card low hand. Any players hand that is set incorrectly will automatically lose. Most casino dealers will assist in this placement; and dealer sets bank hand according to fixed house rules. Once all hands are set, the dealer will compare the players hand rank with bankers hand for payouts. If one of your hands is higher in rank than the dealer and the other is lower, this is a tie (approximately 45% of the time) and your bet remains on the layout. If the banker bests both of your hands, then you lose your wager. If both hands are identical (copy), the banker also wins.

A win pays even money less a 5% commission paid immediately. Casinos have different rules as to how many times a player can act as banker. Normally, the dealer will ask each player in turn, if they wish to be the banker and the same player cannot bank two consecutive hands. There is a player advantage if the casino allows you to be banker every second or third hand. In casinos, the banker must have sufficient chips to cover all the other players wagers. Some card rooms will offer co-bank at 50/50 with other players.

Poker Rankings are as follows: Five aces (4 aces plus joker); royal flush; A, 2, 3, 4, 5, is the third highest straight flush (note: not all casinos or card rooms follow this rule-check before you play for 3rd highest hand ranking); then all other straight flushes, 4 of a kind, full house, flush, straight, 3 of a kind, two pair, one pair, and high card.

.: Pai Gow Poker Strategy

Look at all 7 cards in your hand. Look for pairs, trips, etc. as well as straights and flushes.

No pairs: Play the second and third highest-ranked cards as the low hand and the remaining five cards as high hand. e.g., dealt -- K, Q, 10, 8, 6, 5, and 2. Set the Q, 10 as low hand and K, 8, 6, 5, 2 as high hand.

One Pair: The pair is set in the high hand and your next two highest-ranked cards as low hand.

Two Pair: Depends on the rank of the pairs. If one of your pairs is aces, kings or queens, then split the pairs putting one of the As, Ks or Qs in high hand, and the other pair as low hand. However, for all other pairs, play them as two pair in the high hand, and a king or ace in your low hand. If you were not dealt a king or an ace for a low hand, then you are safer to split the pairs with the high pair in high hand and low pair in low hand.

Three Pair: Highest-ranking pair should be your low hand.

Three of a Kind: Three aces or kings, split, placing ace or king in low hand and the pair in high hand. All other three of a kind should be played in high hand and two highest cards as the low hand.

Straights and Flushes: This should be high hand, and remaining two cards as low hand. These two rankings are easy to overlook, so check for these two hands first before developing a second-hand strategy.

Full House: Three of a kind in high hand, and high pair as low hand--easy split and decision here.

Four of a Kind: Always split your four aces, kings and queens-play one pair as low hand and the other in high hand. With four Js-7s, play them as a four of a kind in high hand only if you have at least a queen that you can use in low hand. If you do not have the latter, then split the four of a kind (two in low hand, two in high hand). With four 2s-6s, never split, always play them in high hand.

Five Aces: Split the aces and play a pair of aces in low hand, and three aces in high hand.

The casinos advantage is about 2.8%, lowered to 2.5% with perfect strategy. A skillful banker can play an even game against the casino; therefore, try for the banker position as often as the casino allows, placing larger bets as your wager management plan will allow. However, bet the minimum only when you have to be the player. For novice players, you now have the basic tools to practice intelligent gambling. Go get em!