Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow Poker sounds like a game that originated in any other country other than the United States, but the truth is, its birthplace was right in America and wasn’t invented until the 1980’s. The game combines the ancient game of Chinese Dominoes along with the great American classic, Poker. Fred Wolfe, a manager of the Commerce Casino in the mid 1980’s is accredited with inventing the concept of this multi-cultural game. Pai Gow Poker’s reputation began to grow among the poker-loving crowds because anyone who knew the basic instructions of poker could pick up this new game very quickly. Also, it was a fun new twist to the game of poker that many people had always played. Today, Pai Gow Poker can be found in every casino worldwide and virtually every online casino as well.

Basic Rules for Pai Gow Poker:

The objective of Pai Gow Poker is for the player to make a 5-card and 2-card poker hand from seven cards dealt to the player. The 5-card hand must be higher than the value of the 2-card hand. 2-card hands will consist of one pair or high cards. 5-card hands will consist of your typical poker hands such as high card, pair, 2 pair, 3 of a kind, straight, flush, full house, 4 of a kind, straight flush, Royal Flush, and a 5 of a kind. A five of a kind is possible because the game is played with a 53-card deck, which includes one Joker. The Joker can be used to complete 5-card hands such as flushes and straights, but it’s not completely wild. Used in any other way, the Joker really just becomes an extra Ace within the hand.

Winning at the game of Pai Gow Poker:

To win, a player must beat the dealer’s 5-card hand as well as the dealer’s 2-card hand. If only one of the hands of the player beats the dealer, then the game is considered a push or a tie, and the player’s bet is returned. If both hands tie the dealer’s hands, it’s considered a tie, however, this results in the dealer’s favor and the player loses. Also, if the player’s hands are both beat by the dealer’s hands, the player also loses. If the player’s 5-card hand is fouled and is lower than his 2-hand or has the wrong number of cards in the hand, the play will be forfeited or re-arranged, according to the house rules of the casino.

Pai Gow Poker Strategies:

There are tons of strategies that have been written since the conception of Pai Gow Poker. The best strategy to learn is your own, however, if you are a brand new player to the game, you could benefit greatly by starting the learning process by playing online. There are lots of great online casinos that offer Pai Gow Poker play which allow you to play risk free with play money until you get an understanding of how the game is played. It’s a much easier lesson to learn than the hard lessons that can be taught in a land-based casino using real money. Once you gain some experience of the game and understanding basic strategies, then you might be ready to try your hand for real money. Have fun and keep it entertaining is one of the most important lessons to learn playing any gambling related games.