Do you love the idea of playing poker but get anxious at the thought of competing against so many fellow players? Would you prefer a more strategic element to your poker hand rather than simple luck of the draw? Consider playing Pai Gow Poker instead! Pai Gow Poker is a variant of poker that’s increasingly popular due to its strategic nature and ease of learning. In this post, we’ll explore how to play Pai Gow Poker step by step.
What Is Pai Gow Poker?
Pai Gow Poker is a variant of poker inspired by the classic Chinese gambling game pai gow, which has been played in parts of China since the 1800s, possibly earlier. Traditional pai gow is played with dominoes; players must arrange their pile of dominoes into their two best hands. While Pai Gow Poker is fundamentally similar, you don’t have to worry about memorizing the traditional pai gow hands like gee joon or chop gow. Instead, all you need to play Pai Gow Poker is an understanding of the 10 basic hands in traditional poker!
How Is Pai Gow Poker Different from Normal Poker?
Pai Gow Poker has some superficial similarities to another popular variant of poker, Texas Hold ’Em. In both games, players must make the best possible five-card hand from a pool of seven cards.
However, in Texas Hold ’Em, five of those cards are shared by everyone, with only the two “hole cards” dealt to each individual player. Also, in Texas Hold ’Em, players are competing against each other. In Pai Gow Poker, by comparison, every player gets dealt seven unique cards, and the players aren’t competing against each other; they’re competing against the dealer.
How to Play Pai Gow Poker
To learn how to play Pai Gow Poker, we’ll go over the basics of the rules and then walk you through how it is scored.
Step One
First, the dealer deals seven cards to all players at the table. Pai Gow Poker can be played with as many or as few players as the table allows since each of the players is competing against the dealer individually. You can even play Pai Gow Poker one-on-one if you want!
Note: While in some variants of poker, players may exchange cards with the dealer to try to get a better hand, most professional gambling institutions won’t allow this in Pai Gow Poker. Usually, what you’re dealt is what you get.
Step Two
Once all the players have their cards, the objective is to arrange your seven cards into the two best possible hands you can make from them. In Pai Gow Poker, you will always make a five-card hand and a two-card hand.
Note: Your two hands must have five and two cards in them, respectively. However, this does not mean that your five-card hand must use all five cards. We’ll dive into this a little later once we break down the specific potential hands.
Step Three
Once all players have made their two hands, they compare their hands to the dealer’s. For a player to win, both of their hands must be better than both of the dealer’s hands. If the player has one better hand and one worse hand than the dealer, it is considered a draw, or a “push,” and there is no winner. If both of a player’s hands are worse than both of the dealer’s hands, then the player loses. A tie is considered a win for the house.
Note: Since each player is playing individually against the dealer, there is almost never a betting stage like there would be in traditional poker, where players try to bluff, raise and call. Traditionally, Pai Gow Poker is played on an even money wager. If you win, you double your bet; if you push, you get your bet back; and if you lose, you lose your bet. However, each individual gambling institution may have its own rules or wager amounts, so make sure you know the rules before you gamble. At Valley View Casino, you can ask a member of our Table Games team if you have questions about a game.
What Are the Best Hands in Pai Gow Poker?
Pai Gow Poker uses the 10 basic 5-card poker hands. Ranked from best to worst, they are:
- Royal Flush: Ace, King, Queen, Jack and a 10, all in the same suit.
- Straight Flush: Five consecutive cards of the same suit, like the 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 of hearts.
- Four of a Kind: Four of the same ranked card, like the 9 of hearts, clubs, diamonds and spades.
- Full House: Three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank, like three 7s and two Jacks.
- Flush: Five cards, all the same suit, like all diamonds or spades.
- Straight: Five cards in a ranked sequence, like 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, though they can be of any suit.
- Three of a Kind: Three of the same ranked card.
- Two Pair: Two cards of one rank and two cards of another rank, like two Kings and two 8s.
- One Pair: Two matching cards, like two 4s.
- High Card: The highest-ranking card in the hand, like an Ace or King.
Generally speaking, there is no difference in power between suits; a flush of diamonds and a flush of clubs will tie. However, higher numbers usually beat lower ones. So, for instance, if you have three Kings and the dealer has three Jacks, you will win.
As previously mentioned, your five-card hand does not need to use all five cards. It is entirely possible that the best hand you can build is three of a kind or two pairs, in which case the remaining cards would simply be irrelevant.
How Is the Two-Card Hand Scored in Pai Gow Poker?
Due to its small size, the best possible result for your two-card hand is a pair. This is where the strategy of Pai Gow Poker comes in. Because you must win both of your hands, where you put your cards matters. If you have two pairs, for instance, you might want to put both pairs in your five-card hand and your highest remaining card in your two-card hand, because having two pairs is a stronger five-card hand than just one pair.
Often, the two-card hand will be for your random cards that don’t fit anywhere else. In this case, the hand with the highest card will win. For example, an Ace and a 5 will beat a Jack and a 7. If both of the highest cards are the same rank, then the higher of the lower cards wins—a King and a 9 will beat a King and an 8, and so on. If both cards are the same, then the hand is a tie.
Pai Gow Poker is an exciting, strategic game that reduces some of the stress of traditional player-against-player poker variants. If you want to try your hand at Dealer Open Pai Gow Poker, visit Valley View Casino in San Diego today! Remember, always gamble responsibly.
