Bank on Pai-Gow Poker
PART 1
Pai Gow Poker is one of the top ten best casino bets because
of the low casino advantage. I suggest in my Casino Gambling
Made Easier books and booklets that 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 banker's two hands.
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 player's 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 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 player's 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 player's hand rank with banker's hand for payouts. If
one of your hands is higher in rank than the dealer's 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.
In the second part of this article, rankings and strategy
tips will be presented when next we meet at the pai-gow table
in cyberspace.
>> part
2
Gayle
Mitchell is the author of Casino Gambling Made Easier books, Ebooks,
booklets & the Slots Trilogy.
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