This game is new to online casinos, like CMD365, but is already much sought after. It is a Poker variation that uses a standard deck with 52 cards and a Joker. The Joker acts as a wild card in certain hands. It also takes the role of an Ace in any hand. The goal of the game is to create two hands of cards higher than the two hands of the dealer. Pai Gow Poker uses the traditional Poker card rankings.
Gameplay
After shuffling the cards, the dealer deals out seven stacks of seven cards. The dealer discards the last four cards. Players will then place their bets. The dealer throws three dice to determine who receives the first stack of cards first. The dealer will count clockwise starting from himself. The person who corresponds to the total number of pips on the dice will begin the game.
Players need to arrange the cards into two separate hands once they receive their cards. One hand will contain two cards and the other five cards. The two-card hand is the low hand and placed in front of the five-card hand which is the high hand. Using the standard hierarchy of Poker, the five-card hands will get ranked. The two-card hands should at least be a pair to be worth something.
The low hand should not rank higher than the high hand. A player with a high hand lower than the low hand will lose the bet. The banker turns his or her hand up when players finish setting their cards. The hands get compared to determine the winner.
The winner
Both the low hand and the high hand of the player should beat the dealer’s hands. The banker wins if either of the hands of cards matches. These are what you call copies. A tie is when only one of the player’s hands beats the dealer’s. There is no payout for a tie. Winning hands get even money on their bets. Keep in mind that the house usually takes a 5% commission on each winning bet.
Pai Gow Poker has a special table that can hold up to six players. The players will play against the dealer and not against other players. You only have to defeat the dealer. The house appoints the dealer as the banker at first. This role will move around from player to player. A player can pass if he or she does not want to take this role since it is not mandatory.