Online Pai Gow Poker
When it comes to casino card games, poker is certainly one of the most popular of them all. If you walk into any land based casino, anywhere in the world, chances are you will be able to find a poker game to join straight away. Today both land based an online casinos offer a wide range of poker games for players to choose from. From classic 5 card draw to Texas Hold’em poker, Omaha stud to 3 card poker and many more. One of the most popular type of poker at many casinos is Pai gow, this unique casino card game incorporates the use of a joker and can be played online for free or for real money.
How the Game Works
If you have played a regular game of poker, either classic poker or Texas Hold’em, learning the ins and outs of Pai gow is actually quite easy. The game is played in much the same was as a regular poker game and uses the same poker values to create hands. The setup of the game is a little different though. In the land based version of the game, players can play against the dealer as well as each other. Each player around the table takes a turn at being the banker. Players can refuse to be the banker at which point the banker role will pass to the next person at the table. In the online game, a player competes against the dealer.
The Setup
Pai gow Poker is played with a standard deck of 52 cards plus a single joker. The joker can be used to substitute for a card to be used as an ace or to create a straight. The game begins with the player placing his or her bet on the table. The dealer then deals the player 7 cards from a shuffled deck. The aim of Pai gow poker is to create two separate poker hands. One hand must contain five cards and the other hand must contain two cards. The rules state the five card hand must rank higher than the two card hand. In the land based version of the game, the player taking the banker role is betting against each player at the table.
Winning a Hand
One the cards have been dealt, players must shuffle their cards to create the highest hand possible using the standard poker card ranking. The two card hand can only be a single pair. Once all the players around the table have set their cards, the dealer or banker flips his cards and sets his hand. If both of the player’s 5 card and 2 card hand is higher than the banker’s or dealers, then the player wins their bet. If the dealer wins one hand and the player the other, there is a push. The dealer also wins all ties in the game. In the land based version, the player acting as the banker wins all ties. In the online version Pai gow, the computer will automatically calculate if the player has a winning hand and will pay out accordingly.