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Pai gow poker is a recent addition to the casinos, and is one of many games that has an Asian origin. A combination of the Chinese game of pai gow (meaning makes nine) and the American game of poker, this game of skill offers players a reasonable chance to win.

In this version of poker, players are not wagering against each other but against the bank, and unlike the original Asian version which is played with dominoes, pai gow poker is played with a deck of cards.

Played around a special pai gow table, the table has room for the dealer and six players. Each player spot has spaces for a bet, low hand, high hand and sometimes the house commission. The house initially assumes the role of the bank with the dealer as the banker, and then the position moves around from player to player. The role of banker can be declined by any player, and passed on to the next person in line. The role of banker is indicated with a chung that is set in front of that player's area. When the dealer is not the banker, he/she plays the hand as a player.


THE GOAL OF THE GAME & HAND RANKINGS
The objective of pai-gow poker is to make two poker hands that beat the banker's hands. The player is dealt 7 cards that he makes into a five card hand (high hand) and a two card hand (low hand). The player must arrange the cards so that the five card hand is higher than the two card hand (so if the two cards were a pair of aces, the five card hand would have to contain two pairs or better). It is the players responsibility to ensure that their five-card hand has a higher ranking then their two-card hand. If the two-card hand turns out to be higher, the hand is said to be foul and the player automatically loses his bet. Players are not allowed to discuss their hands at any stage. The hands are played and ranked as traditional poker hands with 2 exceptions:

1. A-2-3-4-5 is the second highest type of straight or straight flush, ranking between A-K-Q-J-10 and K-Q-J-10-9
2. Five aces is the highest hand, beating a straight flush.

The hierarchy of two-card hands is much simpler in that the hand is either a pair or it is not. The highest two-card hand is a pair of aces, and the rank of subsequent pairs falls in order from kings down to two's. The same ranking order applies to single cards. Note that any pair beats any two unmatched cards.


PLAYING THE GAME
The game is played with a standard 52-card deck and a joker that serves as a wild card in straights, flushes and straight flushes. The joker may also be used as an ace in any hand, and in some casinos may be considered completely wild. The dealer shuffles the deck and deals out seven stacks of seven cards, discarding the remaining four cards. All bets are made and then the dealer shakes and rolls three dice from a teacup to determine which player will get the first stack of cards. The dealer totals the amount shown in the dice, and then starting with himself, counts around the players at the table in a clockwise motion until he reaches the player who gets the first hand. The remaining hands are dealt out to the players in a counterclockwise motion.

When the players receive their cards, they set them into two hands of five and two cards. The player puts the two card hand face down in the box closest to the dealer, and the five card hand face down in back. Once everybody has set their hand, the dealer turns over and sets the bank's hand. The dealer goes counterclockwise around the table comparing the banks hand to the players. The result between the dealer and each player is determined by comparing the player's 5 card hand with the dealer's 5 card hand and the player's 2 card hand with the dealer's 2 card hand in the following way:

1. If the player wins both hands the dealer pays out the amount staked by the player.
   
   
2. If the dealer wins both hands the dealer wins the player's stake.
   
   
3. If the dealer wins one hand and the player wins the other no money changes hands. This is called a "push".
   
   
4. If either hand is tied, the dealer wins that particular hand. So if the dealer wins one hand while the other is tied, or if both hands are tied, the dealer wins. If one hand is tied and the player wins the other it is a push (no money changes hands). The dealer obviously has an advantage (winning tied hands), so if you want the game to be fair everyone has to deal an equal number of times during the session.

The house makes its money by taking a 5% commission on each winning bet. The dealer collects the commission from each player that wins a hand, and from the total of the banker's winnings.