Pai Gow card game – the essence, rules, odds and strategies
Pai Gow card game as a variant of Poker appeared not much time ago in 1987, but it acquired popularity amongst gamblers within a short period of time. The game takes place at the semicircular table, where all the gamblers play against a banker. From the beginning of the game the role of a banker plays a dealer. Then every participant will become a dealer periodically. When the bets are made, every gambler, including a banker, get 7 cards each. These cards are to be separated into 2 hands: a small one with 2 cards, and a big one with 5 cards. Then the cards are opened, and the better combinations win.
Pai Gow card game – the main rules.
Pai Gow card game is played with a standard poker deck with one joker that is used as a wild card, but only if it’s about Straight, Flush, Straight Flush or Royal Flush combinations. Otherwise, it has a set value of Ace.
When 7 Pai Gow cards are dealt, every player divides them into two hands: one is with 2 cards and the other is with 5 cards. There’s necessary to consider one very important rule, when a gambler can’t put a better combination into a “small” hand, and a worse one into a “big” one. As an example, if a gambler has one pair, it can’t be put into a “small” hand, only in a “big” one. And if there are 2 pairs dealt, the less one should make a combination in a hand with 2 cards. Otherwise, a player loses automatically.
The following list shows how the winner of the game is identified.
- If a gambler wins one hand, but loses the other, the bet is returned to a player.
- If a player wins both hands, a banker pays 1 to 1.
- If both hands are lost, the bet is lost as well.
- If one of the gambler’s combination is absolutely the same as the one of a banker, the banker becomes a winner.
These are just the main rules of casino card games Pai Gow, but it’s absolutely enough to start own experience in this exciting type of entertainment.
The main strategies of Pai Gow
As practically all types of Poker have their own strategies and tricks to win, Pai Gow isn’t an exception, and below mentioned list shows the most popular and frequently used ways of playing.
- The basic strategy. Pai Gow card game is quite simple, but a player shouldn’t ever use a “small” hand as a recycle bin, and to put the worst cards there to have a better combination in a “big” hand. The explanation is very common. According to the rules, a gambler makes the biggest win, when both hands are better, than banker’s ones. That’s why it’s necessary to find a balance to be on the top.
- Conservative strategy. It should be used, when a gambler doesn’t have any combinations. In this case it’s better to leave the second and the third biggest cards in a “small” hand. If to generalize this type of strategy, every gambler should leave the best combinations in a hand of two cards.
- Aggressive strategy. The essence of this type of playing is the following. Take 2 pairs in a “high” hand, if these pairs are less, than 5, otherwise the smaller pair should be placed into a “low” hand. If there’s a King or Ace together with one pair (5 or less), and the other is 10/J or less, then both pairs should be left in a “high” hand, and the King/Ace is to be moved to a “low” hand. In all other occasions, both pairs are to be divided into both hands. The situation with other combinations is more or less similar to the mentioned “rules”.
These are just the basic strategies, and as more experienced the player, then more different strategies can be used. In any case, good luck and get excitement from this exciting game!
