One of the most popular games
in casinos all over the world is Pai Gow poker. An exciting game that
requires skill and attention to detail, Pai Gow poker differs from other
standard poker games in many ways - and for some people it is a solid
favorite.
Pai Gow poker has its origins
in China, where it was played with tiles and was a military-style game
that was simply called "Pai Gow". It was a complicated and involved
game and a favorite in China for thousands of years. The original Pai
Gow game is still played among a few enthusiasts, but in casinos it
is Pai Gow poker that is played.
Pai Gow Poker
table at Royal Vegas Casino
In the 1980's a combination
of Pai Gow and poker, appropriately named "Pai Gow poker", began showing
up casinos in the United States. The game caught on quickly and became
a popular favorite. It is rare to walk into a casino anywhere and not
see at least one Pai Gow poker table surrounded by enthusiastic players.
The similarity between Pai Gow
poker and regular poker is that the cards and hands are rated the same.
With Pai Gow poker, however, the player is dealt seven cards, but plays
two hands at once out of those seven cards. He divides his cards into
two separate hands. One hand is only two cards, and the other hand is
a standard one, which is five cards. The two-card hand can never be
higher than the five-card hand.
For instance, if the player
is dealt a 3, 4, 6, 8, 9 and two jacks, he could not have the two jacks
in his two-card hand, because that would make it a better hand than
the five-card hand. He would put the two jacks in the five card hand,
and then the 8 and 9 in the two-card hand as a straight.
You are always playing against
the dealer in Pai Gow poker, just as people do in the game of Blackjack.
You are pitting your five-card hand against the dealers five-card hand,
and your two-card hand against the dealer's two-card hand. If you beat
both of the dealer's hands, you win. If you win only his five-card hand
or his two-card hand, it is a draw. If you lose both hands, you lose
your bet.
This may seem simple at first
glance, but Pai Gow poker is a fairly quick-paced game that takes some
skill. How to separate your seven cards is not always immediately obvious,
and the wrong choice can mean losing your bet. It is an easy game to
learn, however, and with practice to build up your proficiency, Pai
Gow poker could easily become one of your favorite casino games to play.
