Pai Gow Poker - Rules

In Pai Gow Poker each player is playing against the banker, who is usually the casino dealer, but may be one of the other players.

The game begins with the dealer dealing out seven stacks of seven cards face down, with four cards left over to be discarded. This happens regardless of the number of players in the game. Bets are then made, after which the dealer rolls three dice from a cup in order to determine who gets the first stack of cards, and then hands out the other stacks in a clockwise motion. If there are less than six players at the table (with the dealer being the seventh) then the remaining stacks are thrown into the discard.

Having received their cards players then divide them into two hands, with the two-card low hand placed at the front and the five-card high hand placed behind it.

The first thing a player must do is ensure his five card hand has a higher ranking than his two card hand (hence why it is called the high hand). If a player fails to achieve this his hand is disqualified and he loses his bet. Other than this a player must simply use the seven cards to make the best possible hands.

When all players have set their cards the banker then turns over his cards and arranges them likewise. Hands are then compared and bets paid out accordingly.

To win both of a player’s hands must beat the banker’s hands. As mentioned before when hands are of equal value the banker wins, and when a player wins one of his hands but loses the other no money changes hands.

When players beat the banker the dealer uses the banker’s money to pay the player even money, and upon losing the player’s bet is awarded to the banker. The house never pays out, and collects money by charging a rake on each winning bet, usually 5%.