Overview

The game was played with Chinese dominoes. The Westernized version is the Pai Gow Poker. It is also called double-hand poker. The Westernized and American versions are played with playing cards. These playing cards carry poker game values. Pai Gow Poker uses a single deck plus a Joker to play the game. The table is meant for seven players. One of them is the dealer.

How to Play

Each player is dealt seven cards. He or she has to create two hands out of it. One of them is a 5-card hand which is called the high hand. The other one is a 2-card hand that is called the low hand. The high hand is also known as the hand “behind”, “bottom”, “high”, or “big”. Similarly the low hand is also known as “front hand”, “on top”, “small”, or the “minor” hand. Your aim will be to finally set your both hands in such manner that they are higher than the corresponding hands of the dealer or the bank.

The Joker

Joker is use as bug in the Pai Gow games. It can be used for completion of the straight or the flush in the five card hands. Else it will be treated as an Ace. On the other hand in two card hands it is always the Ace.

1.  The 52 cards plus the Joker will be shuffled.
2. The tiles are shuffled.
3. Players place their wagers and the dice are shaken to determine which playing area receives the first set of cards.
4. Seven Cards each will be dealt to all 7 playing areas.
5. Players do not pick up their cards until the Dealer has removed all non-required set of cards for that hand and placed on the discard holder with the other unused cards.
6. No communication between players is allowed once the players have been asked to set their cards.
7. Each player and the banker will construct two separate hands, a high hand and a low hand.
8. In order for a player to win, both of his/her hands must be of a higher poker value than the banker’s hands.
9. If only one hand is higher, it is a “Push Hand”.
10. If both hands are lower, the player loses.
11. All winning wagers will be deducted a 5% Commission.