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Pai Gow (pronounced "pie-gow") is an exciting poker game of skill. It blends the ancient Chinese game of Pai Gow (meaning: "makes nine"), and modern Poker. In Pai Gow, the player competes, one on one, against the dealer. The object of the game is for the player to arrange seven dealt cards into two hands ("setting" the cards). The seven cards must be set in such a way so that the player’s five-card ("High") hand scores a higher value than the two-card ("Low") hand. The player’s High and Low hands must then have a greater value (see Poker Hands Value Chart below) than the dealer’s High and Low hands.

Pai Gow Rules

The pai gow game is played with a standard 52-card deck, plus a Joker (totaling 53 cards). (The Joker may be used either as an Ace or to complete a Straight, Flush or Straight Flush, only.) After placing their bet, the players are each dealt seven cards. The players must then set their cards into two separate hands. The first hand, which must consist of 5 cards, is referred to as the "High Hand", as it must have the highest value of the two hands. The second hand, which consists of the remaining two cards, is referred to as the "Low Hand".

You may ask the house to automatically set your cards by pressing the "House Way" button.

The goal of pai gow is to beat both of the dealers poker hands, according to the standard value rules (see chart below). If both hands beat the dealer, the player receives "even money" on the bet (minus a 5% vigorish or house commission). If both of the player hands lose against the dealers hands, the dealer takes the players bet. If only one of the players two hands win, the pai gow round results in a tie or "Push".

Winning Combinations

High (Five-Card) Hand

The Five-card Hand must have the highest rank of the two hands. The object is to form the best rank for the 5-card hand, from the seven dealt cards.

Low (Two-Card) Hand

The Two card Hand must have the second-highest rank of the two hands. The highest-ranking 2-card hand possible is a pair of Aces. If the Two card Hand is not composed of a pair, the value of the cards will determine the hand's rank.

The Wild Card

The Wild Card is the Joker card, which can be substituted only as a single Ace or to complete either a Flush, Straight, or Straight Flush.

Copy Hand

When the player and the dealer compare hands that have the same rank, the hand is referred to as a "Copy Hand". In Pai Gow Poker, the dealer wins the Copy Hand, as opposed to Blackjack, where a Copy Hand results in a "Push".