A Guide to Playing Pai Gow Poker

If you wander through the table games section of any major casino, you will eventually discover the slow, methodical game of Pai Gow Poker.

It is universally beloved by older gamblers and those who want to stretch their bankroll for hours while enjoying free casino drinks.

The Basics: Building Two Separate Hands

After placing a bet, every player at the table, along with the dealer, receives exactly seven cards face down.

If you place a pair of Aces in your two-card hand, but only have King-high in your five-card hand, you automatically forfeit the round.

• The casino always wins exact ties (e.g., your Ace-King ties the dealer's Ace-King)
• The house takes a mandatory 5% commission on all winning bets to maintain their edge
• You can ask the dealer to set your cards according to the "House Way" automatically

The Strategy of Setting the "House Way"

However, you do not need to be a math genius; every casino has a strict, printed rulebook detailing exactly how the dealer must set their hand.

Playing the House Way is mathematically sound and ensures you never make a terrible, highly unprofitable mistake when splitting a difficult hand.

The Most Relaxing Game in the Casino

The defining characteristic of Pai Gow Poker is its incredibly slow, relaxed, and highly sociable pace of play.

It is essentially the ultimate "hangout" game on the casino floor, requiring very little mental energy once you understand the basic mechanics.

By utilizing the Joker effectively and understanding when to split two pairs, you can enjoy this fascinating game for hours on end.