Pai Gow Poker Casino Rules
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Pai gow poker If you're looking for a slower-paced game than Craps or even Blackjack and want to spend a lot of time gambling without losing an outrageous amount of money, play Pai Gow Poker. Once you comprehend the basics of poker (see Hand Rankings, below), you'll feel comfortable with this version and be able to relax. Aug 24, 2020 Pai Gow Poker Dealer Rules or “House Way” In every casino Pai Gow game the dealer is required to set his or her Pai Gow hand in specific ways. This is called the “House Way.” This varies from casino to casino but is listed in every casino’s gaming guide. How to Play Pai Gow Poker – A Step by Step Guide to The Game’s Rules. At first glance, Pai Gow Poker Online might seem like a difficult game to play at the casino. Yet, once you know its rules, you’ll definitely be able to realize that it is actually a much simpler game that it first appear to be.
Introduction
As the title says, Face Up Pai Gow Poker is pai gow poker played with a fully-exposed dealer hand. 'What's the catch?,' you might ask. If the best five-card hand the dealer can make is ace-high, then the hand is an automatic push. Naturally, there is a side bet to cover that contingency.
Rules
Following are the full rules. If you want to know only how Face Up Pai Gow poker differs from conventional pai gow poker, then you can skip over the rules.
- A single 53-card deck is used, consisting of the usual 52 cards, plus one joker.
- The joker is semi-wild. It may be used as an ace, or to complete a straight, flush, straight flush or royal flush.'
- Standard poker ranking rules are followed with one strange exception — the A2345 straight (known as 'the wheel') is considered the second highest straight. Some casinos have dropped this ridiculous rule, but most still cling to it.
- Play starts with the player making a bet. The player may also make an optional Push Ace High side bet at this time.
- The dealer will deal the player and dealer seven cards.
- There is no player banking.
- The dealer cards will be exposed face up. The dealer will then set his cards into a 5-card High Hand and a 2-card Low Hand, according to specified rules known as the 'house way.' The poker value of the High Hand must be greater than the Low Hand.
- If the best five-card hand the dealer can make is an ace high, then the outcome is an automatic push, regardless of the player cards. This is known as an 'ace-high pai gow.'
- Otherwise, the player will separate his seven cards into a five-card high hand and two-card low hand. As with the dealer hand, the high hand must be of higher poker value than the low hand.
- The five-card hand is ranked according to conventional poker rules. The only poker hand in the two-card hand is a pair or no pair, after which the individual cards determine the value based on the value of the highest ranking card first.
- After the player has set his hand, then player and dealer high hands will be compared, and their two low hands. In each case, the hand with the higher poker value wins. If the hands are of equal rank, for example both two-card hands are ace/king, then the dealer wins the tie.
- If the player wins both comparisons, then the player will win even money on his bet. There is no commission. If the player wins one and loses one, then the bet shall push. If the player loses or ties both, then the player shall lose his wager.
- The Push Ace High bet has the following pay table:
- Both player and dealer have ace-high pai gow: Pays 40 to 1
- Dealer has ace-high pai gow with joker: Pays 15 to 1
- Dealer has ace-high pai gow without joker: Pays 5 to 1
- Neither player nor dealer has ace-high pai gow: Loss
Differences between Face Up Pai Gow Poker and conventional Pai Gow Poker
- Dealer cards dealt face up.
- No 5% commission.
- Dealer ace-high pai gow is an automatic push.
- No player banking
Analysis
The following table shows the probability and contribution to the return for all outcomes of the primary game. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 1.81%.
Primary Wager
| Event | Pays | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player wins both ways | 1 | 0.247866 | 0.247866 |
| Player wins one way | 0 | 0.392562 | 0.000000 |
| Dealer ace high | 0 | 0.093623 | 0.000000 |
| Dealer wins both ways | -1 | 0.265948 | -0.265948 |
| Total | 1.000000 | -0.018082 |
It should be noted that the website for this game, which I won't link to because I get very strong warnings that the site is infected with viruses, says the house edge is 1.60%. I imagine the exact house edge will vary depending on the house way used by the dealer. Personally, I use the one for the Trump Plaza.
In case you were wondering, if there were no ace-high pai gow rule, then the player would have a 3.98% advantage.
Push Ace High
There are two known pay table for the Push Ace High bet, as follows.
The following table shows the probability and contribution to the return for all outcomes of the Push Ace High side bet with a 5-15-40 pay table. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 9.29%.
5-15-40 Push Ace High
| Event | Pays | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player and dealer ace high | 40 | 0.008700 | 0.348000 |
| Dealer ace high with joker | 15 | 0.004100 | 0.061500 |
| Dealer ace high without joker | 5 | 0.080800 | 0.404000 |
| Dealer not ace high | -1 | 0.906400 | -0.906400 |
| Total | 1.000000 | -0.092900 |
The following table shows the probability and contribution to the return for all outcomes of the Push Ace High side bet with a 5-12-40 pay table. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 10.52%.
5-12-40 Push Ace High
| Event | Pays | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player and dealer ace high | 40 | 0.008700 | 0.348000 |
| Dealer ace high with joker | 12 | 0.004100 | 0.049200 |
| Dealer ace high without joker | 5 | 0.080800 | 0.404000 |
| Dealer not ace high | -1 | 0.906400 | -0.906400 |
| Total | 1.000000 | -0.105200 |
Methodology
The analysis above is the result of a simulation of over 900 million pairs of random hands. A Fisher-Yates shuffle was done between rounds, which used a Mersenne Twister random number generator.
External Links
- FACE UP PAI GOW POKER @ NYNY — Discussion in my forum at Wizard of Vegas.
Written by:Michael Shackleford
A Pai Gow Poker Glossary
Without a doubt, Pai Gow Poker is among the most exciting casino games on offer. However, understanding the basics of the game could be tricky, even for the ordinary gambler. Fortunately, with our Pai Gow Poker Glossary, players will be able to familiarise themselves with the card game in no time.
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Ante: The first bet players make before the cards have been dealt on the Pai Gow Poker table.
B
Bank Hand: According to our Pai Gow Glossary, this is the name for the five-card hand in the game.
Banker: This a Pai Gow Poker player’s opponent in the game.
Bankroll: This is the money that players bring with them to the table to wager in the game.
Betting Spot: The place on the Pai Gow Poker table where players place their bets during the game.
C
Copy Hand: This also goes by the name of tie and occurs when the player and banker have identical. In this case, the banker or opponent automatically wins the hand.
D
Dragon Hand: An extra hand offered to the vacant seat at the table. In certain cases, some casinos will allow players to wager on a Dragon Hand. Furthermore, some casinos will permit the Dragon Hand to be played by a player.
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F
Pai Gow Poker Casino Rules Dice Game
Flush: A hand in which all five cards follow the same suit.
Four-of-a-kind: A hand in which all four cards have the same value.
Full House: This a hand with three cards of the same value (or Three-of-a-kind) plus a hand with two cards of the same value (or Pair).
Fouling Your Hand: This is a foul that occurs when a player’s two-card hand is stronger than their five-card hand.
H
Hand Behind: The name given to the five-card hand (or High Hand) which is placed behind the two-card hand.
Hand in Front: The name of the two-card hand (or Low Hand) in Pai Gow Poker placed in front of the five-card hand.
High Card: This is the highest card in a player’s hand according to our Pai Gow Poker Glossary. This is used to determine the winner when no player has a hand with a pair or higher.
House Way: A set of rules which dealers are must follow when setting their two hands in Pai Gow Poker.
J
Joker: According to our Pai Gow Glossary Guide, this is the wildcard in the game. Furthermore, the card can be used in any how to complete any hand.
O
One-Pair: This is the standard pair hand which consists of two cards of the same numerical value.
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P
Pair: A hand with two cards of the same value.
R
Royal Flush: This the highest ranking hand in poker. Furthermore, players need five particular cards (Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten) of the same suit complete a Royal Flush.
S
Straight Flush: This is a hand with all cards following an identical suit arranged in order according to their value.
T
Three-of-a-kind: A hand in which all three cards have the same value.
Two Pair: This is a high hand of two Pairs.
W
Wild Card: According to the Pai Gow Poker Glossary, this is the Joker card in the game of Pai Gow Poker.
Pai Gow Poker Casino Rules Poker
Winning Hands: This is a win in Pai Gow Poker that occurs when both the player’s hands are better than those of the Banker.
Hopefully, you’re set to conquer the Pai Gow Poker tables on online jackpot sites with our Pai Gow Glossary. Furthermore, be sure to check out our how to Play Pai Gow Poker guide to learn more about the casino game.
Conclusion: Pai Gow Poker Glossary
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