Sometimes known as double-hand poker, Pai Gow poker is essentially an offshoot of the Chinese game, Pai Gow. The difference, of course, is that Pai Gow poker is played with cards, whereas the traditional game is played with Chinese dominoes. In terms of the cards, a standard 52-card deck plus a joker will suffice. Up to six players plus a dealer are required to play this game.
In Pai Gow poker, each player tries to form two separate poker hands out of the seven cards they are dealt. Of the two hands, one is to be a five-card hand and the other is to be a two-card hand. Typically, the two-card hand has to always be exceeded by the value of the five-card hand. The only two card hands are pairs and high cards, while the five card one uses standard poker rankings to determine values.
The joker is used as a bug in this game, meaning it can be used to finish a straight or a flush in the five-card hand. If the joker is not part of one of those particular hands, it functions as an ace and can be used as such in the two-card hand.
Players are betting against the dealer in this game and if both of the player’s hands beat the dealers, the player wins the bet. If only one of the player’s hands beats the dealer, the player pushes.
This game can be played at online casinos such as 888games. Players can start with a practice round, with no money being risked and then gradually work their way up to real online cash games.
