learn pai gow poker

The History of Pai Gow PokerThe original Chinese Pai Gow is probably hundreds of years old. It was played with tiles that slightly resemble domino tiles. Pai Gow means "make nine", but the poker version has nothing to do with the number nine. You can still play the domino-style, original Pai Gow in China today.

In the 1900's the casino manager of the Commerce Casino, Fred Wolf, and his friend Sam Torosian transformed the ancient Chinese Pai Gow into a modern poker variation using cards instead of domino type tiles. Fred Wolf featured the Pai Gow Poker in his California casino, and the game became an instant hit, spreading out to the Las Vegas and Atlantic City casinos.
How to Play and Win Pai Gow PokerThis unique poker variation is played with a standard 52-card deck plus one Joker. And usually there are seven players of whom one is the dealer or the banker. Players do not play against each other, but against the dealer which is one reason this poker variation is called a house-banked even-payout game. Each player is dealt seven cards and the object of the game is for a player to create two poker hands from these seven cards: a five-card poker hand and a two-card poker hand. The five card hand must rank higher than the two-card hand. If not, the player's hand is considered a "foul" and he automatically loses his bet.
In Pai Gow Poker he player's two hands must outrank the dealer's hands in order for him to win. The five-card hand is ranked by standard poker rankings. The two-card hand can only be a pair or two "high" cards. If either of the player's hands match the dealer's hands in value, they are called "copies", and the dealer wins all copies. If one of the player's hands beats the dealer's, but the other doesn't, the result is a tie and no money is paid out. The highest possible hand is five aces: four aces plus the Joker. In the five-card hand, the Joker can be used to complete a straight or flush, otherwise it is considered an ace. In the two-card hand it is always an ace. However, some casinos in southern California allow a completely wild Joker. There are many strategies and tips to win Pai Gow Poker.
Pai Gow Poker at Online CasinosPai Gow Poker, a very unusual poker variation, is now also being offered by online casinos. Since the player does not play or bet against other players, but only against the dealer, the game is far more relaxing than any of the other standard poker games, and, therefore, it is becoming very popular with online gamblers. Many of the online casinos offer a free trial Pai Gow Poker game so that the potential player can actually see how it works. Although a written explanation of the rules, betting, and "how to play" sounds quite complicated, once one has tried the "free" game, it is easy to learn and quite exciting to play. Internet Paigow is a card game and a derivative of poker. But the Paigow rules differ a lot from regular poker rules. For the online version of this game the player only plays against the dealer and not against the other players. This is a unique characteristic for an online poker game as most online poker variations allow players to play against other players as opposed to playing against the house. One of the benefits of this game format is that the player only has to beat one person in order to win.

Paigow rules - Easy to learn The Paigow rules are easy to learn. The game begins with the dealer giving the player seven cards. The player must then divide their cards into two hands, one five-card hand and one two card hand. The two-card hand must have a lower value than the five-card hand and in order to win the player must win both hands. If the player beats the dealer with one hand but not the other, then the round is considered to be a push and no one wins. However, if both of the player's hands are equal in value to both of the dealer's hands, then the round is considered a tie and the dealer is declared the winner.

Online Paigow Internet Paigow is not found at every online casino or poker hall. So online players will need to do a keyword search that specifically looks for Paigow poker. When you find an online casino that offers this game it is a good idea for Paigow beginners to review the official Paigow rules, betting rules for the casino and any Paigow tips and tutorials that are offered. Also there are a few sites that offer "play for free" Paigow tables for players to practice the game on. This is a great way to learn Paigow without risking any money.