Pai Gow a traditional Asian game, was developed using standard playing cards which players arrange into poker hands. It is played with tiles that look a lot like dominoes. Pai Gow Poker is played with a 52-card deck and a joker. The joker can be used either as an Ace or it can be used as a wild card to complete a Straight, Flush or Straight Flush only.

Out of the seven cards dealt, you have to make your best five-card and two-card poker hands to compete with the Dealer's two hands. The five-card hand must be stronger than the two-card hand. A winner is declared when both of his hands beat the Dealer's respective hands.

How to play:

Once you place your bet and receive your cards from the Dealer, split your seven cards into two seperate poker hands. The five-card hand must be stronger than the two-card hand, i.e. if your cards are 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, jack, king and king, you must place your pair of kings in the five-card hand, leaving the jack and 10 as your best two-card hand.

You play against the Dealer and must arrange seven starting cards into two hands, one 5-card hand at the back and one 2-card hand at the front. Your hands compete with the Dealer's hands. To win, either the you or the Dealer must win both at the front and the back; otherwise, it's a tie. Your 5-card hand must have a higher value than your 2-card hand. If you make a mistake, your hand is declared a 'foul' and the Dealer wins. The Dealer must always set in the House Way.

Place your two hands on the table in the assigned areas, if required the Dealer will instruct you. Wait for the Dealer to separate his/ her cards to see if you've won. The winning cards beat both the Dealer's five-card and two-card hands. Winning only one hand which usually happens, results in a tie.

Tip:

A majority of Pai Gow hands end up in ties and no money is exchanged. For this reason, players can play Pai Gow Poker for hours with little net gain or loss.

Pai Gow Poker Strategy:

If you have no pairs, straight or flush, put your second and third highest cards at the front and your highest card at the back.

Example: You are dealt Ah-Kh-Qs-Jd-7d-4h-2d. You should put K-Q as your front hand, and A-J-7-4-2 as your back hand.

If you have one pair, place it in the back, and your two other highest cards in the front.

If you have two pairs:

• Big pair is Jacks or higher: Place small pair in front and the big pair at the back.
• Big pair is Sevens thru Tens: Place both pairs in the back if you can put Ace in front. If you don't have an Ace, put the small pair in front and the big pair at the back.
• Big pair is Twos thru Sixes: Place both pairs in Back if you can put Ace or King in front. If you don't have an Ace or King, put the small pair in front and the big pair at the back.

If you have three pairs, place the biggest pair in the front, and the other two pairs at the back. If you have three of a kind, place the three of a kind in the back and your two highest cards in the front.

One exception: If you have three Aces, put an Ace and next highest card in front and a pair of Aces at the back.

If you have two Sets (i.e. three of a kind), place a pair from the highest set in front and the smaller three of a kind at the back.

If you have a possible Straight, Flush or Straight Flush:

• With no pair or one pair, put the complete hand in the back and the remaining two cards in the front.
• With two pairs, ignore the complete hand and use two pair strategy.
• With three of a kind, place the complete hand in back and the remaining pair up front.

If you have a full house (Set and pair), put the pair in the front and the Set at the back.

If you have four of a kind:

• Jacks thru Aces: Split the hand up and put a pair in both front and back.
• Sevens thru Tens: If you have an Ace or King, put the four of a kind in the back and the Ace or King up front.
• Twos thru Sixes: Don't split your four of a kind, so long as you can put a card higher than your four of a kind in the front.
• With another pair: Put four of a kind in the back and the pair in the front.
• With another three of a kind: Put highest pair in front, and make a full house at the back.

If you have five Aces (four Aces and a Joker), place a pair of Aces up front and three Aces at the back.

Where you can play: You can play Pai Gow Poker at InterCasino.