Pai-Gow poker in online casinos - rules, features and course of the game

Pai-Gow poker is a discipline that first appeared in the USA in the middle 80s of the last century. In this game, participants receive 7 cards each, from which they form 2 hands. When comparing the results, the strength of both combinations is evaluated. This type of poker adopted the basic rules from Pai-go dominoes, but cards became its main attribute. Today, this entertainment, although not widely popular akin to Hold'em, is often offered by online casinos in the section of slots and games with live dealers.
Start of Hand
Each game uses a classic 52-card deck and 1 joker. The role of the latter is determined by the rules of the gambling site. The joker can act as a substitute for an ace, complete the missing part of a straight, flush or other combination.
At the beginning ofthe game the players in the hand place bets. After the end of the starting auction, 7 stacks of cards, 7 pieces each, are laid out on the table. The rest are pushed aside. The stacks are placed at the disposal of the players in turn. In an online casino, this happens automatically; when playing live with friends, the primacy of the move is determined by a roll of dice.

If the game is played in Live mode, the dealer acts as a banker. Draws that occur at the table are interpreted in his favor.
back to contents ↑ 836When the participants take their cards, they can look into them and think about how they will form combinations.
Середина игры
The user needs to divide the received seven cards into two hands - upper and lower. In this case, the combination in the first must necessarily be weaker than in the second, otherwise the player will be counted an automatic defeat. The top hand consists of five cards and forms classic poker combinations.
Combination | Composition |
---|---|
Pair | Two identical cards |
Two pairs | Pair of equal value and one more of another |
Set | Three cards of the same value |
Street | Highest Sequence |
Flush | Five suited cards |
Full house | Pair and set |
Каре | Four cards of equal strength |
Straight Flush | Ascending sequence of the same suit |
Royal Flush | Tens to Ace High Straight Flush |
The other two cards go to the top hand, and there can only be one hand, a pair. If not, the strength of the combination is estimated by the seniority of the kicker. The latter is an ordinary card with the highest value in the hand.
Results
When users have formed their combinations, they are compared. The main task in Pai-go poker is to collect two combinations that are stronger than the banker. It is mandatory to beat both hands of the dealer, otherwise the player will lose.

In some online casinos, a draw when comparing combinations does not lead to a loss chips and is not treated as a victory for the banker. In this case, bets are carried over to the next hand or returned.
Strategically, Pai-GowPoker is much easier than Hold'em, since there are no auctions and most of the usual actions such as calling, raising, and checking. The whole difficulty lies only in the correct formation of hands. The cards must be distributed in such a way as to get the most profitable combinations in each set.