Pai Gow Poker is a combination of the ancient Chinese game of Pai Gow and the game of Poker. It is a rather simple game but is offers many strategic options. You can either go for the fast way and the quick win or play conservatively for little money and maximize your playing time. It is hard to win a lot of money in Pai Gow but on the other hand it is also hard to lose a lot of it.

The game is played with a deck of 52 cards, including one joker. This joker is a wild card but it can only be used as an Ace or to complete a Straight, Straight Flush or Royal Flush. Ranks and values of the hands are the same as in basic Poker. After you place your bet, simply done by placing a chip in front of you on the table, each player and the dealer will get seven cards. Now you have to split up your seven cards into two hands. One hand with five cards and one with two cards. The only thing you always have to consider when splitting up your hand is: the five card hand must always outrank the two card hand.

The Pai Gow player's two-card (low) must now beat the dealer's two-card hand and the player's five cards (high) must also beat the dealers five card hand. Only then you win. If your low-card beats the dealers low-card and loses on the high-card, or reversed, it is considered a push. In case of a push, which very often happens, no money will be exchanged and the hand is over. If either one of your hands rank the same as the dealer's it is called a tie. The dealer wins all the ties.

Since in this system lots of hands end up with a push, especially with low-cards, the casino does not make so much money out of it as it would like. So the casino charges a 5% commission on any winning bet. No commission is charged on a push or a lost bet. Most casinos want the commission right away. This means in case you win your game you have to throw the dealer a quarter on a five dollar win. You will only win $4.75. Other casinos keep track of the money you owe and you can settle up when you leave the table.