Pai Gow Poker

If you’ve ever played Pai Gow poker for fun at one of the many free EA game sites online, you will know the object of the game is to select 5 cards and 2 card from the 7 dealt and determine whether you beat the dealer’s hand or not. In the online casino world, Pai Gow Poker Bovada - for USA players or Pai Gow Poker Bodog - for non USA players is basically consists of the same strategy except that you are playing for money.

What is Pai Gow Poker?

Pai Gow Poker is a card game consisting of a 53-card deck including the joker. The player is given 7 cards which must be split into two sets, 5 cards and 2 cards, respectively. If the player’s 5-card hand AND 2-card hand beats the dealers hands, the player wins. If only one of the player’s hands does not beat one of the dealer’s hands, the player loses. But, if one of the player’s hands beats one of the dealer’s hands, it’s called a push. (This is similar to standard blackjack rules).

What are the Pai Gow Poker Rules?

The 5-card hand has to be higher than the 2-card hand. The cards are ranked according to the rules. The joker can only be used to complete a straight or a flush; otherwise it is considered an Ace. The dealer will win if any hands are the same.

How Are the Hands Ranked in Pai Gow Poker?

The hands are ranked according to standard poker rules with one exception: the Ace-2-3-4-5 straight is the second highest straight. Straights rank, from highest to lowest: Ace-K-Q-J-10, Ace-2-3-4-5, K-Q-J-10-9, 6-5-4-3-2. For example, the best hand would consist of five of a kind of which there would be 4 aces plus a joker; a royal flush would consist of the same suit; a straight flush would consist of the same suit in sequence; four of a kind would be 4 cards of the same number; full house is 3 of a kind plus a pair; a flush would be 5 cards of the same suit; a straight would be 5 cards in sequence; followed by 3 of a kind, two pair, one pair, and high card.

Playing Pai Gow Poker Bodog

If you are unfamiliar with Pai Gow Poker, you can practice play this game at Bovada Casino. It is listed on the main page under table games. Just choose Pai Gow Poker and practice play and the game will immediately load. You will notice there are several buttons on the screen including: Bet, Deal, and Split. The split button is the one you will use to split the 7 cards into 5 and 2. The chips range from $1 to $500 and to place a bet just click on the bet button and the chip value. If you wish to continue with the same bet, click on the rebet button.

What is the Pai Gow Payout?

Pai Gow pays even money less 5%, a commission Bovada casino takes out. So, for example, if you bet $2, you would win $1.75. The total bet, result, and commission is listed at the top left hand corner of the game so that you can see exactly what you have won. Practice Play Pai Gow Poker today and then go on to play for real money at Bovada USA Poker - former Bodog Poker!