Pai-Gow Poker
PaiGow Poker is played with a standard deck of 52 cards plus one joker, which is a wild card.
The player and the dealer are dealt seven cards each and are faced with the task of arranging these into two separate winning poker hands: one five-card hand and one two-card hand. These are called the high hand (five cards) and the low hand (two cards).
Arranging your cards is achieved simply by picking two cards to make up your low hand. The dealer’s cards are arranged automatically, according to some basic best-hand principles known as house rules.
To win, the player needs to beat the dealer on both the high hand and the low hand. All winning ante (regular) bets are charged a 5% commission. If the player wins one hand and the dealer wins the other, the ante bet is pushed, and the bet is returned to the player.
Rules
The high hand must always be a better ranked hand than the low hand. The joker can be used only as an Ace, or to complete a straight, a flush or a straight flush. The dealer wins tied hands, for example a pair of Aces against a pair of Aces.
Fortune bet
In addition to the ante bet you can also play a fortune bet that pays out separately. The fortune bet is optional, and is based on the full 7-card hand. It doesn't matter how the player’s hands are arranged.
Note: The standard rank of poker hands does not apply to the fortune bet, see Payout table.
RANKING OF HANDS
High hand
The standard rank of poker hands applies:
Straight flush* – A five card straight in the same suit
Four of a kind – Four cards of the same value
Full house – Three cards of the same value combined with a pair
Flush – Five cards of the same suit
Straight* – Five cards connected by value, for example 2-6
Three of a kind – Three cards of the same value
Two pairs – Two separate pairs
Pair – Two cards of the same value
* Unlike standard poker hands, Ace to 5 is the second best straight/straight flush, and is only beaten by the Ace to 10 straight/straight flush.
Low hand
The best possible low hand in PaiGow Poker is a pair of Aces, followed by pairs of lesser value.
Often, however, a pair does not exist in the low hand. Then the highest card counts. If both you and the dealer hold a low hand Ace, the highest valued second card in the low hands decides the winner. For example, a low hand of Ace-Jack beats a low hand of Ace-10.
SETTING YOUR PREFERENCES
Click on the PREFERENCES tab in the lobby and set your game preferences:
- Play Sound: turn game sound on or off
- Show tooltip: show descriptive text as the pointer is positioned at various locations on the play table
- Rebet implies deal: if selected, the cards are dealt on clicking Rebet
JOINING A TABLE - TABLE OPTIONS
Click on the PAIGOW POKER tab in the lobby. Before joining a table, consider the options shown for each table:
- Table speed: normal (beginner) or fast (experienced).
- Type of money: real or play
- Bet limits: low or high
- Fortune bet limits: low or high
Selecting a table
The simplest method of joining a table is by double clicking on a table name in the table list.
Selecting a seat
Click on a seat at the table.
Bringing money to the table
Enter an amount of money to bring to the table, then click OK.
PLAYING
1. Place your ante bet by moving chips from your chip rack to the table. Click on one of the chips in your rack, then click on the left hand $ sign. Repeat this step as often as necessary. To remove a bet, just right click on any placed bet (Ctrl + click for Mac users).
Optional: Place your fortune bet on the right hand $ sign in the same fashion.
2. Click DEAL. Your seven cards appear.
3. Click HINT to be shown which two cards are considered ‘best picks’ for your low hand. If you don’t agree with these picks, click on them to unselect them, then click on two different cards.
4. Click COMMIT.
5. Winnings are automatically added to your stack. To play another round with the same bets, click RE-BET. To play another round with different bets place new bets.
Keyboard Shortcuts
F1=ReBet, F2=Deal, F5=Ride, F6=Pull Out
Other Operations
The icons located at the bottom of the game window can be used as follows:
- Make more funds available for play.
- Leave the game. All your chips are automatically returned to your account.
- Access the payout table.
- Help text.
PAYOUT TABLE
Ante Bet
| High hand | Low hand | Outcome | Payout |
| Win | Win | Win | 1 to 1 minus 5% commission |
| Win | Lose | Tie | Bet returned |
| Lose | Win | Tie | Bet returned |
| Lose | Lose | Loss | Bet lost |
Fortune bet
| Natural 7-card straight flush | 8000 to 1 |
| Royal flush plus Royal match* | 2000 to 1 |
| Wild 7-card straight flush | 1000 to 1 |
| Five Aces | 400 to 1 |
| Royal flush | 150 to 1 |
| Straight flush | 50 to 1 |
| Four of a kind | 25 to 1 |
| Full house | 5 to 1 |
| Flush | 4 to 1 |
| Three of a kind | 3 to 1 |
| Straight | 2 to 1 |
| * A Royal match is a suited King and Queen. |
