Online Pai Gow Poker Games
Online pai gow poker is the Americanised version of pai gow, a traditional game from Asia that is played with tiles that will bring dominoes to mind. In order to make the game a little easier, pai gow was initially introduced to the American market with a standard deck of 52 playing cards and joker, and the joker could be used as an ace, or wild, in order to complete a flush; straight or straight flush hand.
The Basics of Online Pai Gow Poker
To start enjoying online pai gow poker players will need to place their top online casino bets according to the minimum amount set for the table. After all the wagers have been made, players will be dealt seven cards each, and must make the best two poker hands they are able to: one made up of two cards, and one made up of five. The five-card hand is referred to as the bottom; high; behind or big hand, and the hand made up of two cards is known as the small; on top; low; in-front or minor hand.
When players are creating the two hands from the seven dealt them, they will need to ensure that the five-card hand holds cards higher than the one composed of two cards. For example, should a player be dealt two aces; a four; a six; a seven; a ten and a jack, and he or she is not able to make a flush, the aces will need to go into the five-card hand, not the one made up of two cards. Players who ignore this rule and end up with their highest cards in the two-card hands will have committed a foul, and will lose immediately.
The five-card hand is subject to the standard poker-hand rules, and the two-card hands are only pairs and high cards. The best possible two-card hand is a pair of aces, and the worst is one made up of an ace and a two.
Once the player has sorted his or her online pai gow poker cards into the preferred order, they will need to be placed on the table with the two-card hand set before the five-card hand, a placement which is reflected in the names these hands are known by. The players’ objective in online pai gow poker is to win both hands against the banker’s, with this being either the dealer or one of the other players at the table.
Winning an Online Pai Gow Poker Game
All of the players taking part in the online pai gow poker game will reveal their hands, and these will be compared to the two which the banker has been able to form. If both a player’s hands beat the banker’s, he or she will emerge the winner. If only one hand has managed to beat the banker the round will be deemed a push, or draw, and the player will neither win nor lose. Should both the banker’s hands beat the player the bank will win, and the player’s bet will be lost. Ties with the banker will also result in the player losing and forfeiting his or her bet.