Pao Gai Poker

Pai Gow Poker is a casino table game and is played with a standard 52-card deck plus one joker. The rules are fairly simple. After making a bet, each player is dealt seven cards and must make two poker hands: A standard five-card poker hand and a two-card poker hand. The five-card hand is often called 'behind', or the 'bottom,' 'high,' or 'big' hand, while the two-card hand is called 'in front', 'on top', or the 'small,' 'minor,' or 'low' hand.

Aug 24, 2020 Just like most casino table games Pai Gow poker begins with the player placing a bet before receiving any cards. This is the only bet you will make for the duration of the hand and it must be within the minimum and maximum betting limits of the table. Just like most casino table games Pai Gow poker begins with the player placing a bet before receiving any cards. This is the only bet you will make for the duration of the hand and it must be within the minimum and maximum betting limits of the table.

When forming your two hands from your seven cards, the five card hand must be higher than the two-card hand. In other words, if you are dealt A-A-3-5-7-10-J and you can‘t make a flush, you must include the pair of aces in the five-card poker hand, not the two-card poker hand.

Five-card hands follow the standard what-beats-what rules, with two exceptions: some casinos count A-2-3-4-5 as the second-highest straight. This is the case in some places in Nevada. Additionally, having a joker in the deck introduces the possibility of five of a kind which beats a straight flush.
The best two-card hands are pairs and then simply high cards. Straights and flushes don’t matter in the two-card hand. The worst possible 2-card hand is 2-3, while the best is a pair of aces.

The Joker in Pai Gow Poker

Instead of acting as a whatever-card-you-want wild card, the joker in Pai Gow is called a 'bug.' It acts as an ace unless it can be used to fill out a straight or a flush. This also means that you can have five aces, which is the best possible five-card hand in Pai Gow.

Showdown

Once players have set their two poker hands, they place their hands in front of them, the two-card hand in front, and the five-card in the back (hence those nicknames). All the players at the table are playing to win both hands against the 'banker.' The banker can be the dealer, or one of the players at the table, like in Baccarat.

Determining Who Wins

Each player compares his hands to the banker’s hands. If both the player’s hands beat the banker’s, the player wins. If one of the player’s hands beats the banker’s hands but not the other, it’s considered a push or draw and the player takes back his money. If the banker’s hands beat the player’s, the player loses. In the case of a tie, the banker wins. This is one of the ways the house keeps the advantage. If a player is banking, the house takes a commission from the winning hands and doesn't need an advantage.​

There are thousands of websites at which you can play free Pai Gow Poker. Some allow you to play online through a Java or Flash-based platform while others offer free software that you can download to play the game. The problem is, all but a few of those sites lack the resources to offer a truly engaging playing experience. In most cases, the graphics are uninspiring, though that is the least of the limitations. Below, we’ll explain why free Pai Gow Poker is often far less meaningful than it seems.

Pai Gai Poker Free

Is Free Pai Gow Poker Really “Free?”

Aside from the “Best of Class” online casinos, sites that offer free Pai Gow Poker are weighed down by several shortcomings.

• First, the owners of the sites rarely generate significant revenue from their games. That means they’re less likely to invest in customer support or software upgrades. If you have ever played Pai Gow Poker within Java or Flash, and felt less than enthused about the experience, this is often the reason.
• Another limitation is that most sites that offer free Pai Gow Poker do not support real money bets. They don’t have the back-end systems necessary to manage deposits and withdrawals through payment processors. Also, casinos need to operate offshore in order to accept real money wagers. That requirement is beyond the scope of most site owners.

Pao Gai Poker

So, if most of these sites lack appeal, what are your options?

Where To Play Free Pai Gow Poker

We have been playing free Pai Gow Poker at Bodog Casino for years. Not only have they been in operation for more than a decade, but they continually upgrade their software and player interface. That means their gaming environment is far more stimulating than those offered by other “free” sites.

Bodog also lets you make real money bets. Over the years, they have cultivated strong relationships with their payment processors. That’s the reason they enjoy one of the highest credit card acceptance rates in the industry. With a top-notch customer support staff, a generous and instant 10% bonus match, and one of the most respected names in online gambling, few casinos can match their reputation. Visit Bodog Casino today to play free Pai Gow Poker.

Pai Gow Poker