Tired of playing the usual poker game? Here is one variety of poker with a touch of Asian influence; Pai Gow poker. Pai Gow is a native Chinese game incorporated with the American game of poker. It is quite popular in most casinos in Nevada and in some casinos in Detroit. It is widely played, though pai gow poker is not a very famous form of poker. This game can be played up to a maximum of seven players.
Pai gow is played with a fifty two card deck and a joker; which serves as an ace, or to complete a straight, flush, straight flush, or a royal flush. Other than the typical ranking of the hands, the Five Aces is an additional winning hand. The Five Aces of course includes the joker, and this combination beats all the other hands including the royal flush.
Every player is dealt with seven cards. Two hands is made out of the seven cards; a five card hand and a two card hand; where the five card hand should rank higher or should be equal to the two card hand. The basic strategy is to legally set the highest two card hand. Each player's two hands should rank higher than the other players. And the two card hand should only have a combination of one pair and a high card.
After arranging the cards in two hands, they are placed faced down on the table. When the cards are placed down on the table, players cannot touch them. Only the dealer could turn over the cards and deal the player's hands. Each of the player's hands is compared to the dealer's hands. The push occurs when one of the player's hands wins and the other loses. In the push, no money is traded. When the dealer wins both hands he also wins the players' stakes. This rule also applies when a player wins both his hands. If there is a tie, only the dealer wins all the ties. After playing the hand, the next player on the right will act as the dealer and the next hand will be played.
Pai gow poker does not require too much strategy or skill. The game basically relies on luck. Even a new player has the chance to win the game provided that he has the winning sets of hands. The odds of Pai Gow Poker are low and compared to games with pot values, it does not have much earnings. However, for the adventurous and the lucky, Pai Gow Poker could be the game for them.