PAI-GOW
Challenge and its complexity give this game the edge. Harsh to the mediocre, partial to the adept and most of all partisan to those who have mastered it, Pai-gow is indeed a game that is a cut above the rest.
How to play:
- The game is played with seven hands using one deck of 52 cards plus one joker.
- The joker can be used as an ace, any face card (jack, queen or king,) any number in a straight, an ace in a flush, or any number in a straight flush.
- Other cards count according to their face value.
- The players rank their cards, setting two cards for the low hand and five for the high hand. Players always set their cards ahead of the banker (house.) Players are not allowed to look at other players’ cards.
- Ranking of cards:
- Royal flush (A,K, Q, J, & 10 of the same suit.)
- Straight flush (5 succeeding numbers, same suit)
- Four of a kind (4 cards with the same number/face)
- Full house (a pair and three cards with the same number/face)
- Flush (5 cards of the same suit)
- Straight (5 consecutive numbers, mixed suits, lowest straight is ace to five)
- Three of a kind/trio
- Two pairs
- One pair
- No pair, ace high
- In case of the foul play where the player puts the low hand higher than the high hand, the player automatically loses. This however, does not apply to the banker/house.
- In case a player’s card are identical with those of the banker/house although different in suit, the banker/house wins over that particular hand.
- All winning bets are paid 0.95 to 1.