Pai Gow Poker is based on a traditional Chinese game played with dominos, which has been adapted to use a deck of 53 cards. The extra card is the joker card, which can be used to complete a straight, flush or straight flush, otherwise it is used as an ace. The game is played between the player and the banker. Play begins by placing a wager and clicking the DEAL button. Seven cards are dealt to both players to make two poker hands each, one of 5 cards (high hand) and one of 2 cards (low hand). The object is to beat the banker on both hands.

The high hand is ranked like normal poker hands, except that the best hand possible is fives aces (four aces and the joker) rather than a royal flush. The low hand will either be a pair or a high card, and are ranked accordingly, with the highest hand being a pair of aces.

When the seven cards are dealt out the player must arrange the cards themselves into the high and low hands. It is mandatory that the overall poker ranking of the high hand is bigger than the ranking of the low hand, otherwise your bet will be deemed a "foul" and the bet will be lost. Usually online Pai Gow Poker games will provide you with a warning to prevent this from occurring.

Once the two hands have been chosen, the banker's hand will be revealed. Your hands are compared to the banker's hands, and if both hands beat the banker's hands you will win even money on your bet, less a 5% commission. If a hand is a tie, otherwise known as a "copy", then the banker wins the bet. If the banker wins one hand and the player wins the other, then the bet is a push and is returned to the player.

Pai Gow Poker also sometimes offers the unique opportunity for the player to play as the banker. In this situation the player must arrange their cards in the "house way" which is essentially the fixed way that the dealer would play to provide the best opportunity to win. The house still takes 5% commission from any winning bet and from the banker's winnings.

Pai Gow Poker can be a fun option for new players as there are often a lot of ties with the bet pushed, so generally a modest buy-in can last a long time!

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