Joker In Pai Gow
Pai Gow Poker is a popular form of poker game which is also known as double-hand poker. This game was created in 1985 by Sam Torosian, a Bell Card Club owner in the United States. The game is played with a 52 card deck and a joker. The joker card can be used as a wild card to form a straight or flush. O therwise, it is considered an Ace.
Instead of having to act as a whatever-card-you-want wild card, the joker in Pai Gow is also called a “bug.” It acts as an ace except it can be used to fill out a straight or a flush. This means that you can have five aces, which is the best possible five-card hand in Pai Gow. How Do You Use The Joker On Pai Gow? The game of pai gow poker was created in 1985 in the United States by Sam Torosian, owner of the Bell Card Club. The game is played with a standard 52-card deck, plus a single joker. It is played on a table set for six players, plus the dealer. Pai Gow Poker – The Deal. After all of the best have been placed each player then (typically there will be 6 players and one dealer) receives 7 cards face down from the 53-card deck (52 cards plus one joker). In October 2020, Jesus, a Las Vegas local and frequent visitor to Aliante Casino + Hotel + Spa, was playing Face Up Pai Gow Poker when he hit a seven-card straight flush with a joker, capturing a.
Pai Gow Poker is a popular table game in Las Vegas. It is spread at 60 casinos. Many have multiple tables.
One draw of Pai Gow Poker is its slow pace and number of pushes. This helps players stay in the game longer and rack up free drinks. The low minimum bet is also another draw. Some casinos spread it for as little as $5 at locals’ joints.
Las Vegas Pai Gow Minimum Bets
$5 Pai Gow Poker |
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$10 Pai Gow Poker |
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$15 Pai Gow Poker |
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$25 Pai Gow Poker |
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$50 Pai Gow Poker |
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How to Play Pai Gow Poker
#4: Compare Hands with Dealer – Once the player’s hands are set, the dealer shows its cards. The dealer sets the hand based on the house way. This varies from one casino to another in terms of how aggressive it wants to play. Pai Gow Poker is unlike any other game as the operator can determine how the house sets its hand as long as it publishes the method for all players to see.The dealer’s hand is then compared to each player’s hand.
- If both player hands beat both dealer hands, the player wins.
- If both dealer’s hands beat both of the player’s hands, the house wins.
- If the dealer ties one of the player’s hands and wins the other, the house wins.
- If the player wins one hand and ties the other, the hand is a push.
- A tie between a dealer’s hand and the player’s hand is known as a copy in Pai Gow Poker.
Pai Gow Commission
Some casinos require the player to pay 5% of any win as commission. In general, these houses will permit players to bank the game. Otherwise, a commission-less game is spread where the house has a push hand. These push hands may be a queen-high dealer pai gow, or if the house is forced to play a nine in the low hand.
Even if you are not in Las Vegas, you can play Pai Gow Poker online.
Complete Las Vegas Pai Gow Poker Survey 2018
Casino | Game | Min Bet | Max Bet | # of Tables | Video |
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4 Queens | Pai Gow Poker | 10 | 500 | 1 | No |
Aliante Casino | Pai Gow Poker | 5 | 1000 | 3 | No |
Aria | Pai Gow Poker | 25 | 10000 | 4 | No |
Arizona Charlie’s Boulder | Pai Gow Poker | 5 | 1000 | 1 | No |
Arizona Charlie’s Decatur | Pai Gow Poker | 5 | 500 | 1 | No |
Bally’s | Pai Gow Poker | 15 | 5000 | 1 | No |
Bally’s | Pai Gow Poker | 25 | 5000 | 2 | No |
Bellagio | Pai Gow Poker | 25 | 10000 | 6 | No |
Bellagio | Pai Gow Poker | 50 | 10000 | 1 | No |
Binion’s | Pai Gow Poker | 5 | 1000 | 1 | No |
Boulder Station | Pai Gow Poker | 5 | 2000 | 2 | No |
Caesars Palace | Pai Gow Poker | 25 | 5000 | 2 | No |
Caesars Palace | Pai Gow Poker | 50 | 5000 | 2 | No |
Caesars Palace | Pai Gow Poker | 100 | 5000 | 1 | No |
California | Pai Gow Poker | 15 | 500 | 2 | No |
Cannery | Pai Gow Poker | 5 | 1000 | 3 | No |
Club Fortune | Pai Gow Poker | 5 | 200 | 1 | No |
Cosmopolitan | Pai Gow Poker | 10 | 5000 | 2 | No |
Cosmopolitan | Pai Gow Poker | 25 | 10000 | 2 | No |
Cromwell | Pai Gow Poker | 25 | 3000 | 3 | No |
Downtown Grand | Pai Gow Poker | 10 | 1000 | 1 | No |
Eastside Cannery | Pai Gow Poker | 5 | 1000 | 2 | No |
Encore | Pai Gow Poker | 25 | 10000 | 1 | No |
Excalibur | Pai Gow Poker | 10 | 1000 | 1 | No |
Fiesta Rancho | Pai Gow Poker | 5 | 500 | 1 | No |
Fiesta Henderson | Pai Gow Poker | 5 | 1000 | 3 | No |
Flamingo | Pai Gow Poker | 15 | 3000 | 2 | No |
Flamingo | Pai Gow Poker | 25 | 3000 | 2 | No |
Fremont | Pai Gow Poker | 10 | 500 | 1 | No |
Gold Coast | Pai Gow Poker | 10 | 2000 | 4 | No |
Golden Nugget | Pai Gow Poker | 15 | 5000 | 1 | No |
Green Valley Ranch | Pai Gow Poker | 10 | 2000 | 5 | No |
Hard Rock | Pai Gow Poker | 10 | 2000 | 2 | No |
Harrah’s | Pai Gow Poker | 25 | 5000 | 5 | No |
Linq | Pai Gow Poker | 10 | 3000 | 2 | No |
Luxor | Pai Gow Poker | 10 | 3000 | 1 | No |
M Resort | Pai Gow Poker | 10 | 1000 | 4 | No |
Main Street Station | Pai Gow Poker | 10 | 500 | 1 | No |
MGM Grand | Pai Gow Poker | 25 | 10000 | 1 | No |
Mirage | Pai Gow Poker | 25 | 10000 | 2 | No |
Monte Carlo | Pai Gow Poker | 10 | 1000 | 3 | No |
NYNY | Pai Gow Poker | 10 | 2000 | 2 | No |
Orleans | Pai Gow Poker | 10 | 2000 | 4 | No |
Palace Station | Pai Gow Poker | 10 | 2000 | 4 | No |
Palazzo | Pai Gow Poker | 25 | 20000 | 1 | No |
Palazzo | Pai Gow Poker | 50 | 2000 | 3 | No |
Palms | Pai Gow Poker | 10 | 2000 | 2 | No |
Paris | Pai Gow Poker | 15 | 5000 | 3 | No |
Paris | Pai Gow Poker | 25 | 5000 | 3 | No |
Paris | Pai Gow Poker | 100 | 5000 | 1 | No |
Paris | Pai Gow Poker | 15 | 5000 | 3 | No |
Planet Hollywood | Pai Gow Poker | 15 | 5000 | 4 | No |
Planet Hollywood | Pai Gow Poker | 25 | 5000 | 1 | No |
Plaza | Pai Gow Poker | 10 | 1000 | 1 | No |
Rampart | Pai Gow Poker | 5 | 1000 | 2 | No |
Red Rock | Pai Gow Poker | 10 | 2000 | 4 | No |
Rio | Pai Gow Poker | 15 | 5000 | 4 | No |
Sam’s Town | Pai Gow Poker | 5 | 1000 | 2 | No |
Santa Fe Station | Pai Gow Poker | 5 | 1000 | 4 | No |
Silverton | Pai Gow Poker | 10 | 1000 | 2 | No |
Sahara Las Vegas | Pai Gow Poker | 10 | 10000 | 2 | No |
South Point | Pai Gow Poker | 5 | 2000 | 7 | No |
Stratosphere | Pai Gow Poker | 10 | 1000 | 2 | No |
Suncoast | Pai Gow Poker | 5 | 2000 | 3 | No |
Texas Station | Pai Gow Poker | 5 | 500 | 2 | No |
The D | Pai Gow Poker | 10 | 2500 | 1 | No |
Treasure Island | Pai Gow Poker | 10 | 5000 | 2 | No |
Tropicana | Pai Gow Poker | 10 | 2000 | 1 | No |
Venetian | Pai Gow Poker | 50 | 20000 | 1 | No |
Westgate | Pai Gow Poker | 10 | 2000 | 1 | No |
Wynn | Pai Gow Poker | 25 | 10000 | 4 | No |
Pai Gow Poker has its roots in China, and the current version of Pai Gow Poker available in land and online casinos is an Americanized version created by Fred Wolf and Sam Torosian.
Instead of the traditional Chinese dominoes, the game uses playing cards. To play a game of Pai Gow Poker, players need a standard deck of 52 playing cards and one joker. As many as six players can play a game of Pai Gow Poker, and the aim of each player is to defeat the house.
How to Play
Playing Pai Gow Poker is incredibly easy. Like all variants of poker, it begins with the placing of a bet, after which each player receives a hand of seven cards and is challenged to create two different poker hands using their seven cards.
- A five-card hand – This hand is called the “bottom hand,” “behind hand,” “high hand,” or “big hand.”
- A two-card hand – This hand is called the “front hand,” “small hand,” “low hand,” “top hand,” or “minor hand.”
The five-card hand must be better than the two-card hand. For example, if a player is dealt a pair of Aces, a three, a five, a seven, a ten, and a joker, he/she must use the Ace pair to create the five-card hand, not the two-card hand. The best two-card hands that players can create are the pairs, especially a pair of Aces.
Once players have created their two hands, they must place their two-card hand in front of the five-card hand.
Learn how to play Pai Gow Poker using the following video
Pai Gow Poker Rules Strategy
This video has been produced by Winstarcasino
About the Joker
Pai Gow Online
Unfortunately, the Joker does not play his traditional role of the wild in case of Pai Gow Poker. However, players can use a Joker to create a Flush or a Straight. In all other cases, the Joker can only substitute for the Ace.
Who is the Winner?
The hands of each player are now compared with the hands of the banker. To beat the dealer, both the hands created by the player must be better than both the hands created by the dealer. If only one of the hands created by the player is better than the dealer’s hand, the game is considered to be a tie and the player gets back his/her bet amount. Needless to say, if the dealer’s hands are better, the dealer wins the game and the player loses his/her bet amount. If one of the player’s hands is equal to the dealer’s hand, the dealer is considered to be the winner, which is how the casino makes money out of Pai Gow Poker.
Learning the Strategies
Pai Gow Poker is slightly tough as players have to make two different poker hands. However, if players learn and implement some of the following strategies, they can play a better game.
The Joker In Pai Gow
- The players’ goal is to create two strong hands. Each hand should be better than the hand created by the dealer.
- If players’ hands do not have the potential for flushes, straights, and pairs, they must put their best cards in the five-card hand. The next best cards must be used to create the two-card hand and the rest of the cards must be used to create their five-card hand.
- If players get a pair, they must use that pair to create a five-card hand, and the next best cards must be used for the two-card hand. The other three cards must be used to create the five-card hand.
- If players have three pairs, the best pair must be used to create the two-card hand.
- If players have three Aces, they can use two of these Aces to create their five-card hand and the other Ace pair can be placed in the two-card hand.
- The house advantage of Pai Gow Poker is 1.5%. Although it is much lower than that of Roulette and Keno, players will still find themselves losing more often than winning. By implementing some strategies, players can play for a longer time and avoid losing more money.
- If the casino gives players the chance to become the dealer, they must grab the chance.
- On no account should players’ two-card hand be stronger than their five-card hand. If players make this mistake, they might lose both their hands.
- Players should also avoid blowing their entire bankroll on Pai Gow Poker.