Game rules

Pai gow poker is played with a 53 card deck, including a joker.

Play begins by making a wager. Next the player and the dealer receive seven cards. The player then arranges his seven cards into a five-card hand and a two-card hand.

The five-card hand is ranked as in poker, with the exception that an A-2-3-4-5 straight is the second highest straight. The two-card hand will either be a pair or two individual cards. The highest two-card hand is a pair of aces and the lowest is a 2-3.

After the player has arranged his hands the dealer arranges his according to a set of fixed rules known as the "house way." Then the player's five-card hand is compared to the dealer's five-card hand. Likewise the player's two-card hand is compared to the dealer's two-card hand. The highest hand wins. In the event of an exact match between hands, called a copy, the tie goes to the banker.

If the player beats the dealer with both hands the player wins even money, less a 5% commission. If the player wins one and loses one the bet is a push. If the player loses both the player loses the entire wager.

When setting the hands the two-card hand may not be higher then the five-card hand. If it is then both hands are deemed "foul" and both lose.

The joker can only be used to complete a straight, flush, or straight flush, otherwise it is treated as an ace.

Fortune Side Bet

The Fortune side bet is optional.

It pays according to the following paytable:

It doesn't matter how the player arranges his hands. The Fortune bet is based on the full 7-card hand.