It is not that difficult to play Pai Gow Poker. To start, up to 6 players are seated around a table that resembles a blackjack table. Each player is dealt 7 cards, face down. The object of the game is to create two poker hands, one containing five cards and the other containing two that beat the dealer’s hand. The value of the five card hand must be higher than the two card hand. Normal poker hand rankings apply. There is one joker that is in play. It can be used to complete any flush or straight, otherwise it plays as an ace and not a wildcard.
To win, both your hands have to beat the randomly assigned dealer’s corresponding hand. So, this means that your five card hand has to beat the dealer’s five card hand and your two card hand has to beat the dealers two card hand. If you win only one of the hands, it is a tie and your bet is returned. If you lose both your hands, you lose the game.

The commission structure is a little different than normal poker. The casino usually takes a 5% commission on the total bets of each hand played. This may seem like a really high rake but Pai Gow Poker is a slower moving game and not a lot of hands are played per hour.
If you like poker but are looking for something a little bit different, give Pai Gow poker a try. It is easy to learn and fun to play!