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Pai Gow Poker Mastery: Basic Rules and Gameplay

Game Flow

  1. 1. Place Bets: Players place their main bet (and optional Fortune side bet)
  2. 2. Deal Cards: Each player and dealer receive 7 cards
  3. 3. Set Hands: Players arrange cards into 5-card high and 2-card low hands
  4. 4. Dealer Sets: Dealer sets hand according to "house way" rules
  5. 5. Compare Hands: High vs high, low vs low
  6. 6. Determine Winner: Must win both hands to win overall

Hand Setting Rules

CRITICAL RULE:

Your 5-card high hand must be stronger than your 2-card low hand. If not, it's a "foul" and you automatically lose.

Winning Conditions

Player Wins

Both hands beat dealer

Pays 1:1 minus 5% commission

Dealer Wins

Both hands lose to dealer

Player loses bet

Push

Split (1 win, 1 loss)

Bet returned