Pai Gow poker (or Double-hand poker) is an Americanized version of Pai Gow, in that it is played with playing cards using poker hand rankings, while Pai Gow is played with Chinese dominoes. The games of Pai Gow poker and Super Pan-9 — though the latter is not a poker game — were co-created by Sam Torosian and Fred Wolf.

In addition to being a games inventor, Fred Wolf was the casino manager of the Commerce Casino in the early 1980's. Fred Wolf decided to sublet a third of the casino floor space of the Bell Club, in the city of Bell, California, to introduce his new Super Pan-9 game. Fred Wolf needed to innovate new gaming structures in order to overcome the competition of the larger Los Angeles area card casinos, such as the Bicycle Club and Commerce Casino. The games of Pai Gow Poker and Super Pan-9 became immediate crowd favorites, quickly spreading to the entire Californian gaming market, and then, worldwide.

Subsequently, Fred Wolf invented, and obtained U.S. patents on, several new gaming devices which included "Three-special-dice", and games such as "Sweepstakes Blackjack", "Fast-action hold 'em", "Lucky Pan-9" and "Pai Gow jokers".

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.

Each player is playing against the banker, who may be the casino dealer or one of the other players at the table.

Object of the Game

The object of the game is for a player to create two poker hands out of the seven cards in his hand: a five-card poker hand and a two-card poker hand. The five-card hand must rank higher than the two-card hand. The two-card hand is often called the hand "in front" or "on top", and the five-card hand is called the hand "behind" or "bottom", as they are placed that way in front of the player when he is done setting them.

The Deal

The cards are shuffled, and then dealt to the table in seven face-down piles of seven cards. Four cards are unused regardless of the number of people playing.

Betting positions are assigned a number from 1 to 7, starting with whichever player is acting as banker that hand, and counting counter-clockwise around the table. A number from 1 to 7 is randomly chosen (either electronically or manually with dice), then the deal begins with the corresponding position and proceeds counter-clockwise. One common way of using dice to determine the dealer starting number is to roll three six-sided dice, and then count betting spots clockwise from the first position until the number on the dice is reached.

If a player is not sitting on a particular spot, the hand is still assigned, but then placed on the discard pile with the four unused cards.

Pai Gow Poker Hand rankings
Pai gow poker hands are basically ranked the same as standard poker hands. The one exception is that A-2-3-4-5 is the second highest straight hand, making 6-5-4-3-2 the lowest possible straight.

The following chart is ranked from highest to lowest hand:

How to Play Online Pai Gow Poker

Place your bet: Begin the game by placing your wager. Choose from five chip denominations: $1, $5, $10, $25 and $100. You are betting on your High and Low hands winning over the dealer's hands.

Cards dealt: You will be dealt seven cards face-up. The dealer will receive seven cards face-down. The dealer's cards will not be revealed until you have finished your action.

Player action: Split your cards into two separate hands: High hand and Low hand. Your High hand must consist of five cards and contain your best ranking poker hand. Your Low hand must consist of two cards and be lower in rank than your High hand. The online pai gow poker game will not allow you to create a Dead Hand (a Low hand of higher value than a High hand).

Dealer action: The dealer's hand will be arranged in a High and Low hand as well. The dealer's hand will be divided according to Fair Way Rules. Please see the Pai Gow Poker Rules section for details. At this time, the dealer's hands will be revealed.

Payoff: Your High hand and the dealer's High hand will be compared against each other, as will both Low hands. A winning wager pays 1:1 less a 5% commission. For example: A winning bet of $10 will pay $9.50. No commission is applied to losing or tied hands.

The House wins if:

Both the dealer's hands outrank the player's hands.

1. One of the dealer's hands outranks the player's corresponding hand and the other hand is a copy.**

2. Both the dealer's hands are copy hands.**

**A copy hand is when a dealer's hand and player's hand are identical.

You win if:

Both your hands outrank the dealer's hands. You push** if:

1. You win one hand, but lose the other hand.
2. You win one hand and your other hand is a copy.
   **Your bet will be returned to you in all instances of a push.

Game Rules

1.Pai Gow Poker is played with a single 53 card deck (52 cards plus a joker).

2.The deck is reshuffled after each game.

3.Wagers:

4.A winning wager will pay off at 1:1, less a 5% commission.

5.No commission is taken on losing or tied hands.

6.Fair Way Rules will always be used to determine the dealer's play.

7.The Dragon is not offered and players may not act as dealer.

8.Hands are ranked according to standard poker rules with one exception. For straights and straight flushes, A-2-3-4-5 is the second highest hand after A-K-Q-J-10. A hand with 6-5-4-3-2 becomes the lowest possible straight or straight flush.

9.The joker acts as a wild card only to complete a straight, flush or straight flush. In all other cases, the joker is used as an Ace.

10.A copy hand is defined as the player and dealer having an identical two or five card hand. The dealer wins copy hands.

11.In the event of unusual activity in the software or outside intervention all wagers will be placed under review for further determination.
 
Fair Way Rules: Dealer hands will always be played according to the following set of rules to ensure maximum consistency and fairness.

No Pair: Use second and third highest ranked cards for the Low hand.

One Pair: Always use the pair as the High hand and the highest ranking outside cards for the low hand.

Two Pair: Pairs will be broken into four groups (when splitting, always play the lower pair in the Low hand). Two pair will always be split between the High and the Low hand unless holding an outside Ace.

Three Pair: The highest pair will always be played in the Low hand.

Three of a Kind: Will always be played in the High hand unless the three of a kind is aces, then one ace will be played in the Low hand and the pair of aces will remain in the High hand. In the case of two three of a kind, a pair from the highest three of a kind will be played in the low hand.
Straights, Flushes and Straight Flushes:

Without a Pair: Play the combination that allows the highest possible Low hand if given a choice to play a Straight, Flush or Straight Flush.

With a Pair: Play pair in Low hand if Flush, Straight or Straight Flush can be preserved in High hand.

With Two Pair: Use Two Pair Rule.

With Three Pair: Use Three Pair Rule.

With Three of a Kind: Use Three of a Kind Rule.

With Full House: Use Full House Rule.

Full House: Split and play pair in Low hand.

Three of a Kind and Two Pair: Play higher pair in Low hand.

Two Three of a Kind: Play higher three of a kind as a pair in Low hand.

Four of a Kind without a Pair: Never split 2 through 9. Play in High hand. Always split 10 through King unless there is an outside Ace or Joker, then play the four in High hand. Always split Aces.

Four of a Kind with a Pair or Three of a Kind: Play pair in Low hand.

Five Aces (with Joker): Always split and play two Aces in Low hand unless five Aces are with a pair of Kings, then play Kings in Low hand.

Always remember when playing Pai Gow Poker:  

1. If the player wins both hands, the dealer pays out the amount bet by the player less a 5% commission. The commission is collected from the payoff.
   
2. If the dealer wins one hand and the player wins the other, no money changes hands. This is called a "Push".
   
3. If the dealer wins both hands the dealer collects the player's bets.
   
4. If either hand is tied, the dealer wins that particular hand. If the dealer wins or ties the other hand, it is a win for the dealer. If one hand is tied and the player wins the other hand, it is a Push.
   
5. After the player has made his first bet, the "second hand" button will highlight offering the opportunity for playing a second hand at the same time. Rules for playing the second hand are the same.