Double-hand Poker is a modern game with ancient ancestry. Based on the ancient Chinese domino game and the current American adaptation of poker, Pai Gow poker marries the east with the west in an excellent game for new players.
Pai Gow is a poker game that puts the player vs. the house, unlike nearly all other poker games that gamblers compete with other gamblers. By competing against the dealer, beginning players don’t have to worry about other, more experienced individuals winning their moolla.
One more Pai Gow benefit is the fairly leisurely game play, beginners should be able to take their time and scheme without having to make quick decisions.
It’s also easier to enjoy for a very long time with just a little amount of money since, to lose, each of your hands has to be lower than both of the houses hands.
Pai Gow is played with 53 cards; the regular 52-card common deck and a single joker. The player is dealt seven cards face up and the house is given 7 cards face down.
A 5 card hand and one 2 card hand need to be made from the seven cards, the 5 card hand has to be stronger than the 2 card hand. To succeed, a player is required to have both of his hand values to be larger than the dealer’s.