Pai Gow Poker

The thing you always have to remember is you need to win both hands. A full house would look very good in a five-card hand but unless you have another pair besides the full house in your hand, it would always be wise to split up the full house into a pair and a three of a kind. A pair in a two-card hand is almost unbeatable, unless of course your card values are lower than the dealers. And, of course, a three of a kind is also very good in a five-card hand. In this case you can be almost sure you are going to be a winner. If you kept the full house in just one hand, the other hand would have lost and it would have been a push.

Another thing to think of is in case you have to choose between either making two average to weak hands or one strong hand and one sure loser. Generally it is better to play it safe and go for one strong hand and hope for a push instead of risking to lose your bet with two average hands.

A different option in Pai Gow is the rotating bank. Since there are six players on the table plus the dealer you will get this option every seventh hand at a full table. This is the way to make really good money out of the game. On the other hand you also have a lot to lose. If you decide to be the bank you have to come up with at least enough money to cover the bets of all players on the table. Now you are in the position of the casino and everybody is playing against you - including the dealer. In case you lose you will have to pay any losses you incur but in case you are lucky enough to get a good hand and win, you will get the whole pot. Bear in mind, even if you play the bank, the casino still gets its 5% commission on any winning wagers.

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