Double-hand Poker is a modern game with ancient ancestry. Based on the ancient Chinese domino game and the current American version of poker, Pai Gow poker marries the east with the wild west in a great game for new gamblers.
Pai Gow is a poker game that pits the gambler vs. the croupier, unlike almost all other poker games that players bet with other players. By gambling against the dealer, starting players do not have to worry about other, more knowledgeable people winning their $$$$.
Another Pai Gow benefit is the generally leisurely game pace, newcomers can take their time and strategize while not having to make hasty choices.
It is also easier to participate in for an extended time with only a small bit of money since, to lose, each of your hands must be lower than each of the dealer’s hands.
Pai Gow is played with 53 cards; the regular 52-card standard deck and a single joker. The player is assigned 7 cards face up and the croupier receives seven cards face down.
One 5 card hand and one 2 card hand have to be put together from the seven cards, the five card hand must be stronger than the 2 card hand. To win, a player is required to have both of his hand totals to be larger than the dealer’s.