Master Pai Gow Poker

I think it is little more than a basic fact of gambling that the game of Pai Gow is one which attracts a very unique breed of player. What precisely are the factors that attribute Pai Gow's selective appeal is something which has baffled me for years. I have attempted to form one unifying theory that would bring every element into play but my efforts in this regard have fallen short time and time again. It seems there is something beyond the reach of simple calculations which is responsible for Pai Gow's evergreen popularity.

Rather than continue my frustrating search for an all-inclusive answer, I have found it is much more gratifying to study the intricacies of the game itself. Clearly, it takes a very rare blend of skills and intuition to learn pai gow poker and become a true pai gow master. I would venture to say that these individuals are few and far between, but there can be no doubt that they do exist.

Would you like to join their ranks? Of course you would. Therefore, it's a good idea to examine some fundamental aspects of the game to help you along this treacherous path.

Pai Gow is usually played as a betting game, so your first task is to decide how much you want to bet for the upcoming deal. You cannot change your bet once the tiles are dealt. The dealer starts by shuffling the tiles, mixing them face down on the tabletop. He stacks them so that neither he nor the players can see the spots. The dealer then gives four tiles to himself and four tiles to each other player.

Of the four tiles that you are dealt, you select two tiles to place together into one hand, and the other two tiles make up your second hand. As you can see, you now have two separate hands, each hand containing two tiles. This aspect of multiplicity is one of pai gow's trademarks.

Whenever you are playing Pai Gow, the primary issue on your mind is how to divide your four tiles into these critical two hands. There are three possible ways to divide the four tiles that you are dealt, always in search of the strongest hand.

Understanding how the two separate hands operate and relate to one another is, of course, fundamental. Your two hands are your high hand and your low hand. The hand of higher value is automatically your high hand, and the hand of lower value is your low hand.

Ultimately, everyone's tiles are exposed. This is the proverbial moment of truth in pai gow, the moment that true lovers of the game live for. At this moment, the tension can be unbearable. Your high hand is compared to the banker's high hand to see who wins the high hand comparison, and your low hand is compared to the banker's low hand to see who wins the low hand comparison. It's double the excitement of most poker games.

With two hands at stake with each player, it's easy to see how fast and furious the action can come in Pai Gow. Are you up for it?

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Master Pai Gow Poker