Pai Gow Banker Bet
When playing Pai Gow a player may choose to act as the Banker during the game. When you bank the game you pay a five percent commission to the house. You win the bet of any player you beat.
Pai Gow requires skill in setting of the hands but a skilled player can gain the advantage over a less knowledgeable player.
Learn to Play Pai Gow
The Pai Gow game we see in casinos today is the westernized version of the Chinese dominoes game Pai Gow. The object of modern Pai Gow is to arrange seven cards into two poker hands - one five-card and one two-card hand, so that each hand beats the dealer's corresponding hand.
Pai Gow poker uses a one deck shoe which is reshuffled after each hand. The deck includes one joker. Joker is used to complete straights, flushes and straight flushes only; otherwise it is used as an ace.
Each seven-card hand must be split into two hands, a five-card hand (high hand) and a two-card hand (low hand). The five-card hand must always rank higher than the two-card hand and it is calculated according to a standard stud poker hand hierarchy. You must win both hands to receive a payout. If both your hands are winners then you win and on the contrary. Payout is 1:1 less 5% house commission.
Any combination of win and loss across both hands results in a push/tie. In this case your bet is returned to you. All ties are in dealer's favor. For example, if one of your hands loses to the dealer and the other ties - you lose; if one hands wins and other pushes, you push.