Online Pai Gow Poker Fit For Newbie Players

Added: September 17, 2015

Many newbie players at Australian online casinos, especially those that do not play poker, hesitate on playing poker based table games. They fear that since they are not conversant with the optimum strategy, they will make mistakes and lose out. For such players Pai Gow Poker is the perfect starting point. The best online casinos have a provision within the game that automatically enables players to make the best moves.

At online casinos Pai Gow Poker is usually a single hand game. The deck used is different from the standard deck. It consists of 53 cards, with the additional card being a joker. You start the game by placing your ante wager. You then click on the “Deal” button and will be dealt seven cards face up. The dealer will be dealt seven cards face down. You have to divide your seven cards into two hands. One hand will have five cards and the other hand will have two cards. The five card hand exactly follows the normal poker hand rankings. The highest two card hand is a pair and is then followed by the ranks of the cards. The two card hand has to have a lower hand ranking than the five card hand. If you make an incorrect hand, you will be asked to rectify the error. The joker can be used as a wild card only in order to make a straight or a flush. Otherwise it becomes an ace.

Here is where optimum strategy comes in. If you do not partition your hand correctly, then you will lose more often than you should. You can click on the cards you want in the two card hand or you can click on the “House Way” button and have the hands split in the optimum manner. The recommended method for new players uses both options. You first proceed manually but do not confirm the action. You then click “House Way” and check whether you were correct. If you were wrong then you can analyse your mistake.

Then the dealer’s cards are exposed and split using the house way. Your five card hand is compared with the dealer’s five card hand and your two card hand is compared with the dealer’s two card hand. If any of the hands are tied, then the dealer will win that hand. If you win both hands then your payout is at even money less a 5% commission. If you win one hand and lose the other then the bet pushes. If you lose both the hands then the bet is forfeited.