Crucially, your five-card hand must outrank your two-card hand. The two-card hand can only contain pairs and high cards, while the five-card hand follows standard poker hand rankings. Several rules govern the formation of your Pai Gow hand. A random number determines the initial player to receive cards, and the dealer distributes the cards in a counter-clockwise fashion. Seating and Card DistributionĪt the Pai Gow Poker table, each seat is numbered from one to seven, with the banker occupying the first seat. When a player co-banks with the dealer, the hand must comply with the house rules.
However, if a player serves as the banker, they have the freedom to arrange their hand as they wish. When the casino or dealer acts as the banker, the cards must be set according to the house rules. In such cases, the hand is either reset according to the house rules or forfeited, depending on the casino.
Setting your hands incorrectly, such as having the two-card hand outrank the five-card hand, leads to a fouled hand. Consequently, the five-card hand is often called the “bottom,” “high,” “behind,” or “big” hand, while the two-card hand is referred to as the “top,” “small,” “minor,” “in front,” or “low” hand. Once all players have arranged their hands, the two-card hand is placed in front, and the five-card hand is positioned at the back. Correct Hand Placement: Bottom and Top Hands
