Pai Gow is somewhat different from other poker games. The first thing to know is that you cannot change your starting hand. In effect, you have to keep the cards the dealer has dealt you. Therefore, unlike other poker games you have to place your trust in this rule. In fact, in most games you're accustomed to bluffing or changing cards purely as a matter of strategy. This is almost impossible in Pai Gow, even though specific combinations do exist.

The dealer begins by dividing the deck of cards into seven piles. These stacks of cards will be distributed as and when the dice are thrown. If the dice are tossed and your number comes up, the dealer will allocate to you the first stack of cards. However, there is a hand that must be set aside in Pai Gow, the “dragon” hand. It may occur that you hold more than a dragon, depending on the number of players sitting around the table.

However, in some casinos you can play the dragon hand like any other hand. The dragon permits you at that moment to have the edge over the bank. If you have two dragons, you are then two steps ahead of the banker, the main advantage being that you have the choice of whether or not to stay in the game.

In Pai Gow Poker, a hand composed of five cards is stronger than a two-card hand. You have two different bets to make that allow you to win.

Another feature that varies from one casino to another is the banker. Like in Baccarat, the banker draws a commission of five percent on the entirety of the player's winnings. Consequently, each time you play as the dealer, you will have a significant influence on the game. When you play as dealer, you benefit from the house edge: you can win more hands and therefore more money than the others. Note that the dealer changes each time, with each player assuming this role during a game.

But to be the banker, certain conditions first of all have to be met. In effect, you should play first and also have a sufficient amount of money to cover the bets placed on the table. In other words, you have to be capable of paying off players' winnings with your own money. But there is another possibility, if luck is on your side. In effect, some casinos encourage the participation of a second banker, although they are few. If you are a secondary banker, the casino itself will pay off the players' winnings and you will avoid losing all your money.

One cannot really speak of strategy and tactics in Pai Gow. In general, according to statistics, you have a 46 percent of coming out a winner in this game, regardless of the circumstances. In this game, you join battle against the one who has the most power, which is to say the banker, with the players coming after.

To shine in this game, you should above all concentrate on your own hand. This is the best strategy. Don't bet huge amounts if you feel that your hand is not sufficiently strong. Be attentive in observing your cards. This is the only way to succeed in this game.

A few minor things to know:

• The invisible hand, that which is composed of five cards, should be stronger than the visible hand. If the opposite occurs, you will lose the money you have bet.
• The hand that you are allocated depends on the roll of the dice. You don't have the right to exchange cards.
• Victory depends strictly on the value of the cards that you hold.

The first thing you should do once you have received your cards is to constitute your five-card hand. This is the hand which is most important, and without which you cannot continue to play. If you have a pair but nothing better than that, the five-card hand is your only hope for getting out of it.

Imagine that you have the following cards: Ace, King, King, ten, seven, eight, and two.

You have seven cards in your possession. The only valuable combination that you can produce is a pair of Kings. This means that you at least have a chance of winning the invisible hand. You will win absolutely nothing with the visible hand.

In the above example, you can act in two ways. You fold because you know you can't beat any of the hands. The invisible hand is a pair of Kings, which represents the second highest pair in the game. If the dealer holds a pair of Aces, it's all over for you. But the chances of that happening remain very low. It's therefore up to you whether to make the decision to call.

In 42 percent of the cases, you will receive a pair. It is thus rare to obtain more powerful combinations. The worst thing would be to have nothing at all for a significant period of time. It's therefore better to play your pair when you have the chance to do so. Remember that Pai Gow is a poker game. Consequently, you should be aware of what the highest combinations are.