Pai Gow is a popular casino game in Bangladesh and around the world. In its simplest form, it is played with a standard deck of cards, including one joker. The game is played between two players and two sets of hands are created from seven cards dealt to both players. The objective of the game is to beat the dealer by having two hands of higher value than the dealer.
In Bengali, the game is known as 'Pai Gow'. It is usually played with six players and a dealer. The game is dealt with a standard deck of 52 cards, plus one joker. The joker can be used as an Ace or to complete a Straight, a Flush, or a Royal Flush. Each player is dealt seven cards which are divided into two hands: a back hand and a front hand.
The back hand must be a five-card hand and must rank higher than the front hand. The front hand must be a two-card hand and its highest possible value is a pair of Aces. The dealer will compare the player's hands to that of his own back and front hands. If the player's hands are both higher than that of the dealer's, the player will win the pot. However, if the player's hands are both lower than that of the dealer's, the player will lose the pot.
In addition, there are a few other rules that are specific to the Bangladeshi version of Pai Gow. These include:
- Draws are not possible; Players must either win or lose.
- Winning hands must be higher than the dealer's in both the back hand and the front hand.
- The joker can only be used to complete a Straight, Flush, or Royal Flush.
- Aces can be used as high or low in the back hand.