This intriguing game combines elements from the ancient Chinese game of Pai Gow and the American game of poker. Players use a traditional deck of 52 playing cards plus one joker, which acts only as an ace or to complete a straight, a flush or a straight flush.

The game begins with a randomly generated number or a roll of the dice for the highest number to determine which player receives the first set of cards. The house dealer delivers seven cards counterclockwise starting from the bank as one, eight or fifteen, around the seven spots. Each player creates one high hand of five cards, and one second high hand of two cards. Both the high hand and the second high hand must be higher than the bank hands to win. If only one hand is higher, it is a tie. If both hands are lower, the player loses. Payoffs are even money and the house collects a 5% commission on all winning wagers.

The casino has house rules on how the dealer must set every Pai Gow Poker hand. As there is no choice in setting the dealer's hand (the dealer's hand is set last), the dealer can always help the player with the game and offer options regarding the player's poker hand. The following are the "house ways" to set the dealer's Pai Gow Poker hand:

• Order of Hands
• Five of a Kind (four aces plus a joker)
• Royal Flush
• Straight Flush
• Four of a Kind
• Full House
• Flush
• Straight
  (A, K, Q, J, 10: Highest Straight)
  (A, 2, 3, 4, 5: Second Highest Straight)
• Three of a Kind
• Two Pair
• One Pair
• High Card

(When the hands compared contain no pair,the hand with the highest card wins. If both hands have the same high card, the next highest card is counted in conjunction with the highest card to determine the winner. Example: if one player has A and 10 and the other has A and J, the player with A and J wins.)