What is Pai Gow Poker?

Pai gow poker, also known as double-hand poker, is a casino table game played with a 53-card deck that includes one joker. You receive seven cards and must split them into a five-card high hand and a two-card low hand, with the rule that the high hand must outrank the low hand. Both of your hands must beat the dealer's corresponding hands to win; if one wins and one loses, the wager is a push and your stake is returned. That structure produces an unusually high rate of ties, so bankrolls tend to move slowly compared with faster table games. Many tables allow players to act as banker in turn, and most charge a commission on winning bets, which is where the house edge is expressed.