Couple in the casino

How to Play Pai Gow Poker

California Grand Casino, located in the San Francisco East Bay, hosts an exciting Pai Gow poker game. It is one of the most popular games at the California Grand. Our Pai Gow Poker game is very simple–you can learn to play it in less than a minute.

Pai Gow Poker, also called double-hand poker, is an American version of an ancient Chinese game. Instead of using Chinese dominoes, playing cards are used and hands are valued using poker rankings. The game is played with a standard 52-card deck and a single joker.

One unique element of California Grand Casino’s Pai Gow Poker is that here the joker can be used as any card in the deck, unlike other places where the joker can only be used to complete straights, flushes, or to act as an ace. Our Pai Gow Poker game has more ways to win!

How to Play Pai Gow Poker:

  • Pai Gow Poker begins with the house dealer dealing seven cards to every player.
  • Each player then uses their cards to create a 2 card top hand, and a 5 card bottom hand. The bottom hand must be higher in rank than the top hand.
  • Once set, the player’s top hand is compared to the dealer’s top hand, and the player’s bottom hand is compared to the dealer’s bottom hand.
  • To win, a player’s two hands must be higher in ranking than both the hands of the dealer’s. A push occurs if the player and the banker both win in one spot.
  • The dealer’s hand wins ties in either spot. Every player has a chance to be the dealer and play against the rest of the table if they choose.

Our Pai Gow Poker game runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at the California Grand Casino in Pacheco, between Martinez and Concord. Come on down, make friends, experience the camaraderie, and enjoy our great food and service right at the table! We have a wide variety of Casino games including a full poker room, Hold em, Baccarat, three card poker, and Blackjack.