Pai Gow Poker Glossary

Banker – the player’s opponent in a round of Pai Gow poker
Bug – a type of limited wild card in poker games: a bug always counts as an ace, unless giving it another value would enable it to complete a straight, a flush, or a straight flush
Co-banking – an option that may be available in some casinos whereby a player and the house are 50%-50% partners as the bank; house rules vary
Copies – a player’s hand and a banker’s hand that are tied in value; ties go to the banker
dragon hand – a hand dealt to an empty seat at the table; in certain casinos a player is allowed to pick up a dragon hand and play it as a second hand of his or her own
Flush – a hand of five cards all of the same suit, irrespective of value
Four of a kind – a hand containing four cards of the same value, irrespective of suit
Full house – a hand of three cards of the same value and two cards of another same value, irrespective of suit, e.g. 2, 2, 2, 5, 5; i.e. a three of a kind and a pair
Hand behind – the five-card hand, so called because it is laid on the table behind the two-card hand (also called high hand)
Hand in front – the two-card hand, so called because it is laid on the table in front of the five-card hand (also called low hand)
High card – the highest card in a player’s hand; used to determine the winning hand if neither player nor dealer holds a higher poker combination, or if both hold the same combination (e.g. if both player and dealer are holding a straight, the one with the higher card wins)
High hand – see hand behind
House way – a pre-determined strategy used by house bankers to set their hands
Low hand – see hand in front
One pair – a hand containing one pair of cards of the same value, irrespective of suit
Royal flush – a hand of 10, J, Q, K, A, all of the same suit
Straight – a hand of five cards of consecutive value, e.g. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, irrespective of suit; an Ace cannot count as both low and high, as in e.g. Q, K, A, 2, 3
Straight flush – a hand of five cards of consecutive value, e.g. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, all of the same suit; an Ace cannot count as both low and high, as in e.g. Q, K, A, 2, 3
Three of a kind – a hand containing three cards of the same value, irrespective of suit
Two pair – a hand containing two pairs of cards, each of the same value, irrespective of suit