What Is Pyramid Poker? Those who are partial to Pai Gow Poker will be intrigued by Pyramid Poker which is, in essence, a more simple verison of Pai Gow and is a great online poker game. For those who haven’t yet played Pyramid Poker but want to learn it is based on Pai Gow Poker which has it’s origins in an ancient Chinese game. This has transformed in modern times to a favourite online poker game and Pyramid is an extension of this game.
In Pyramid Poker the rules are that three cards are dealt as opposed to the seven cards used in Pai Gow, and a standard 52-deck set of cards is used without the jokers. As in traditional poker the hand rankings remain the same with the exception that the aces are always high in Pyramid.
How To Play Pyramid Poker
As Pyramid originates from Pai Gow poker it can help to learn Pai Gow first if you are not familiar with the game to make it easier to learn, and there are many sites to teach you the basics of both games and lots of handy online guides. As with normal poker games the rankings are from 2 as the lowest value to 10 as the highest, and the face cards are in the order of Jack (low) to Aces (high).
In Pyramid Poker the dealer deals himself and the player 3 cards each and these are then split into a 2 card hand and a separate 1 card hand. The 1 card hand has to be of lower value than the 2 card hand, and in order to win the joint hands of the player are required to come to more than the dealer’s cards. If the outcome is that only one hand of the player is higher then dealer then it becomes a push or tie.
Pyramid Poker Tips
- Placing a bet: the first step is to place an online poker bet which can be anything as long as it exceeds the table minimum.
- Dealer delivers cards: each player will receive 3 cards face down, and although you can take a look it is important not to share the details with any other players.
- Choose your hands: as in Pai Gow poker the goal is to divide your cards into two separate hands and the objective is for them to rank higher than the dealer’s cards. The difference between the two games is that Pai Gow begins with 7 cards and turns them into 5 cards with 2 hands whilst Pyramid Poker only allows 3 cards.
Therefore you need to ensure cards are in the best 2 card high hand and 1 card low hand possible, and the 2 highs must outrank your 1 low card. Therefore, your two high cards will always outrank a low single card.
- Dealer reveals cards: After all players have chosen their hands the dealer reveals their own 3 cards but like Pai Gow, Pyramid follows another rule called the House Way. This means that unlike the other players in the game the dealer has to follow a set of rules that determine how dealers must set their hands.
- Compare hands: When the dealer has used the House Way to set their hand each hand will be compared to player hands.
- Winning the game: After hands have been compared the hand that is ranked highest will win and any ties go to the dealer. It ‘s necessary to win both the high and low hands to collect your payout.
Try Pyramid Poker And You’ll Be Hooked!
The basic premise of Pyramid Poker is that players have to make close calls due to having less cards than Pai Gow. However, that is the fun element of the game and the one that keeps people coming back for more once they have mastered the basics!