Section 588.11. Procedures for completion of each round of play

(a) After the dealing procedures required under § 588.8, § 588.9 or § 588.10 (relating to procedures for dealing the cards from a manual dealing shoe; procedures for dealing the cards from the hand; and procedures for dealing the cards from an automated dealing shoe) have been completed, each player shall examine his cards subject to the following limitations:

(1) Each player who wagers at a Six-Card Fortune Pai Gow Poker table shall be responsible for setting his own hands and no person other than the dealer and the player to whom the cards were dealt may touch the cards of that player. If a player requests assistance in the setting of his hands, the dealer shall inform the player of the manner in which the certificate holder requires the hands to be set.

(2) Each player shall keep his six cards in full view of the dealer at all times.

(3) Once each player has set a high and low hand and placed the two hands face down on the appropriate area of the layout, the player may not touch the cards again.

(b) Each player shall set his hands by arranging the cards into a high hand and a low hand. When setting the two hands, the five-card high hand must be equal to or higher in rank than the one-card low hand.

(c) After all players have examined their cards, the dealer shall offer each player the option to place an additional Double Down Wager equal to the player’s Six-Card Fortune Pai Gow Poker Wager.

(d) After all players have set their hands and placed the cards on the table, the six cards of the dealer shall be turned over and the dealer shall arrange his cards into a high and low hand in accordance with the following requirements:

(1) The dealer may not break any sets as described in § 588.6(b) (relating to Six-Card Fortune Pai Gow Poker rankings) to play a higher card in the dealer’s low hand. Once the dealer has played the set, the dealer shall use the highest-ranking card in his low hand. Notwithstanding the following requirements:

(i) If the dealer has two three-of-a-kinds in his hand, the dealer shall play the lower ranking set as the three-of-a-kind and the higher one as a pair to play the higher card in the low hand.

(ii) If the dealer has three pairs, the dealer shall play the two lower ranking pairs as the high hand and the highest ranking card of the third pair as the low hand.

(2) If the dealer has a Six-Card Fortune straight, Six-Card Fortune flush or a Six-Card Fortune straight flush, the dealer shall play the lowest possible straight, flush or straight flush and place the highest ranking card in the low hand.

(3) If the dealer has both a straight and a flush, the dealer shall set the flush as the dealer’s high hand.

(4) If the dealer has both a straight and a straight flush, the dealer shall set the straight flush as the dealer’s high hand.

(5) If the dealer has both a Six-Card Fortune flush and a straight flush, the dealer shall play the straight flush as the high hand and the remaining card as the dealer’s low hand.

(6) If the dealer does not have pairs, straights or flushes, the dealer shall play the highest ranking card, in accordance with § 588.6(a), in the dealer’s high hand, the second highest ranking card as the dealer’s low hand and the remaining four cards in the dealer’s high hand.

(e) After the dealer has set a high hand and a low hand, the dealer shall reveal both hands of each player, beginning with the player farthest to the dealer’s right and continuing around the table in a counterclockwise direction. The dealer shall compare the high and low hand of each player to the high and low hand of the dealer and shall announce if the Six-Card Fortune Pai Gow Poker Wager of that player wins, loses or is a tie.

(f) A Six-Card Fortune Pai Gow Poker Wager will:

(1) Lose and will immediately be collected if:

(i) The high hand of the player is lower in rank than the high hand of the dealer and the low hand of the player is lower in rank than the low hand of the dealer.

(ii) The high hand of the player is lower in rank than the high hand of the dealer and the low hand of the player is identical in rank to the low hand of the dealer.

(iii) The high hand of the player is identical in rank to the high hand of the dealer and the low hand of the player is lower in rank than the low hand of the dealer.

(iv) The high and low hands of the player are identical in rank to the high and low hands of the dealer.

(v) The high hand of the player was not set so as to rank equal to or higher than the low hand of that player.

(2) Tie and will be returned to the player if:

(i) The high hand of the player is higher in rank than the high hand of the dealer, but the low hand of the player is lower in rank than the low hand of the dealer.

(ii) The high hand of the player is lower in rank than the high hand of the dealer, but the low hand of the player is a joker or is higher in rank than the low hand of the dealer.

(3) Win if the high hand of the player is higher in rank than the high hand of the dealer and the low hand of the player is a joker or is higher in rank than the low hand of the dealer. The dealer shall pay the winning Six-Card Fortune Pai Gow Poker Wager in accordance with the payout odds in § 588.12(a) (relating to payout odds; Envy Bonus; rate of progression).

(g) After settling the player’s Six-Card Fortune Pai Gow Poker Wager, the dealer shall settle the player’s optional Double Down Wager as follows:

(1) If the dealer’s hand contains a pair of eights or better, as described in § 588.6(b), the Double Down Wager shall win, lose or tie in accordance with subsection (f).

(2) If the dealer’s hand does not contain a pair of eights or better, the Double Down Wager shall be returned to the player.

(h) If a player has placed a Fortune Bonus, Insurance or Progressive Payout Wager, the dealer shall rearrange the six cards of any player who placed an optional wager to form the highest ranking hand. If any player at the table has placed a Qualifying Wager, the dealer shall rearrange the cards of all players regardless of whether the player placed a Fortune Bonus or Progressive Payout Wager. After rearranging the player’s six cards, the dealer shall:

(1) Settle the player’s Fortune Bonus Wager as follows:

(i) If a player:

(A) Placed a Six-Card Fortune Pai Gow Poker Wager but does not have a three-of-a-kind or higher, as described in § 588.6(b), the dealer shall collect the Fortune Bonus Wager.

(B) Placed a Six-Card Fortune Pai Gow Poker Wager and has a three-of-a-kind or higher, the dealer shall pay the winning Fortune Bonus Wager in accordance with § 588.12(b). If the player has an Envy Bonus Qualifying Hand and any player at the table placed a Qualifying Wager, the dealer shall verbally acknowledge the Envy Bonus Qualifying Hand and leave the cards of the player face up on the table.

(C) Did not place a Fortune Bonus Wager but has an Envy Bonus Qualifying Hand, and another player at the table placed a Qualifying Wager, the dealer shall verbally acknowledge the Envy Bonus Qualifying Hand and leave the cards of the player face up on the table.

(ii) After all Fortune Bonus Wagers have been settled, if any player is the holder of an Envy Bonus Qualifying Hand, the dealer shall pay an Envy Bonus in accordance with § 588.12(b) to each player who has an Envy lammer at the player’s betting position. Players are entitled to multiple Envy Bonuses when another player at the same Six-Card Fortune Pai Gow Poker table is the holder of an Envy Bonus Qualifying Hand. A player is not entitled to an Envy Bonus for his own hand or the hand of the dealer.

(2) Settle the player’s Insurance Wager. If a player has a hand ranked:

(i) Better than a king-high, the dealer shall collect the Insurance Wager.

(ii) A king-high or less, the dealer shall pay the winning Insurance Wager in accordance with § 588.12(c).

(3) Settle the player’s Progressive Payout Wager as follows:

(i) If a player:

(A) Placed a Progressive Payout Wager but does not have a straight or better, as described in § 588.6(b), the dealer shall collect the Progressive Payout Wager and place the cards of the player in the discard rack.

(B) Placed a Progressive Payout Wager and has a straight or better, the dealer shall:

(I) Verify that the hand is a winning hand.

(II) Verify that the appropriate light on the progressive table game system has been illuminated.

(III) Have a floorperson or above validate the progressive payout in accordance with the certificate holder’s approved internal control procedures.

(IV) Pay the winning Progressive Payout Wager in accordance with the payout odds in § 588.12(d)(1). If a player has won a progressive payout that is a percentage of the progressive meter, the progressive payout may not be paid from the table inventory container. If a player has won a progressive payout that is not being paid from the table inventory, the cards of that player shall remain on the table until the necessary documentation has been completed.

(C) Has an Envy Bonus Qualifying Hand and any player at the table placed a Qualifying Wager, the dealer shall verbally acknowledge the Envy Bonus Qualifying Hand and leave the cards of the player face up on the table.

(ii) After all Progressive Payout Wagers have been settled, if any player is the holder of an Envy Bonus Qualifying Hand, the dealer shall pay an Envy Bonus in accordance with § 588.12(d)(4) to each player who has an Envy lammer at the player’s betting position. Players are entitled to multiple Envy Bonuses when another player at the same Six-Card Fortune Pai Gow Poker table is the holder of an Envy Bonus Qualifying Hand. A player is not entitled to an Envy Bonus for his own hand or the hand of the dealer.

(i) The dealer shall settle all of the player’s optional wagers before placing the player’s cards in the discard rack.

(j) All cards removed from the table shall be placed in the discard rack in a manner that permits the reconstruction of each hand in the event of a question or dispute.

Notation

Cross References

This section cited in 58 Pa. Code § 588.12 (relating to payout odds; Envy Bonus; rate of progression); and 58 Pa. Code § 588.13 (relating to irregularities; invalid roll of dice).