Beware the dragon's tooth
23 January 2007
By Mark Pilarski
Dear Mark: In some casinos that offer Pai Gow
Poker, the dealer deals a second hand that is
offered to the player. Exactly what is it, and
is it worth playing? Billy F.
That second hand you observed, Billy, is called
"The Dragon," and it's an additional hand that
each player in turn has the option of playing.
Essentially, it gives the player the ability to
play two positions rather than one. It could
also be a community hand for all to play, should
someone want to make an additional bet. It is
not a required wager, rather a bonus bet.
I have noticed that those who play the Dragon do
so depending on the circumstances and their
style of play. Some only play the Dragon when
they are holding a stalwart hand; others only
play the Dragon when they think their main hand
is a loser. Go figure.
In most casinos, if you want to play the Dragon,
your wager must be the same size as or larger
than your original bet. Also, the rules
generally specify that the hand must be set
according to the house's own way of setting
hands.
With a deck of cards at the kitchen table you
can become quite proficient at the game, and
with perfect basic strategy you can grind the
casino edge down to 2.5%. Even so, Billy, I
wouldn't recommend playing the Dragon hand
myself, because "copies" (where the player and
banker have identical two-card or five-card
hands) still go to the dealer, biting the
player, naturally.
Dear Mark: I have seen double-deck blackjack
dealt both face up, and face down. Is there any
advantage one way or another for the player or
the house? Kyle F.
For card-counting players, face-down (not being
able to see all the cards on the layout until
the end of the hand) gives them less
information. Consequently, Kyle, cards dealt
face down benefit the house, face-up the skilled
player.
Dear Mark: Could you please explain how a
satellite tournament works in poker, and how one
goes from one of these types of tournaments to a
larger, more profitable one? Martin C.
A satellite tournament, Martin, is a special
tournament whose prize isn't necessarily cold
hard cash, but a buy-in to a larger tournament.
A one-table satellite tournament usually has
just one winner, although second place is
occasionally awarded a free entry to another
tournament or cash. In larger satellite
tournaments with multiple tables, the winner may
get not only an entry to a larger tournament,
but also such perks as round-trip airfare and
accommodations, especially if the tournament
takes place in a city other than that of the
larger satellite. The winner may also get a
percentage of the excess cash accumulated in
buy-ins and re-buys. Second, third, and even
additional places can also win a percentage of
this cash or buy-ins to this or to other
tournaments.
The larger the tournament, Martin, the more
places that are paid, from as few as one in a
one-table satellite, three in a small tourney,
eight to ten in a medium-sized contest, to as
many as 36 in a $10,000 buy-in televised World
Poker Tour tournament.
Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "The people who run
the casino are tough and smart in so many ways,
but they belong in the Dark Ages. They explain
the phenomena of their world the way the ancient
astrologers did. They really believe that dice
get hot." --Edward O. Thorp, quoted in The Green
Felt Jungle
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