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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,“ 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.