Pennsylvania Code & Bulletin
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA

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The Pennsylvania Code website reflects the Pennsylvania Code changes effective through 54 Pa.B. 488 (January 27, 2024).

58 Pa. Code § 688a.11. Procedures for completion of each round of play.

§ 688a.11. Procedures for completion of each round of play.

 (a)  After the dealing procedures required under § §  688a.8, 688a.9 or 688a.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, the dealer shall set his seven cards into two hands by arranging the cards into a high hand and low hand. The certificate holder shall specify in its Rules Submission under §  601a.2 (relating to table games Rules Submissions) the manner in which the hands of the dealer shall be set. The dealer shall then place the high hand and low hand face up on the appropriate area of the layout.

 (b)  After the high hand and low hand of the dealer have been set, each player shall examine his cards subject to the following limitations:

   (1)  Each player who wagers at a Face Up 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 of the dealer to be set in accordance with the certificate holder’s Rules Submission under §  601a.2.

   (2)  Each player shall keep his seven 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.

 (c)  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 two-card low hand. For example, if the two-card hand contains a pair of sevens, the five-card hand must contain at least a pair of sevens and the three remaining cards.

 (d)  Unless a player has placed an optional wager authorized under §  688a.7(e)(1)—(3) (relating to wagers), a player may surrender his wager after the hands of the dealer have been set. The player shall announce his intention to surrender prior to the dealer exposing either of the two hands of that player as provided in subsection (e). Once the player has announced his intention to surrender, the dealer shall immediately collect the Face Up Pai Gow Poker Wager from that player and collect the seven cards dealt to that player without exposing the cards to anyone at the table. If any Qualifying Wagers have been placed, the cards of the player shall remain on the table until collected in accordance with subsection (h). The dealer shall verify that seven cards were collected by counting them face down on the layout prior to placing them in the discard rack.

 (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 Face Up Pai Gow Poker Wager of that player wins, loses or is a tie.

 (f)  A Face Up 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 identical in rank to the high hand of the dealer or the low hand of the player is identical in rank to the low hand of the dealer and the other hand of the player is identical in rank or lower in rank than the other hand of the dealer.

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

     (iv)   The two hands of the player were not otherwise set correctly in accordance with this chapter.

   (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 identical in rank to the low hand of the dealer or lower in rank than the low hand of the dealer.

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

     (iii)   The dealer has an Ace High Pai Gow.

   (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 higher in rank than the low hand of the dealer. The dealer shall pay the winning Face Up Pai Gow Poker Wager in accordance with the payout odds in §  688a.12(a) (relating to payout odds; Envy Bonus; rate of progression).

 (g)  Except as provided in subsection (h), after settling the player’s Face Up Pai Gow Poker Wager, the dealer shall place the cards of the player in the discard rack.

 (h)  After settling the player’s Face Up Pai Gow Poker Wager, the dealer shall rearrange the seven cards of any player who placed an optional wager, in accordance with §  688a.7(e)(1)—(3), to form the highest ranking hand and be responsible for creating the hand for purposes of all optional wagers offered by the certificate holder. 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 seven cards, the dealer shall:

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

     (i)   If the dealer:

       (A)   Does not have an Ace High Pai Gow, as described in §  688a.6(d) (relating to Face Up Pai Gow Poker rankings), the dealer shall collect the Ace High Bonus Wager.

       (B)   Has an Ace High Pai Gow, the dealer shall pay the winning Ace High Bonus Wager in accordance with §  688a.12(b).

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

     (i)   If a player:

       (A)   Does not have a straight or higher, as described in §  688a.6(e), the dealer shall collect the Fortune Bonus Wager.

       (B)   Has a straight or higher, the dealer shall pay the winning Fortune Bonus Wager in accordance with §  688a.12(c). 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 §  688a.12(c) 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 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.

     (iii)   After all Envy Bonuses have been paid, the dealer shall collect all remaining cards and place them in the discard rack.

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

     (i)   If a player:

       (A)   Does not have a full house or better, as described in §  688a.6(f), the dealer shall collect the Progressive Payout Wager.

       (B)   Has a full house or better, the dealer shall:

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

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

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

   (4)  Pay the winning Progressive Payout Wager in accordance with the payout odds in §  688a.12(d). 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)   Did not place a Progressive Payout 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.

 (i)  Notwithstanding the requirements in subsection (h), if the certificate holder offers more than one optional wager, 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.



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