Poker has surged in popularity in recent years. Poker has become the "it" game all over the United States, in casinos, on the Internet, and in private home games. With so many people devoting so much time and energy to playing poker, more and more people are learning intricate variations of classic poker. Pai gow poker is one such variation.

Pai gow poker is a hybrid of traditional American poker and Chinese pai gow, a game played with Chinese dominoes. Pai gow poker is sometimes called "double hand poker," because it's played with two distinct hands. One hand is made up of five cards; the other is made up of just two cards. In order to win, a player must hold both winning hands.

In other words, both his five-card and his two-card hand must beat the dealer's. If only one of his hands beats the dealers, the game is a "push." On the other hand, if the dealer holds both winning hands, he wins. Players unsure of the ranking of hands should visit www.VIPcasinos.com to see them listed.

A full list of rankings is available in the pai gow poker section of the Tutorials page, available under Getting Started on the home page. www.VIPcasinos.com is also the ultimate online casino, where bettors can play for real money. If playing pai gow poker for real money in the comfort of your own home sounds like your idea of a great time, visit www.VIPcasinos.com.