GAME PLAYING Tip of the month

Perhaps the most complicated of all casino games is Pai Gow tiles, an Asian game played with 32 domino tiles. Each player and the dealer are dealt four tiles, which are arranged in two pairs. Players compete against the bank, which can be either the dealer or another player (players are offered the opportunity to be the game's banker in rotating order).
The rank of the tile combinations has no seeming numeric order and must be memorized. Both of the player's pairs must beat those of the bank for the player to win the wager. Players pay a commission on winning bets. Conversely, both of the bank's pairs must beat those of the player for the bank to win. A split results in a tie.
The highest-ranking pair is a tile combination of a three (2-1) and a six (4-2), also known as a Supreme Pair, or Gee Joon. The game is laced with colorful terminology, with certain pairs known as flower, goose or hatchet.