Asian Stud uses one standard pack of 52 cards with one joker. Each card is given a value. Aces to tens have the value of their denominations; jacks, queens and kings are valued at ten points and the joker at one point. The objective of the game is to split a five-card hand into two sets.

The qualifying set is to be made of three cards such that the total value of the cards is 10, 20 or 30. The value of the remaining set of two cards is used to decide who wins. The value of this two-card set is determined in the following manner. If the total value of the two cards is 10 or 20, the hand value is 10. Otherwise the hand value is the unit’s digit of the total value of the two cards. For example if the two cards are ten and king, the hand value is 10. If the two cards are seven and four the hand value is 1.

At the start of the game the players place their bets. This is known as the ante. The dealer then deals five cards face down to all players including himself. The players see their own cards and decide whether to fold or to raise. If they decide to fold they lose their ante. If they decide to raise then they must place a bet of an amount equal to the ante. Even if a player cannot form a qualifying set he can raise and remain in the game, because he stands to win if the dealer cannot form a qualifying set.
The players still in the game arrange their hands into the two sets as described earlier. The dealer does the same. If the dealer cannot form a qualifying set, then the players who have not folded are paid 1:1 on their ante and the raise is returned to them. If the dealer’s two-card set is of a higher value than the player’s two-card set, the player loses both his ante and his raise. If the dealer’s two-card set is of the same value as the player’s two-card set, both his ante and his raise are returned to him. If the dealer’s two-card set is of a lower value than the player’s two-card set, the player wins and is paid out as follows. If the difference between the player’s two-card hand and the dealer’s two-card hand is 1, 2 or 3 points the player is paid out 1:1. If the difference between the player’s two-card hand and the dealer’s two-card hand is 4, 5 or 6 points the player is paid out 2:1. If the difference between the player’s two-card hand and the dealer’s two-card hand is 7, 8 or 9 points the player is paid out 3:1.

Many casinos allow a side wager in which all five cards as a normal poker hand. The joker can either be used as a wild card to make a straight, a flush or a straight flush, or as an ace. The payouts for this side wager vary from casino to casino.