Pai Gow Poker, not to be confused with just Pai Gow, is a table game found in
practically every casino. It has been on casino floors for almost 40 years, which is no easy feat for any game. Though slightly more difficult to learn than many other table games, it still maintains a strong following.
How to Play the Game. The game of Pai Gow Poker has nothing to do with the game of Pai Gow tiles, with the exception that the very worst hand is 9-high – a hand with no pairs, straights or flushes. In Pai Gow poker, players make their bet and the dealer deals cards to each player and themselves.
Pai Gow Poker is loosely based on the Chinese domino game Pai Gow, which is
well over 1,000 years old. Another game having an influence on the design of Pai Gow Poker is Pusoy, which is a Chinese poker game.
Find out why this game remains relevant in casinos and why so many people
choose to play it. We have compiled an in-depth guide to everything Pai Gow Poker. You will find out how to play, variations, tips, payouts, and the best places to play Pai Gow Poker online.
Pai Gow Poker is a variant of Poker based on Chinese Pai Gow domino game It’s one of the easiest Poker games to learn and play Learn how to play Pai Gow Poker online and play for free here Pai. Free Pai Gow Poker casino game by the Wizard of Odds and selection of real money options. The Wizard of Odds. The Wizard of Odds. The Wizard of Odds. Play Pai Gow Poker for Real Money or Free. Options: Bank whenever possible Warn if splitting different than the House Way. Loading, please wait. Play the game that boasts its origins from China. The game was played with Chinese dominoes. The Westernized version is the Pai Gow Poker. It is also called double-hand poker. The Westernized.
Below you will find out picks for the best online casino sites offering Pai
Gow Poker. Any casino we recommend will be a high-quality casino with player-friendly practices. If you’re looking for a place to try this game, start with one of our top casino picks. Best Pai Gow Poker Casino Sites
Benefits of Playing Pai Gow Poker
Pai Gow Poker isn’t lacking in its fan base. Many people love this game and
there are numerous reasons why they do. One of the biggest draws of the game of Pai Gow Poker is the slow rate of play. Each round takes longer to complete than most other table games. The amount of hands that push also decreases the rate in which you potentially lose your bankroll.
Many people say that they choose Pai Gow Poker because they have a limited
amount of money to gamble with. They want to be able to play for as long as possible on that amount, and Pai Gow Poker is the best option.
Anyone who has played poker and been dealt a really big hand knows how
exciting it is. Pai Gow Poker deals big hands often because of the additional two cards. Add in the wild joker card and the bonus hands start coming up frequently. Although the highest-ranking hands are incredibly rare, even some of the mid-ranking hands can be exciting to see. You will see straight flushes and 4-of-a-kinds fairly often.
Another reason people like this game is the high bonus payouts available.
Even though they are rare, just the fact that they are possible is exciting to many players. The majority of side bonus bets have a maximum payout around 50:1 or so. The maximum side bonus payout in Pai Gow Poker can be 8,000:1.
People tend to have a lot of fun at the Pai Gow Poker table. There is more of
a team mentality than with most games. Players tend to win together and lose together based on the strength of the dealer’s hand. This means you will often hear an entire table celebrating together. The envy bonuses at some tables create an even more team-oriented stance. It makes for a social and fun environment for the players. How to Play Pai Gow
Pai Gow Poker is dealt with one 53-card deck. This is a normal 52-card deck,
plus the addition of one joker card. In Pai Gow Poker, the joker can be used as a wild card for any straight or flush, or can play as an ace. It’s often called the “bug” and can be incredibly valuable in your hand.
This game utilizes an automatic shuffler. It shuffles the cards and separates
them into groups of seven cards. This is the number of cards each player is dealt in Pai Gow Poker. From those seven cards you will make two separate hands; a high hand and a low hand. We will cover these later in this section.
The point of the game is to have a higher ranked hand than the dealer for
both your high and your low hand. If only one hand wins, it is a push. If both hands lose, you will lose the round and your wager. In most Pai Gow Poker variations, a tie on either of your hands is considered a win for the dealer. This does not mean the dealer wins the round and your bet. They will only win the high or low hand (whichever one resulted in a tie).
This game is different from most other table games in that the first hand is
not automatically dealt to the player on the dealer’s left. In Pai Gow Poker, the player who will receive the first hand is determined by rolling dice, or by an electronic number generator on the table. The dice are not part of the hand, they are simply used to dictate the dealing position.
If an electronic number generator is being used, the seat position which will
receive the first hand automatically pops up at the beginning of the shuffler’s deal. If the game is utilizing dice, it is usually three dice held within a covered metal holder. The position is determined by adding the three dice values together.
Each seat at the table will have a corresponding seat number. Position number
1 is the dealer. The seat directly to the dealer’s right is position 2. The positions and corresponding number then circle around the table counterclockwise, with the dealer included. Sometimes the position counting can circle the table a couple times. You simply keep counting around the table positions until you reach the rolled dice value or the random number given.
That position will receive the first hand from the shuffler. The dealer will
then hand out the rest of the hands moving clockwise from the first cards dealt. Once again, this includes the dealer.
Each position on the table will be dealt a hand, regardless of whether or not
there is a player in that position. If the seat is empty, the cards will be added to the muck pile at the end of the deal. After all players and the dealer have received their hand, the shuffler will finish sending out the remaining cards from the deck. These extra cards are placed into a muck pile. After this, players are then able to pick up their cards and set up their hands.
Yes, I said hands. As in more than one. That’s because in Pai Gow Poker you
are actually playing two hands; a 2-card low hand and a 5-card high hand. Even though your 2-card hand is called a “low” hand, the objective is not to have low ranked cards like in hi/lo poker games. In fact, you want to make the highest hand possible here.
The reason this is called the low hand is that it must be valued lower than
your 5-card hand. For example, if you are dealt two pairs, 10-10 and 8-8, you are required to put the 8’s in your low hand. If done the opposite way, the low hand (10’s) would have a higher value than your high hand (8’s). This is not allowed in Pai Gow Poker. How to Set Your Hand
This is, by far, the most difficult aspect of Pai Gow Poker. Setting your
hand can be overwhelming for new players. Even Pai Gow Poker veterans will mess this one up from time to time. Don’t let this discourage you from playing. Once you get the hang of how it works, it really is not as complicated as it seems.
Always remember that you have to beat both of the dealer’s hands to win.
Heavily favoring only one of your hands will not help you achieve a win. Your high hand is going to be a 5-card poker hand. Rankings are the same as poker with a couple of exceptions: The joker card creates additional hand outcomes, and an A-2-3-4-5 is the second best straight.
High hand Pai Gow Poker hand rankings (from highest ranking hand down):
Low hand Pai Gow Poker hand rankings:
The House Way
The dealer has a very specific set of rules in which they are required to set
their cards. This is called the “house way”. If you ask the dealer for advice on how to play your hand, they will tell you how the house way would play.
If you want to use the house way rules, you can have the dealer set your hand
for you. This is useful (and required) if you play two separate hands at the table. Rules only allow you to set one hand. If you decide to play two, you will not be able to look at one of them ahead of time, and the dealer is required to set your hand for you by house way rules.
House rules can vary between casinos but do stay very close to this standard
set of house way rules:
Four-of-a-kind is played differently depending on the card rank.
Two pair is slightly more complex than the other rules. How the two pairs are
played according to house way rules depends on the rank of each pair.
Anytime you have two pairs with Aces and another pair, they will always be
split Playing as the Banker
One very interesting aspect of Pai Gow Poker is the ability of the player to
choose to act as the house. This is referred to as playing as the banker. Only some Pai Gow Poker tables allow this, and most variations eliminate the option. This is because it cuts the house advantage percentage by almost half for your hand.
There are some drawbacks to playing as the banker. The main one being that
you have a lot more money on the line with each hand. This is because you are essentially acting as the dealer. You will be playing against the other players’ hands. If they beat you, you pay them from your chip stack. If you win, they pay you.
The low house advantage comes from two differences when playing as the
banker. The first is winning ties. Just as the dealer wins a tie, you will win a push between yourself and the other players. Second, you are only required to pay a commission on your net win, not each individual win.
For example, if you won 3 hands worth $100 each, but lost 2 worth $80 each,
you would only pay a commission of $7. This is when acting as the banker for one round of play. Looking at it from the player’s perspective rather than the banker’s pays a much higher commission. If a player wins 3 hands worth $100 each and loses two hands worth $80 each, they would pay $10 in commission. What’s Important in a Pai Gow Poker Site
Finding an online casino can be a little intimidating. You want to make sure
you are getting a fair gaming experience. We have done extensive research to generate our top online casino Pai Gow Poker sites. I suggest you start with one of our picks if you don’t already have a favorite casino site. We have put in all the time and effort, so you might as well utilize it!
If you want to look into an online casino site for yourself, there are a
couple things you should look for. First, you should check the casino’s player reviews.
If they have a ton of negative reviews, we would highly doubt their
customer service department is effective.
Another important area to look into is the online casino’s banking options.
Make sure they have a deposit and withdrawal method that fits your needs. Things like processing time and fees can vary greatly between casinos.
Finally, you will want to make sure the casino is licensed and regulated by a
reputable gaming authority. This will mean the casino programs are regularly tested to ensure quality and fair practices.
Pai Gow Poker casino games can have big differences between different
casinos. Some will offer bigger payouts and incentives, and better player odds. Others strive to provide the best selection of Pai Gow Poker variations. If you already have a favorite variation, you will want to make sure that casino offers it. There are many Pai Gow Poker variations, so make sure you find the one you want. Pai Gow Poker VariationsFortune Pai Gow Poker Progressive
Fortune Pai Gow Poker is one of the most commonly found variations both
online and on a casino floor. This variation is popular for many reasons. For one, the commission has been eliminated in this game. That means no more quarters all over and weird payouts. Not to mention, you’re not automatically giving 5% of your winnings back to the casino.
The other exciting aspect of Fortune Pai Gow Poker is the bonuses. There are
two bonus games you can choose to play. You can play one or both of them. They are the Progressive Bonus and the Fortune Bonus.
The Progressive Bonus is a $1 side bet. You make this wager by placing your
bet on the red-lit circle spot in front of your seat position. The house advantage of this bet is dependent upon the size of the jackpot. Since the amount increases with every bet until it’s won, it’s not possible to calculate. The jackpot would have to be in the mid $200,000 range to be a break-even bet. They’re usually not even close to this amount. Typically, this bet is going to have a high house advantage. Progressive Bonus Payouts:
Pai Gow Poker Free Download
The Fortune side bonus bet has some large payouts. This makes it a tempting
wager for many players. Another exciting aspect of this bonus is the envy bonus. We all get a pang of jealousy when we see someone win a huge hand. The envy bonus helps with that. If you bet $5 or more on the Fortune Bonus, you are eligible to receive a payout whenever another player at the table gets a big hand. Fortune Bonus Payouts:
Fortune Bonus Envy Payouts:
Emperors Challenge Pai Gow Poker
Emperors Challenge Pai Gow Poker is another common variation of Pai Gow Poker
found in casinos. This variation also does not charge a commission. They added a third available side bonus bet in this game called the Pai Gow Insurance Bonus. As far as we are aware, there are no online versions of this game to play. It is only found inside land-based casinos.
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The Emperors Challenge Bonus payouts are very similar to the Fortune Bonus
payouts. In addition to the payouts for a straight or better, the bonus also pays for a pai gow hand with a jack high or lower. To compensate for this addition, the top bonus payout was lowered and the royal flush with royal match category was eliminated. Since a pai gow hand is much more common than either of those hands, it seems like a good trade-off. Emperors Challenge Bonus Payouts:
The last bonus available is the Pai Gow Insurance Bonus wager. This is,
essentially, betting that you will be dealt a pai gow. This is a hand with only a high card, no pairs or better. As these happen often and result in a loss more often than not, the insurance bet is a big draw to this particular variation of Pai Gow Poker. Pai Gow Insurance Payouts:
No Push Pai Gow Poker
Many people choose to play Pai Gow Poker for the slow pace of the game.
Statistically, you will push almost half of the time, which means you can play a lot of hands with your money. If you like the game but not the slow pace, No Push Pai Gow Poker might be the variation for you. This game plays just like regular Pai Gow Poker except for when the dealer and player hands result in a push. How To Play Pai Gow Poker Online Free Game
When the dealer deals a round of No Push Pai Gow Poker, they utilize the
extra playing cards left at the end of the deal. These cards are set to the side individually to use in the event of a tie. When a tie happens, this game takes a cue from the popular table game “Casino War”. Both the dealer and the players will have one of the extra cards face down, which will be flipped over in the event of a push. Whoever has the high card wins the hand. If it’s another tie, the win goes to the dealer.
Other aspects of this Pai Gow Poker variation include no commission, and the
banker position only being available to the dealer. It has almost double the house advantage percentage as regular Pai Gow Poker and no bonuses available to play. As far as variations go, this is not the best choice statistically. Pai Gow Mania
Pai Gow Mania Poker plays the exact same as regular Pai Gow Poker, other than
the addition of two side bonus bets. One side bonus is the typical 7-card best hand bonus that many other variations offer. The payouts are slightly different. It is based on any combination of cards in your hand. Seven Card Hand Side Bonus Payouts:
The other bonus is a fun mash-up of two casino table games: Pai Gow Poker and
Three Card Poker. When the dealer deals the Pai Gow Poker Mania cards, they are dealt in two separate batches. The first deal is 3 cards. If you are betting the optional Three Card Bonus bet, your payout is determined by the first set of cards dealt to you.
You will then receive your payout if qualified. After that, the other four
remaining cards are dealt to the players and the rest of the Pai Gow Poker game is played. This side bonus has a house advantage of just 3.86%. Not only is this a good percentage for an additional bonus game, but also adds a whole other game to your normally slow-moving Pai Gow Poker Game. This variation is very popular for this reason. Three Card Side Bonus Payouts:
EZ Pai Gow Poker
This Pai Gow Poker variation has no commission, which makes it yet another
popular choice for players. The casino compensates for this with one main rule change. Anytime the dealers’ hand is a queen high pai gow, all players will push. This increases the house advantage because a queen high pai gow hand is typically a losing hand for the dealer.
Another reason players seem to like EZ Pai Gow Poker is that this variation
has four bonus side bets. They are the Dynasty Bonus, Protection Bonus, Red or Black Bonus, and a Progressive Bonus. This game also designates the dealer as the only banker.
The Dynasty Bonus is similar to the 7-card side bonuses in most of the other
Pai Gow Poker variations. One interesting difference, though, is the addition of a category for an A-5 straight flush. This is seen in another bonus in this game as well. Dynasty Bonus Payouts:
The Dynasty Bonus also includes an envy aspect for players when another
player is dealt a high bonus hand. In this side bet, only a $1-dollar Dynasty Bonus wager is needed to qualify for the envy bonus payouts listed. Envy Bonus Payouts:
The Protection Bonus in EZ Pai Gow Poker is basically an insurance bet. This
is placing a wager that you will be dealt a pai gow hand. There is one difference in that they have included an A-5 straight flush into the paytable for this bonus also. Protection Bonus Payouts:
The Red or Black Bonus is a unique side bet. It adds a slight roulette aspect
to the game. For this bonus, the player will choose to place their wager on either red or black. If they are dealt a hand with 4 or more cards of that color, they will win. It also has an incredibly low house advantage of 2.68%, making it a great choice if you want to play a side bonus game. Red or Black Bonus Payouts:
The Queen’s Dragon Bonus is simple and straightforward. You win this bonus
whenever the dealer has a queen high pai gow hand. It pays at a rate of 50:1 or 45:1 depending on the casino you’re playing with.
The last bonus available in EZ Pai Gow Poker is the Progressive Bonus. The
payouts are based on a $1 bet. Jackpot hands will not be multiplied by denomination for bets higher than $1. All other payouts will be multiplied by denomination. Progressive Bonus Payouts:
Dragon Hand
This one is a little different. It is not a particular game that you can
find, but rather an option some casinos will offer, while others will not. It is only an option in a land-based casino. The dragon hand is an extra hand that is dealt to an empty seat at the card table. A player can choose to play this hand in addition to their own hand. How To Play Pai Gow Poker Online Free Games
The way this option is given varies between casinos. Some will let all
players at the table choose to bet on one dragon hand. Others will have a dragon hand button that is passed around the table. Only the player who currently holds the dragon hand button is allowed to bet on it.
If the bet is offered to all players at the table, the player will not set
the cards. They will be set by the dealer under the house way guidelines. If the dragon hand is only available to one player, they are typically allowed to look at it and set it themselves. The dragon hand is always played after you have set your regular hand.
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Tips for Beginners
Pai Gow Poker is a much more complex game than many others. This is
especially true when adding in multiple side bets, and with the addition of the joker card. The most important tips for any beginning Pai Gow Poker player revolve around taking the time to thoroughly examine your hand, especially when holding the joker card.
Conclusion
That should cover absolutely everything you need to know about the game of
Pai Gow Poker. The game might feel like it takes a lot of effort to learn, but it doesn’t. The rules sound much more complex than they actually are. After a short learning period, not much thought has to be given to play the game.
If you haven’t tried Pai Gow Poker and are looking for a new game to try, it
should definitely be toward the top of your list. It’s an original and fun game, offering the chance for a big jackpot payout. If you don’t already have a favorite site in mind, start with one of our picks for the top online casinos offering Pai Gow Poker. Wizard Recommends
On This PageIntroduction
Pai Gow Poker is a variation of the Chinese domino game pai gow. The game is known for a slow rate of play and lots of pushes, resulting in low risk game. While a game of skill, most hands are obvious how to play, and it is not difficult to learn proper strategy for the rest of them. Every player plays against the same dealer hand, which causes the table to often win and lose together, resulting in a fun and social game.
History
Pai Gow Poker was invented in 1985 by Sam Torosian, owner of the Bell card club in southern California. However, his is a name few people recognize. While other have made millions inventing casino games, Sam received some bad legal advice that card games were not patentable, and never filed one for his game. When his game was a success at his own casino there was nothing to prevent competing casinos from offering the game as well, and they didn't have to pay Sam a dime.
Source: Casino Boss Can't Cash In on Game He Developed — Los Angeles Times, Nov. 3, 2002.
The Rules
Strategy
I'm very proud to present my pai gow strategy page. It contains simple, intermediate, and advanced strategies for both playing as the banker, against the banker, and combined. This page took months for my assistant JB to create so I hope you'll have a look.
For your convenience, I also have my one-page simple pai gow poker strategy (PDF).
House Edge
The house advantage in Pai Gow Poker depends on partially on your skill setting hands but more on how much of the action you bank. I plan to publish some pai gow poker strategy in January, 2014. Until then, the following tables show the probability of each possible outcome and the expected value four ways — whether using the house way or optimal strategy and whether banking or the dealer is banking.
House way Strategy — Dealer Banker
House Way Strategy — Player Banker
Optimal Strategy — Dealer Banker
Optimal Strategy — Player Banker![]()
The following table summarizes the expected value under all four scenarios. The 'difference' row and column show that banking, compare to not banking, increases expected value by 2.47%. The difference between following the house way and the theoretical optimal strategy, which I'm quite sure nobody knows, is 0.21%.
Summary
Commission Free Pai Gow Poker
Often in Washington State the casino will not charge the 5% commission on banker wins. They make a profit on the banker's advantage and side bets only. With no commission, the banker has a 1.30% advantage, and all others playing against the banker a 1.30% disadvantage.
Banking Against Yourself
Sometimes, when a player invokes his right to bank, the other players will want a shot at whatever the side bet is, but dislike betting against another player on the primary wager. Another reason this might be done is to 'change the luck' at the table. In this case, non-banking players may make a deal with the banking player that if one beats the other, the winner will refund the loser, less the 5% commission. It is essentially banking against yourself through a gentleman's agreement with the banker. The dealer will have nothing to do with it. In some casinos, they will overtly not allow it, although it may be hard to prevent, especially if the deal is made in a foreign language the dealer doesn't know. I mention this as a warning that you may be asked to do this, if you choose to bank. How you respond is up to you, but I will say it may cause some ill-will at the table if you say 'no.'
There is a discussion of this in my forum at Wizard of Vegas.
The House Way
The house way is how the dealer arranges their own hand. It can vary from place to place the differences are marginal and happen infrequently. The house way is available for the following casinos:
Pai Gow Poker Probabilities
The following table shows the probability of forming any specified poker hand. These probabilities consider all seven cards and without regard to how the player may play the hand. Casino close to boca raton fl.
Probabilities in Pai Gow Poker
Note: The number of combinations for a Royal Flush is 26,132; 21,620 wild and 4,512 natural.
Internal Links
How To Play Pai Gow Poker Online Free OnlineExternal LinksHow To Play Pai Gow Poker Online Free
German translation of this page.
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