So, you’ve seen Pai Gow Poker at the casino and thought it looked neat. You’re not alone! Since the late 1980s, Pai Gow has been featured in a number of American casinos and gambling establishments abroad.
Pai Gow Poker is based on an older Asian game called Pai Gow. The original game was invented centuries ago and used tiles (they looked like dominos). In order to make the rules easier to understand for a Western audience, the tiles were abandoned for playing cards. Poker is any of a number of card games in which players wager over which hand is best according to that specific game's rules in ways similar to these rankings.Often using a standard deck, poker games vary in deck configuration, the number of cards in play, the number dealt face up or face down, and the number shared by all players, but all have rules which involve one or more rounds of betting.
It’s a fairly simple game derived from a dominos game (also called Pai Gow) that involves forming two of the best hands possible from a pool of seven cards. There are no additional draws and no ways to improve your hand. It’s just you versus the dealer in a showdown of hands where anything is possible.
Some might think that the fact there is no ability to draw and no community pool would mean there is little skill in Pai Gow Poker. Actually, the opposite is true, as you have to form two hands that can beat the dealer or come away with nothing.
Sound fun? It is. Let’s look at the game itself and how to make money off of it.
What Is Pai Gow?
A lot casino-goers and gamblers have heard of this poker variant, but probably have never played it and may not know the rules. If so, that’s fine. It’s an easy game to learn, though it can be difficult to master.
Also, it should be noted that “Pai Gow” is really shorthand for “Pai Gow Poker” in this article, because Pai Gow is a dominoes game played in China while Pai Gow Poker is the card equivalent of that game.
Confused so far? Good! This game is played with a standard 52-card deck with an additional joker. The joker is wild and can complete a straight or a flush, or it counts as an ace. It’s not completely wild like in some games.
In a hand, each player and the dealer are dealt seven cards.
The objective is to make the best hand of five and the best hand of two (note that the hand of five is called the “high hand” as we discuss the game).
“Best” in this case is defined by the typical poker hand ratings. Also, the high hand has to be of a higher rank than the low hand.
Once the players make their high hand and their two-card hand, the dealer assembles her hands and the hands are compared. If the player has a better high hand and two-card hand, they win their bet.
If the dealer has one better hand and one worse hand, the game is a push. Any other result, including ties, go to the dealer. At the end of the day, the casino may ask for a commission from your winnings. The standard commission is 5%.
Other Bets in Pai Gow Poker
There are also some other factors that go into Pai Gow Poker. First, there are a lot of other bets that can be placed to make the game more interesting.
For example, you can make a side bet that you will make a certain type of hand (for instance, a three of a kind or better). You can also make envy bets in which the house pays out based on the seven cards and doesn’t matter if the player wins or loses.
Pai Poker Game Crossword Clue
Finally, Pai Gow offers an almost unique betting experience. You can bank in Pai Gow Poker, which means you make a bet that you will beat another player’s hand, not just the dealer’s hand.
Now that you have at least a taste of the game of Pai Gow, let’s talk about how you can win at it. Like games such as online baccarat, it can be somewhat difficult to really win at Pai Gow because it lacks hand improvement via drawing and more skill-based actions like waiting for position, bluffing, or even doubling down.
Still, there are ways you can come out on top in the game. Just follow these tips.
1 – Make a Side Bet
Depending on the game, there are different types and amounts of side bets you can make. Sometimes, you’re betting on a certain hand strength. Other times, you’ll be entering into a progressive jackpot.
You may be able to make a single side bet, other times, you can make two. Check with the rules or your dealer to find your options.
No matter how you make the side bet, it will be paid out in multiples based on the strength of the hand. For instance, a straight pays out 3 to 1, while five aces pays out 250 to 1.
With that said, making side bets in any game is usually fairly risky. The odds always favor the house a lot more than the game you’re playing.
Casino Poker Game Pai
In this case, though, Pai Gow offers you very little else that you can do that will allow you to flex your skills. Therefore, if you’re feeling it, place a side bet.
But don’t go too crazy with your side betting because you will be asked to bet on things that are improbable. The house doesn’t want to pay out a lot of the hard-earned money it has collected, so please remember this tip.
In this case, “not going crazy” means don’t bet too much above the minimum side bet. Also, bet on hands you’re more likely to achieve. You can track if you win or lose your side bets. If you lose more than you win, find another bet to make.
2 – Make an Envy Bet
Envy bets work a lot like side bets except you’re betting that another player at the table will hit a hand of a certain strength. For instance, you might bet that a player will make a straight or a flush. If any other player at the table has a hand of that score, you get an envy bonus, which is a set dollar amount.
Unsurprisingly, the envy payouts are smaller than the side bet payouts. For instance, a four of a kind might pay $5, while five aces might only pay $50 for the first hand.
There are a number of reasons for this, the most obvious being that with more players at the table, there’s a greater chance you will hit the envy bonus. This brings us to the topic of winning with envy bonuses.
First, when you sit to play Pai Gow, you’ll want to find a crowded table. This is an important Pai Fow tip because it increases the odds you’ll hit an envy bonus. Second, the payouts for them aren’t huge, so don’t bet more than the minimum.
Finally, when you’re betting an envy bonus, try to bet hands that someone is more likely to get (a four of a kind or a straight flush). They will pay more than the minimum bet and someone is at least a little likely to get one of those hands.
3 – Deploy Your Joker Wisely
The strange thing about Pai Gow Poker is that you’re making two hands. Therefore, you have two potential places to use your joker. The natural tendency will always be to complete a straight or a flush with your joker, but don’t neglect your two-card hand.
Sometimes, it might be worth having a pair of aces or an ace high just so your small hand isn’t terrible.
A lot of that depends on what else you can put into your high hand. Just don’t make a high hand without thinking about the low.
4 – Be Aggressive
Aggressive is the name of the game in Pai Gow and, in this case, aggressive means presenting the highest value in both your high and your two-card hand.
The house makes money in Pai Gow Poker because you only get paid if you win both the high and the two-card hand outright.
Therefore, you need to win outright. How you do that will vary from hand to hand.
However, don’t get carried away with this tip… meaning don’t fall into the trap when you make a great high hand and a bad two-card hand. Try to find a way to maximize your strength so you can win the game.
5 – Bank Like Crazy
Banking is the part of Pai Gow when you play against other players. Do it. Especially if you’re playing on real money online casinos.
Unless you’re at a table in which banking makes you out to be the villain (in which case, find a new table), bet against other players as much as you can.
This way, you can earn money from them on top of money from the house.
Conclusion
Pai Gow is a fun casino game with just enough skill to make it exciting, but not so much that beginners feel totally lost.
As long as you can play aggressively and make enough side bets to keep some extra money rolling in, it can be a lucrative game as well. Sadly, not every casino offers it, but when you find one that does, play it. You will not regret the experience.
Pai Gow Poker is one of the most fun casino games but it can be tricky to learn when first starting out.
If you want to enjoy playing Pai Gow Poker online or live at a casino, then it is important to learn the basic rules and hands.
You are already ahead of the curve if you know the rules of Texas Hold’em, especially the hand rankings.
But don’t let the amount of previous poker knowledge stress you out. By the time you have completed this beginner’s guide to Pai Gow Poker, you will know:
- What is Pai Gow Poker
- Pai Gow Poker rules
- Pai Gow Poker hands
- Pai Gow Poker strategy
- How to Play Pai Gow Poker for Free
1. What is Pai Gow Poker?
Pai Gow Poker may not have the long and storied tradition of popular casino table games blackjack or roulette or of the most popular poker variant in Texas hold’em as it was invented by casino owner Sam Torosian in 1985.
'Pai Gow roughly translates to 'Make Nine' in Chinese'
But, the game does have deep historical roots as it was taken from the domino-based Pai Gow Tiles (also known as simply Pai Gow) that has been played in China for more than a millennium.
Pai Gow roughly translates to “Make Nine” in Chinese as this represented the maximum score in the game outside some special circumstances.
Most poker games pit player against player with the dealer not involved with the hand other than dealing cards and enforcing the rules.
Pai Gow Poker is a bit different in that it is a casino game that you are playing against the dealer or on occasion, can even choose to be the dealer yourself.
Despite being a casino game, it can be every bit as much as social as other forms of poker and is considered to be one of the lowest risk casino games thanks to the slow pace of play and many hands ending in a tie or push.
In addition, the Pai Gow Odds vary by venue but are typically among the lowest among casino table games.
If you are planning to play Pai Gow for the first time, starting from the basic rules of the game is key.
The good news is that the rules of Pai Gow Poker are easy to learn with a little practice and anyone – including you – can learn the optimal Pai Gow Poker strategy in no time flat.
2. Pai Gow Poker Rules
So how do you play Pai Gow Poker?
Pai Gow Poker utilizes a 53-card deck which features the standard 52 cards used in most poker games along with one joker.
The game is easier to master than most forms of poker as there is no bluffing involved as betting only takes place before any cards are dealt. In other words, you can master the best approach to the game simply by learning the rules.
So, let’s dive straight in…
A Pai Gow Poker hand begins after bets are placed when the dealer deals all of the players in a hand and the banker seven cards face down. The banker is often the dealer but it can also be a player or at some venues a player/dealer team.
Each player will then separate their hole cards into a five-card high hand and a two-card low hand. The high hand must always be better than the low hand.
The banker places their hand into a high and low hand as well via house rules which can differ between venue and online. Players can also ask the house for advice on how to set their hand the house way if they so choose at most if not all casinos.
A player can then win, lose, or push (tie) a hand based on the following scenarios:
- The player wins their bet when both of the player’s hands are better than both of the banker’s hands. The amount won is the amount of a bet less a commission (usually 5%).
- The player pushes (ties) and has their bet refunded when only one of the player’s hands beats one of the banker’s hand. This applies whether the banker has won or tied a hand while losing the other hand.
- The player loses their bet when the player loses or ties both hands against the banker.
Pai Gow Poker Hand Rankings
Pai Gow Poker utilizes the same hand rankings as most poker games including Texas hold’em. One big difference between Pai Gow and other forms of poker is the joker in the deck.
In Pai Gow Poker, the joker is treated as an ace unless it can be used to complete a flush or straight.
The hand rankings are identical to that of Texas hold’em except for the two following rules.
- Five aces, which can be achieved with the joker, beats a royal flush and is the best hand in Pai Gow Poker.
- A wheel straight, e.g. , is the second best straight at most casinos, only behind a broadway straight, e.g. .
Here is a look at all of the Pai Gow Poker hand rankings. Please take note that in the two-card low hand the best hand that can be achieved is one pair.
Also in the case both the player and the banker have the same hand, the rank of that hand would be used to potentially break a tie. For example, if a player’s straight would be stronger than the dealer’s and a player’s one pair would be better than a dealer’s one pair.
- Five Aces – five aces including the joker
- Royal Flush — five cards of the same suit, ranked ace through ten; e.g.,
- Straight Flush — five cards of the same suit and consecutively ranked; e.g.,
- Four of a Kind — four cards of the same rank; e.g.,
- Full House — three cards of the same rank and two more cards of the same rank; e.g.,
- Flush — any five cards of the same suit; e.g.,
- Straight — any five cards consecutively ranked; e.g.,
- Three of a Kind — three cards of the same rank; e.g.,
- Two Pair — two cards of the same rank and two more cards of the same rank; e.g.,
- One Pair — two cards of the same rank; e.g.,
- High Card — five unmatched cards; e.g., would be called 'ace-high'
Pai Gow Poker Side Bets
Both online and live casinos often offer special Pai Gow Poker side bets.
These bets can often be lucrative in the short run, especially those with progressive jackpots, but in general should be avoided as they boast a higher house edge than the base game.
The Fortune Pai Gow Poker side bet is one of the most popular you will see. This side bet looks at all seven of the player’s cards regardless of how it was eventually set.
A natural seven-card straight flush without a wildcard can pay big with this side bet, especially if a progressive jackpot is involved instead of fixed odds. The pay tables can vary but very often players can win with trips or better while other payout structures begin with a full house.
Other side bets include Dealer Bonus, Jackpot, Emperor’s Challenge, Progressive, Insurance, Lucky 8’s, and many more.
As these side bets vary from casino to casino, it is best to ask the dealer, who is usually more than happy to explain, how all the side bets work if interesting in an extra gamble before sitting down to play in a live casino. Likewise, you can read up about all the rules of any side bets your favorite online casino might feature in its Pai Gow offering.
Pai Gow Strategy
Setting a Pai Gow Poker hand can be tricky, although most of the time it is straight forward.
For example, being dealt a hand plays itself out with a straight going on the bottom high hand and the pair of deuces going on top for the low hand.
But what if you are dealt a hand like . Your best two options to choose from are as follows:
- Strongest possible hand up top - = high hand for a straight; for low hand.
- Very strong low hand – = high hand for a pair of nines; for low hand.
The first hand would almost guarantee a push but it might not be the best option even if it is at first the most intuitive.
The second hand presents better options as the pair of eights for the low hand is almost very strong while giving the player a chance for a win with the pair of nine for the high hand often being a winning hand.