Pai Gow Poker is an exciting casino game that is played in casinos across the world. The game has roots in both poker and the Chinese dominoes game called “Pai Gow.” In this variation, a standard deck of 52 playing cards plus one joker is used. Each player is dealt seven cards, from which two different poker hands will be formed.

Unlike traditional poker games, Pai Gow Poker is played against the dealer and not against other players. Multiple players can sit at a Pai Gow Poker table, but each player competes individually against the dealer. The goal of each player is to end up with two poker hands that each beat the dealer’s poker hands. Try our free online versions of Pai Gow Poker below, or if you need to learn more about the game – scroll down for rules and tips.

Pai Gow Poker Rules

Each round of Pai Gow Poker begins with each player placing a wager. Each player is then dealt seven cards. Many casinos follow a tradition in which the dealer deals seven hands regardless of how many players are seated at the table. Each player is then randomly given one of those seven-card hands.

After the players have their hands, each player arranges his cards into two different hands. One hand should contain five cards and the other hand should contain two cards. It is important to note that the five card hand should always have a higher value than the two card hand.

Pai Gow Poker Hand Values

The five card hand in Pai Gow Poker is ranked according to traditional poker rules with a couple of exceptions. For one, most casinos treat the hand A-2-3-4-5 as the second highest straight behind T-J-Q-K-A.

Secondly, the joker card is used as a “bug.” That means it can be used to complete straights and flushes only. Otherwise, it is considered an Ace. As a result, the highest possible five card hand in Pai Gow Poker is five Aces.

The two card hand in Pai Gow Poker is also ranked according to traditional poker rules. Because there are only two cards in this hand, the highest possible two card hand is a pair of Aces. If there is no pair, the two card hand is ranked by the strength of each card. The lowest possible two card hand in Pai Gow Poker is 2-3.

Remember that when setting your hand, the five card hand must be stronger than the two card hand. This means that you would not be able to put a couple of Aces in your two card hand and then leave your five card hand with nothing but a couple of high cards. If you set your hand incorrectly, it is considered “fouled” and treated as a loss.

If you need help setting your Pai Gow Poker hand, you can always ask the dealer to set it for you in the “house way.” The house way is a set of rules the dealer uses to set his own hand. It’s actually not a bad strategy to have your hands set in the house way.

Winning and Losing in Pai Gow Poker

After all the players at the table have set their hands, each player compares his hands to the hands of the dealer. The following list details all possible outcomes in Pai Gow Poker:

• Both of the player’s hands beat both of the dealer’s hands: the player wins
• One of the player’s hands wins and one loses: the bet is a push (nobody wins or loses)
• Both of the player’s hands lose: the dealer wins
• One of the hands ties and the player wins the other hand: the bet is a push
• One of the hands ties and the dealer wins the other hand: the dealer wins

All winning bets are paid at even money odds.

Pai Gow Poker Strategy

If playing at a live casino, one simple Pai Gow Poker strategy is to be the banker as often as possible. Some live casinos allow players to be the banker. In this case, the player who is acting as the banker gains the advantage of winning on ties. The house takes a commission from the banker, but the banker’s position is still the best. However, you have to be willing to accept the risk of paying out all the other players at the table.

Apart from that, perfect Pai Gow Poker strategy is almost impossible to memorize. Instead, a couple of simple rules will serve you best. First of all, the main rule to remember is the following:

• Set your two card hand so that it is as strong as the rules allow

Remember – you cannot make your two card hand stronger than your five card hand. But as a general rule of thumb, you will be best served by arranging your cards so that your two card hand is as strong as it can legally be.

If ever in doubt, ask the dealer to set your hand the house way. The house rules for setting Pai Gow Poker hands are close to optimal strategy. If you’re not sure of how to set your hand, the house way won’t lead you far astray.

Where to Play Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow poker can be played at both real casinos and on the internet. In this section, we will explain what to look for when looking for a place to play Pai Gow Poker for real money.

Whether you play Pai Gow Poker live or online, the basics are the same. The rules of Pai Gow Poker are the same at both venues. The differences are apparent in the type of experience you have while playing. Check out the next few paragraphs for a more detailed explanation about playing Pai Gow Poker.

Play Pai Gow Poker Live

When it comes to live casinos, Pai Gow Poker fans are at the mercy of geography. The best place to play Pai Gow Poker in person depends primarily on where you live and where you are willing to travel. The good news is that Pai Gow Poker is offered at casinos around the world.

In Las Vegas, nearly every casino offers Pai Gow Poker. In that area, you can choose your location based on your own casino preferences and the betting limits. Strip casinos tend to have high minimum bets while downtown casinos will let you play for as little as $5.00 a hand.

The advantage to playing live Pai Gow Poker is that you get to play with other players at the table. The social aspect of Pai Gow Poker provides most of the fun that is associated with live casino games. Being able to talk and joke around with the other players at the table makes it an entertaining game.

Another advantage of live Pai Gow Poker is that live casinos like to give away perks to their players. If you play enough Pai Gow Poker, you will earn freebies such as drinks, meals and rooms. The exact perks differ from one casino to the next, but the general idea is that the more you play, the more you earn at that casino.

Play Pai Gow Poker Online

Online casinos also offer Pai Gow poker for real money. Every online casinos offers Pai Gow Poker, so your choice should be based on factors such as the reputation of any potential casinos and the betting limits allowed. You will find the best experience by sticking with big name internet casinos.

One nice thing about internet Pai Gow Poker is that the minimum bets are much smaller than at live casinos. Most internet casinos will let you start playing for as little as $1.00 per hand. The slow nature of Pai Gow Poker and low house advantage make it possible to play online for a long time without spending a lot of money.

Another nice thing about online Pai Gow Poker is that all internet casinos offer some sort of signup bonus to new players. If you sign up at an online casino and make a deposit, you will probably get a large deposit bonus. This extra money gives you more time at the tables and more chances to win.

The one disadvantage to playing Pai Gow Poker online is that it’s done from home without other people around. On one hand, this can be a blessing, but it does feel like a more lonely endeavor than live Pai Gow Poker. On the other hand, being able to play Pai Gow Poker from home is extremely convenient.

If you decide to play Pai Gow Poker online, it is important that you do a little research before you join just any old casino. Look up a few online casino reviews before you play so that you stick with reputable casinos only. Most casinos are completely safe, but it doesn’t hurt to do a couple minutes of research before you sign up and play for real money.

Pai Gow Poker House Advantage

The house advantage of Pai Gow Poker depends primarily upon how its played. With basic strategy, Pai Gow Poker has a low house advantage. That low house advantage plus the slow pace of the game make it a popular one for money-conscious gamblers.

Generally, the house advantage of Pai Gow Poker is less than 3%. The advantage can fluctuate based on how you play, but most players get the hang of basic strategy fairly quickly. House rules can also affect the advantage, but at most casinos that advantage is less than 3%.

Anything can happen over the short term with a low house advantage like that found in Pai Gow Poker. This game is attractive to the player because most rounds end up in a tie or win for the player. The casino does have an advantage over the long run, but it’s lower in Pai Gow Poker than it is in most casino games.

Pai Gow Poker History

Pai Gow Poker was invented in the 1980s by casino game inventor and Commerce Casino manager Fred Wolf. He invented an early version of the game called Super Pan-9 and introduced it to the Bell Club in California. The game quickly become a customer favorite and it spread throughout the rest of California and into major Las Vegas casinos.

The original game of “Pai Gow” is an ancient Chinese dominoes game. The history of that game is difficult to track, but we know that the Chinese invented it and brought it with them to the United States in the 1800s. The original game is complicated and very difficult to master.

Pai Gow Poker was invented as a sort of combination between that original Pai Gow game and the American game of poker. The combination resulted in a simplified format of both games that can be played in casinos against a single dealer. Since those early days, Pai Gow Poker has spread to casinos around the word.

Pai Gow Poker in a Nutshell

Pai Gow Poker is a fun but slow-paced game. Ties are common in this game so money changes hands more slowly in this game than in most. Some players view that as an advantage wile others consider it a disadvantage. In our opinion, the entire point of gambling is to have fun, and Pai Gow Poker does exactly that without burning through your bankroll quickly.

Pai Gow Poker is loosely based on the ancient Chinese game “Pai Gow” but with much simpler rules. It can be played both live and on the internet, so a game is always available no matter where you live. We believe it is best to get started on the internet to get the game down pat and then make the switch to live casinos.

Basic strategy for Pai Gow Poker is simple to learn and it keeps the house advantage below 3%. Setting your hands is fun and the game has a generally positive and friendly feel to it. If you play for real money, you are bound to have a good outcome no matter what the outcome.

Enjoy!

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Come back soon to learn how to play pai gow poker, what countries pai gow poker is popular in, pai gow poker betting strategies to give you the best chance of winning, and other topics such as history of the game and popular culture associated with Pai Gow Poker games.

If you stumbled upon our Pai Gow Poker website looking to find facts about the game, best to visit Pai Gow Poker on Wikipedia for more information.  If you want to learn about the rules of Pai Gow Poker games check out the Pai Gow Poker page on WizardOfOdds.com page.  We’ll be back to update this website about Pai Gow Poker in early 2012.