Mar 17, 2018 In this part 1 of 3 on the game of pai gow (tiles), Mike attempts to explain the rather complicated rules of the game. Sorry the tiles are hard to see; we are working on a new version with visual.
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.
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.
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.
21 black jack pelicula latino. 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:
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.
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.
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.
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. 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.
(Redirected from Paigow)
A set of Chinese dominoes. The top double-row of tiles lists the eleven matching pairs, in descending value from left to right. Below them are five non-matching pairs, worth less than the matching pairs, and also in descending value from left to right. The Gee Joon tiles, lower right, are the highest pair of all.
Pai gow (Chinese: 牌九; pinyin: pái jiǔ; Jyutping: paai4 gau2) is a Chinesegamblinggame, played with a set of 32 Chinese dominoes. It is played in major casinos in China (including Macau); the United States (including Boston, Massachusetts; Las Vegas, Nevada; Reno, Nevada; Connecticut; Atlantic City, New Jersey; Pennsylvania; Mississippi; and cardrooms in California); Canada (including Edmonton, Alberta and Calgary, Alberta); Australia; and, New Zealand.
The name 'pai gow' is sometimes used to refer to a card game called pai gow poker (or “double-hand poker”), which is loosely based on pai gow.
Pai Gow Poker Rules Strategy
Rules[edit]Starting[edit]
Tiles are shuffled on the table and are arranged into eight face-down stacks of four tiles each in an assembly known as the woodpile. Individual stacks or tiles may then be moved in specific ways to rearrange the woodpile, after which the players place their bets.
Next, each player (including the dealer) is given one stack of tiles and must use them to form two hands of two tiles each. The hand with the lower value is called the front hand, and the hand with the higher value is called the rear hand. If a player's front hand beats the dealer's front hand, and the player's rear hand beats the dealer's rear hand, then that player wins the bet. If a player's front and rear hands both lose to the dealer's respective hands, the player loses the bet. If one hand wins and the other loses, the player is said to push, and gets back only the money he or she bet. Generally seven players will play, and each player's hands are compared only against the dealer's hands; comparisons are always front-front and rear-rear, never one of each.
There are 35,960 possible ways to select 4 of the 32 tiles when the 32 tiles are considered distinguishable. However, there are 3620 distinct sets of 4 tiles when the tiles of a pair are considered indistinguishable. There are 496 ways to select 2 of the 32 tiles when the 32 tiles are considered distinguishable. There are 136 distinct hands (pairs of tiles) when the tiles of a pair are considered indistinguishable.
Evaluations of three basic hands
Basic scoring[edit]
The name 'pai gow' is loosely translated as 'make nine' or 'card nine'. This reflects the fact that, with a few high-scoring exceptions, the maximum score for a hand is nine. If a hand consists of two tiles that do not form a pair, its value is determined by adding up the total number of pips on the tiles and dropping the tens digit (if any). Examples:
A Day tile (left) and a Teen tile (right)
Gongs and Wongs[edit]
There are special ways in which a hand can score more than nine points. The double-one tiles and double-six tiles are known as the Day and Teen tiles, respectively. The combination of a Day or Teen with an eight results in a Gong, worth 10 points, while putting either of them with a nine creates a Wong, worth 11. However, when a Day or Teen is paired with any other tile, the standard scoring rules apply.
Gee Joon tiles[edit]
The 1-2 and the 2-4 tiles are called Gee Joon tiles and act as limited wild cards. When used as part of a hand, these tiles may be scored as either 3 or 6, whichever results in a higher hand value. For example, a hand of 1-2 and 5-6 scores as seven rather than four.
Pairs[edit]
The matching pair of eights (left) is worth more than the non-matching pair of eights (right). If a hand contained one of the tiles on the left and one of the tiles on the right, these would not form a pair at all, since the tiles that make pairs are defined by tradition.
The 32 tiles in a Chinese dominoes set can be arranged into 16 pairs, as shown in the picture at the top of this article. Eleven of these pairs have identical tiles, and five of these pairs are made up of two tiles that score the same, but look different. (The latter group includes the Gee Joon tiles, which can score the same, whether as three or six.) If a hand is made up of a pair, it always scores higher than a non-pair, no matter what the value of the pips are. (Pairs are often thought of as being worth 12 points each.)
When the player and dealer both have a pair, the higher-ranked pair wins. Ranking is determined not by the sum of the tiles' pips, but rather by aesthetics; the order must be memorized. The highest pairs are the Gee Joon tiles, the Teens, the Days, and the red eights. The lowest pairs are the mismatched nines, eights, sevens, and fives.
Ties[edit]
When the player and dealer display hands with the same score, the one with the highest-valued tile (based on the pair rankings described above) is the winner. For example, a player's hand of 3-4 and 2-2 and a dealer's hand of 5-6 and 5-5 would each score one point. However, since the dealer's 5-5 outranks the other three tiles, he would win the hand.
If the scores are tied, and if the player and dealer each have an identical highest-ranking tile, the hand is ruled a copy and the dealer wins. For example, if the player held 2-2 and 1-6, and the dealer held 2-2 and 3-4, the dealer would win since the scores (1 each) and the higher tiles (2-2) are the same. The lower-ranked tile in each hand is never used to break a tie.
Pai Gow Tiles Rules
There are two exceptions to the method described above. First, although the Gee Joon tiles form the highest-ranking pair, they are considered to have no value when evaluating ties. Second, any zero-zero tie is won by the dealer, regardless of the tiles in the two hands.
Strategy[edit]
The key element of pai gow strategy is to present the optimal front and rear hands based on the tiles dealt to the player. Slot machine games with bonus. There are three ways to arrange four tiles into two hands when no two of them form a pair. However, if there is at least one pair among the tiles, there are only two distinct ways to form two hands.
There are three ways to arrange these tiles into two hands.
Using the tiles shown at right, the following hands and scores are possible:
The player must decide which combination is most likely to give a set of front/rear hands that can beat the dealer, or at least break a tie in the player's favor. In some cases, a player with weaker tiles may deliberately attempt to attain a push so as to avoid losing the bet outright. Many players rely on superstition or tradition to choose tile pairings.
See also[edit]External links[edit]
Pai Gow Tile Game
Pai Gow Poker Rules
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