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Pai Gow is a gambling game that has been played in China for over a thousand years. Traditional Pai Gow is played with Chinese dominos, which are definitely different from the dominos that Westerners are accustomed to, and in any case Pai Gow hasn’t been a game that has had any great degree of popularity outside China, even though it is played in some Western casinos.
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- Pai Gow Poker online is a popular variant of casino poker that’s played at several brick and mortar casinos around the world over and is also available at the click of a button at multiple online casino websites for you to enjoy too! And although the rules are quite similar to Poker in some aspects it’s not quite the same.
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Westerners though are much more familiar with card games using a standard deck, and are especially fond of the game of poker. The game of Pai Gow does have some interesting elements in it though, especially the idea of making two hands, which results in some very interesting decisions being made, ones that are far more rich than you see at any other casino game really.
Strategy in playing casino games tends to be either non existent, like for instance with games like roulette, craps, or baccarat, or pretty minimal, like with blackjack for instance. Sure, there are some decisions to be made at the blackjack table, and ones that clearly affect outcomes, but they are very easily mastered.
Pai Gow is a completely different animal though, and the basic concept is to form two hands so to speak, the hand ahead and the hand behind, with the hand behind needing to be stronger. The dealer also has two hands, and the object of the game is for the player to combine their cards such that they have the best chance to win one or both hands. This is not a straightforward task by any means and will challenge players to think strategically in a way that you just don’t see in other casino games.
If players were just looking to build one or the other hand as strongly as they can, then this would be a pretty simple matter, but since the strength of both hands need to be accounted for, and adding in the fact that in some cases you may want to make one or the other stronger to ensure you win at least one of the two, this does make the game of Pai Gow very interesting.
Our free Pai Gow Poker, which is available to use on both mobile and desktop, is a replica of the online casino game that you’ll typically find at real money online gambling sites. On launching the game and clicking play, you’ll find that you’ll be given play money to use whilst playing the free game.
Pai Gow Meets Poker
The marriage between Pai Gow and poker has the unique gambling laws of the State of California to thank, as well as the ingenuity of casino manager and gambling inventor Fred Wolf. California law only allows for card games to be offered legally, for whatever reason, and if Pai Gow was to be offered here, it would have to be played with cards and not dominos.
So Fred Wolf, who is known for several other gambling innovations, came up with the idea to play Pai Gow with a deck of 52 cards plus a joker, using standard poker hand rankings.
So he teamed up with Bell Club owner Sam Torosian and together they rolled out Pai Gow Poker. The Bell Club is long gone now but Pai Gow Poker became a big hit, and quickly spread to other card rooms in the Los Angeles area and then to the rest of the world.
Being based upon poker and poker hand rankings has made Pai Gow much more understandable to the gambling public, and the game is enjoyed by many these days. It is a very easy game to learn but not to easy to completely master, further adding to its appeal.
How To Play Pai Gow Poker
Players are dealt seven cards which they then make two hands with, one with two cards, the hand ahead, and one with five cards, the hand behind. The dealer also gets dealt seven cards and does the same.
The manner in which players put together their hands is what is most interesting about Pai Gow Poker. The dealer is required to put together his or her hand according to the “house way,” which differs by casino, but involves a set strategy of combining them together.
Hand rankings follow standard poker rules, other than the fact that some Las Vegas casinos rank a lowball straight, ace to five, as the second highest straight, after ace to ten. The five card hand must be of a higher ranking than the two card hand, adding an additional interesting twist.
If the player beats the dealer with both hands, the player wins. If only one of the two hands are won, then the bet is a push. If one hand is lost and the other ties, the player also loses.
So there are a lot of pushes in Pai Gow Poker and while it is not anywhere near as fast paced as some other casino games, many players see this as an advantage and find the game both relaxing and stimulating. It definitely is stimulating with all of the strategy involved and does get players thinking a fair bit, although even less experienced players won’t find any trouble putting together hands.
Pai Gow Poker has a fairly player friendly house edge, not quite as friendly as a game like blackjack but comparable to other casino games such as craps, baccarat, and single zero roulette. Players can really get plenty of bang for their buck with this one with all the pushes that occur.
Pai Gow Poker is a fairly new game, but it’s one that has really caught on and is poised to grow in popularity as more and more casino players become familiar with it. It is definitely a unique game and one that has many fans already.
Also read:
How to Win Money Playing Pai Gow Poker Online
- Root Fundamentals: Learn the basic objective of Pai Gow Poker, who you’re competing against, and the order of events in a game.
- Hand Development: This section will teach you how you can and cannot set your hands from the seven cards available.
- Strategy & Tips: Find out how to set winning Pai Gow Poker hands, and how to avoid losing when the cards do not fall in your favor.
- Online Advantage: We conclude or lesson with a brief discussion on the numerous of advantages of playing Pai Gow Poker at online casinos, as opposed to the land-based edition.
Disclaimer – Not all forms of gambling are legal in all provinces of Canada. The legal age to gamble also varies by province. Breaking the law is a serious matter. The information provided on this website is meant for educational purposes only, and we will not be held liable for any irresponsible / illegal activity on your part. Know the gambling laws in your province and follow them. The following pages provide more information on Canadian gambling laws: Alberta – British Columbia – Manitoba – Newfoundland & Labrador – New Brunswick – Nova Scotia Northwest Territory – Nunavut – Ontario – Prince Edward Island – Quebec – Saskatchewan – Yukon |
Play Pai Gow Poker Online For Money In The United States
1. Pai Gow Poker Basis & Objective | |||||||||||||||||
Pai Gow Poker is a multi-player card game, just like blackjack. At a traditional table, there is one dealer and space for up to six players. The game is played with one deck of 53 cards, including a single joker. The joker can take the place of a missing card in straights or flushes. Otherwise, it becomes an Ace. Being a house-banked poker game, each player is competing only against the dealer (aka banker), not the other players. Note that, in an online game, there are no other players. The game is entirely digitized and computer generated. This makes no difference in terms of the rules, odds, or outcome of a game. After placing a bet, you will be dealt exactly seven cards. You must split these up into two hands. One will be a standard 5-card poker hand, and the other a 2-card poker hand. Both are valued by standard poker hand ranks (defined below). The object of the game is for your two hands to beat the dealer’s two hands. To win, your 5-card hand must beat the dealer’s 5-card hand, and your 2-card hand must beat the dealer’s 2-card hand. There are three possible outcomes to a game.
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2. Rules of Hand Development |
We know that, of the seven cards available, a player must divide them into a 5-card and 2-card hand. That’s the simple part. On top of this, there is just one prevailing rule that all players (and the dealer) must abide by when setting their Pai Gow Poker hands.
Think of it as “bigger hand, bigger value”, if it helps. Why does it matter?The rate of tie hands would be much higher, making for a very monotonous (and unpopular) game. As it is, the probability of tying the dealer is 40.5%. That’s nearly half of all games ending in a draw – no win, no loss. The odds of being dealt a single pair out of seven cards is 43.3%; far more common than no pairs (17.4%), or all combined hands better than a pair (39.3%). If allowed, most would put the pair in their 2-card hand, leaving the 5-card hand to fend for itself with nothing better than high-card; the goal being to tie rather than lose (as strategy would call for). But again, the rate of ties would jump at least another 20% if this were an option. Thus the rule must stand… The 5-card hand must beat the 2-card hand. |
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3. How to Win Pai Gow Poker More Often | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The strategy for Pai Gow Poker isn’t very complicated. When setting your 2- and 5-card poker hands, ideally, you want both of them to be strong enough to net you the win. If that’s not likely, you may be forced to sacrifice the 2-card hand, setting the 5-card hand as strong as possible to reduce the odds of losing the both hands, and the bet. That’s the basic strategy for the game. When properly adapted, it will result in an optimal RTP of 97.31% (house edge 2.69%). This figure is based on perfect application of the strategy outlined below, and the resulting expectation of wins, loses and ties.
The more detailed, rule-based strategy requires these guidelines to be followed, based on the 7 cards dealt. This first section applies only if there are No Straights or Flushes. Refer to the next section if a 5-card Straight or Flush is available.
This next chart applies to all 7-card combinations that can result in any Straight, Flush, Straight-Flush, or Royal Flush.
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4. Advantage of Online Pai Gow Poker Games |
There are a number of benefits of playing Pai Gow Poker at an online casino, versus a bricks-and-mortar casino. Most of them relate to the fact that it’s better for your bankroll. There are no travel expenses – that money stays in your bankroll. There is no need to tip the dealer – that money stays in your bankroll. You will not be tempted to purchase food, beverages or other often over-priced items while playing, which again translates to more money for your bankroll. Every internet casino promotes welcome bonuses that add credits to your balance when making an initial deposit. Such bonuses also extend your bankroll; this time, with money you didn’t have to begin with. Online casinos also provide instant access to the games, no matter where you are, or how much time you have to play. All you need is a computer or mobile device with an internet connection, and a viable payment method to fund the account. I’ve saved the most important advantage for last. Online casinos offer 99% of their games for practice or real money play. This means you can play Pai Gow Poker online for free, getting a feel for the rules and practicing the above strategies for as long as you like. Once you feel comfortable, you can then make use of all of your new-found knowledge of how to play Pai Gow Poker and win money. That being said, it’s critical that you only do business with safe, secure and highly reputable online casinos that are licensed and regulated in responsible jurisdictions, where player protections are the top priority. You can learn more about choosing the right iGaming operator here: |
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