Pai Gow: How to Play

You will probably have heard of the standard table games that are available in many casinos these days, such as blackjack and the normal version of poker. However, you can play a broad range of other titles that you might have heard of – but don’t know much about. Pai Gow is one of those games. 

If you’ve been to Asia before, you might know that Pai Gow is popular in that part of the world. And in many US casinos, you can also play the game. With that said, you may not know too much about the rules – and how you actually win when playing it. 

Don’t worry if that sounds like you, though, because you’ve come to the right place. Today, you will learn how to play Pai Gow – including all of the most important rules. You’ll also discover whether there’s a difference between Pai Gow and Pai Gow Poker, and if so, what they are. 

Other topics we’ll cover today include how to increase your chances of winning at Pai Gow and what the rules are for dealers. On top of that, you’ll also discover what the main alternatives are to this game. 

Does this all sound interesting to you? Great. In that case, let’s dive in and discuss all of these topics in more detail. 

What Is Pai Gow? 

Before we go into the specifics of the rules you should follow, let’s discuss the Pai Gow meaning and what the game actually is. We could write a full article about this, so we’re going to try our best to keep things brief and summarize the key points you need to know. 

Pai Gow is a game that originates from China and is centuries old. We don’t have an exact date for when people began playing it, but we can trace its origins back to the Song Dynasty era – which was between the years 960 AD and 1279. 

The game of Pai Gow uses 32 Chinese dominoes, and it started off with similar types of equipment. You’ll find different score types, and you can choose from different hands – as we’ll discuss in more detail later. 

The meaning of Pai Gow in English is “card nine”. There are thousands of ways that you can win, making it one of the most intriguing table games you can play. While you will have a degree of luck involved, skill comes into the frame much more than is the case in a lot of other games. 

Is There a Difference Between the Asian Version of Pai Gow and Pai Gow Poker?

When doing research on Pai Gow online, you might have come across the term “Pai Gow Poker”. With that in mind, you might be wondering: “is there a difference between Pai Gow and Pai Gow Poker?”. 

The short answer is yes – the two games are not the same. First of all, Pai Gow Poker originated in the US – which is of course different from where the older version of Pai Gow was first played. 

While Pai Gow could be centuries old, Pai Gow Poker definitely is not. In fact, the game has only been around since 1985. It was invented by an Armenian man named Sam Torosian, who was the owner of Los Angeles’ Bell Card Club. Believe it or not, he wasn’t able to patent his own game! 

Since Pai Gow Poker came about in the 1980s, it has become popular across the US and further afield. The main difference between Pai Gow and Pai Gow Poker is that rather than using the Chinese dominoes we looked at earlier, you’ll use cards instead. In this respect, the game has similarities to the normal version of poker. 

How Is Pai Gow Poker Different From Other Kinds of Poker? 

When looking at what Pai Gow is (ditto for Pai Gow Poker), it’s a good idea to think about how the game differs from other kinds of poker. The main difference is that when playing Pai Gow Poker, you will find a Joker card included. You usually won’t see this in ordinary poker. You will, however, see Aces – and the joker in Pai Gow Poker can be used as an Ace. 

The Joker card, however, is much more versatile than just that. For example, you can use it to match other cards in your deck. If you need to create a winning combination, you might find this particularly useful.

See Also: How to be a Poker Dealer: The Ultimate Guide

What Are the Pai Gow Rules That I Should Know Before Playing? 

Having read this far, you should now have a basic understanding of both Pai Gow and Pai Gow Poker. For the rest of this article, we’re mainly going to discuss rules for Pai Gow Poker – as this is what many of you will be looking for. 

Although there might be slight variations from casino to casino, most of the rules you see with Pai Gow poker will be pretty similar to one another. Here are the top ones that you should especially keep in mind: 

• When you play Pai Gow Poker, you will receive seven cards once the set has been shuffled. 
• From the cards you’re given, your aim is to beat the banker (we’ll mention more about their role later). You need to have two winning hands, and we’ll further discuss the importance of this soon. 
• Your card hands are split with five in one hand and two in the other. You need to beat both of the banker’s hands if you want to win at Pai Gow Poker. Generally speaking, you can get 10 different Pai Gow five-card hands – and brushing up your knowledge of these before sitting down at the table is a wise idea. 
• You might be subjected to betting limits when you play Pai Gow Poker. These will likely vary depending on the casino you play at, so it’s worth keeping these in mind and doing your research before you begin playing. 
• Your five-card hand needs to have a higher value than the two-card hand. 

Pai Gow Dealer Rules 

In addition to knowing what you’re allowed to do and how you win, it’s also worth looking at what the rules are for as a Pai Gow dealer. You might find yourself in this position one day, and knowing what you can and can’t do in advance will help ensure that the game runs more smoothly. 

Here are some of the most essential rules for Pai Gow Poker dealers: 

• You can deal cards to each seat at the table, even if not all of these have been filled. 
• As the dealer, you will need to reveal what the banker’s hand is after you have dealt the different hands to each player. 
• After the players see the banker’s hand, you’ll collect all of the bets. If someone wins, you can then pay out their winnings. 

What Are the Pai Gow Odds of Winning? 

Being a Pai Gow winner has different odds, and your payout will vary depending on what you get. The biggest potential payout (but the most unlikely to happen) is a Pai Gow 7-card straight flush, which is priced at 5,000,000-1. 

To get a 7-card straight flush in Pai Gow, you’re not allowed to use a Joker card. You’ll need seven cards following successive numbers, and these cannot be over different rounds. Needless to say, chance comes into this potential win much more than is the case with others. 

Also high on the odds is a Royal Flush plus two 2 cards, which is priced at 2,000,000-1. 

Some of the other Pai Gow Poker odds of winning are as follows: 

• Five Aces: 140,000-1
• Royal Flush: 6,000-1
• Straight Flush: 750-1
• Four of a Kind: 500-1

The above aren’t so common, but there are different ways to win that you might encounter more frequently than what we’ve just mentioned. 

• Full House: 36-1
• Flush: 25-1 
• Three of a Kind: 20-1
• Straight: 14-1
• Two Pair: 9-2 
• Pair: 5-2
• Nothing: 13-2

Probabilities might vary depending on the game, but these are a general overview of what you can expect. 

How Can I Win at Pai Gow? 

Now that you know the most important rules and some of the odds of winning at Pai Gow Poker, let’s look at what you can do to win. None of what we’re about to discuss is an absolute guarantee that you’ll be successful, but you might be able to improve your chances by implementing these strategies and taking our advice on board. 

Make Sure Both of Your Hands Are Good 

One of the biggest difficulties when playing Pai Gow Poker is that your two hands are uneven when it comes to the total number of cards. But as we also mentioned earlier, you need to ensure that your five-card hand has a higher value than the two-card version. 

This, however, is where things get tricky. You might think that the logical idea in this scenario is to add a strong five-card hand and disregard what’s in the two-card one. But do you remember what we said about needing to beat the dealer’s two-card hand as well? Yeah, that’s quite unlikely to happen if you ignore your own. 

The better approach to this is to ensure that you’ve got two good hands. Sometimes, you might be dealt a bad hand – but you should still aim to do what you can with what you’ve been given. 

Try to be the Banker Where Possible 

You might also remember us previously talking about there being a banker in poker. Where possible, you should try to take up that position for yourself. If you do, you’ll have a slight advantage compared to the other players when it comes to winning. 

There is, however, a big caveat here. At many casinos, you’re limited to how many times you can be the banker. On top of that, you will only be able to bank after a certain number of hands in many instances.  

Know the Different Pai Gow Strategies 

Before sitting down to play Pai Gow Poker, knowing the rules is important. But the reality is that’s only one part of the jigsaw. You should also have a better understanding of what the different strategies in Pai Gow are, which will help you when you need to be more adaptable. 

You can choose how to split your hand in multiple ways. It’s worth looking at how you can split high-value cards, but it’s also essential to consider what you can do with those that aren’t so great. That way, you can try and pull back some kind of advantage in your favor. 

Consider How Much the Casino Will Take if You Win a Bet

When you sit down to play Pai Gow Poker, you might think that you keep 100% of your winnings whenever you’re successful in a bet. That, however, is not the case most of the time. 

Casinos will often take a commission for your winnings, which is typically around the 5% mark. You should factor this in when picking your preferred venue, and it’s also worth looking for casinos with lower commissions. If there’s one in your local area that offers something better in this respect, consider trying them out. 

See Also: How to play poker

Where Can I Play Pai Gow? 

With the main rules and other bits of information now in your knowledge bank, let’s look at where you can play Pai Gow Poker. 

Online 

Online casinos are evolving all the time, and the industry is buoyant in many countries. It’s still a relatively new thing in the US, with regulation differing depending on where you go – but at the same time, operators in states where it’s legal will often offer Pai Gow Poker. 

When playing at an online casino, you should consider looking for potential welcome offers for Pai Gow Poker. Doing so will give you more flexibility when it comes to learning the rules, and you can also potentially have more of an enjoyable experience altogether. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that online casinos often support numerous payment methods. Have a look around to find the best option for you. 

In Casinos 

Are you in a jurisdiction where online casino games aren’t permitted? Don’t worry; you might still be able to play land-based casino games. One example of this, and perhaps the most famous one, is Nevada. 

When playing Pai Gow Poker at casinos, they’ll often follow many of the rules that we’ve mentioned in this guide. But as we mentioned earlier, there might be some variations with how much you’re allowed to bet and whatnot. If you’re in doubt, you can always ask when you visit. 

Are There Any Pai Gow Alternatives?

Before we wrap up this article, let’s quickly look at what the main alternatives to Pai Gow Poker are. There are numerous other games you can play, but we’ll outline the two main ones below. 

Poker 

The main version of poker is played and enjoyed in many casinos throughout the US and in other countries, such as the UK. The main difference compared to Pai Gow Poker is that you don’t have a Joker card. However, as mentioned before, you can use Aces. 

Like Pai Gow Poker, you have a banker in poker as well. You’ll need to form your hand from five cards instead of seven with the main version of poker. 

Texas Hold’em 

Texas Hold’em is another popular variation of poker that you’ll find in many casinos. It’s also available at many online casinos as well. 

Texas Hold’em is similar to the ordinary version of poker, but it has some different rules. As is the case with many other variations, the rule differences mainly surround cards. You only get two face-down cards in Texas Hold’em, for example, compared to four with the main version of poker. 

The Ultimate Guide to Pai Gow Poker 

Pai Gow and Pai Gow Poker are different from one another, but both are fun to play. Many casinos offer Pai Gow Poker, and it’s a great option to try a different form of poker if you want to delve into the more traditional version. And if you’re exploring different table games to play, Pai Gow Poker might be the most fun option for you. 

When learning about Pai Gow Poker, knowing its history is a good starting point. You should also understand the main rules and strategies, however. Knowing your alternative options is wise as well, as you might want to try something else. 

Now that you’ve read this guide, you hopefully have a better understanding of Pai Gow Poker and how to play it. With that out of the way, why not try playing the game for yourself?

See Also: How to Win in Blackjack?