Pai Gow Poker 2012-03-19T12:26:21+00:00 2018-09-07T18:18:41+00:00 Carolyn J Dawson https://www.poker-online.com/author/carolyn

Pai Gow Poker – Strategies, Tips and How to play Pai Gow Poker

Posted on  Mar 19, 2012 | Updated on  Sep 7, 2018 by Carolyn J Dawson

Pai Gow Poker, a relatively new variant of poker, is a delightful blend of poker and an ancient Chinese tiles game.

Pai Gow Poker is one of the newest casino games, but it is a combination of two ancient and well-known games—an old Chinese game of tiles and the classic game of poker. Pai Gow, which literally means nine, is a game of luck as well as skill, in which players either win big or do not lose much.

Learn how to play Pai Gow Poker using our demo game below:

Pai Gow Poker Facts

Unlike poker, Pai Gow Poker does not require players to play against one another for the pot. They only have to play against the dealer or the banker or the house. The ancient Chinese game on which Pai Gow Poker is based uses tiles, but Pai Gow Poker does away with the tiles and uses only cards, which accounts for its popularity. Players simply do not need to be expert poker players to enjoy a game of Pai Gow Poker, but it helps a lot if they know poker rankings.

The aim of the player is to create two hands—a hand of two cards and a hand of five cards, which are both stronger than the dealer’s or banker’s hands.

How to Play Pai Gows Poker

A game of Pai Gow Poker is played at a special table, which can comfortably accommodate the dealer and a group of six players. Players who are interested in trying out a game of Pai Gow Poker must first find a table with affordable betting limits. The next step is to place the bet and receive a hand of seven cards.

Players should now use these seven cards to create a hand of two cards and a hand of five cards, taking care to ensure that their five card hand is stronger than their two card hand. Now, they must place their hands on the table.
Meanwhile, the dealer also does the same. The cards are now compared and if players’ hands beat the dealer’s hands, players will win their bets. If only one hand is better than the dealer’s hand, the game results in a tie.

Pai Gow Poker Tips

Beginners are advised to play a few games of Pai Gow Poker for free before playing for real money. Pai Gow Poker might turn out to be a frustrating game because it usually results in a tie. Players can therefore play the game for hours without really losing a lot of money. If players win the game, the house will claim 5 percent of their bet amounts as commission.

The above-mentioned is just the basic game of Pai Gow Poker. Modern casinos present a wide range of Pai Gow Poker games, most of which were released into the market between 2004 and 2009. Some of the most interesting Pai Gow variants are Pai Gow Mania, which offers two side bets; Fortune Pai Gow, which allows bets to be placed on certain hands; Emperor’s Challenge, which has a side bet on no hand; and the Pai Gow Progressive game, which has a progressive jackpot attached to it, requiring players to place an optional side bet of $1 to activate it.

Players can also implement strategies to enhance their chances of winning, and fortunately, a wide range of Pai Gow strategies are available online.

About the Author

Carolyn J Dawson is a professional freelance poker writer. She specialises writing content about poker/ bingo / blackjack/ etc. as well as breaking poker news. Carolyn has been freelancing for us over a number of years and writes high quality articles. Visit her google + page here