PAI GOW POKER – ALTERNATIVE VERSION OF POKER

A BRIEF HISTORY OF PAI GOW POKER

To give a brief potted history of Pai Gow poker, well we only have to go back to 1985. Sam Torosian, the owner of a Calfornian casino, the Bell Card Club, created the game.

This version of Pai Gow was played with a 52-card standard deck plus one joker, and Pai Gow poker has gone on to become one of the most popular poker variants.

THE BEGINNINGS OF PAI GOW

While the modern version of Pai Gow poker is an American game that was founded in 1985, we have to trace the story back to the Far East.

Yes, Pai Gow poker was initially an Ancient Chinese domino game, and it has been played in China for over a millennium. Pai Gow roughly translates in Chinese as “Near Nine”, and now it is called double hand poker.

Pai Gow is played with 52 cards plus one joker, and the original version was played with 32 dominoes.

And as you will see, compared to most versions of poker, a pai gow poker wager only takes place before any cards are dealt, and therefore, this limits the amount of bluffing that can place in any given game.

MOST IMPORTANT RULES OF PAI GOW POKER

It’s now time to take you several house rules for Pai Gow poker, especially if you are new to the game.

• Pai Gow poker uses a 53-card deck (there will be the standard 52 cards as well as an additional joker). The dealer rolls three dice in a dice cup.
• A joker is an ace in the pack as in a two card hand, the joker is worth an ace.
• The joker can substitute for another card as follows – to complete a straight, can be any suit to complete a flush, and if it can’t be used for either, the joker will be an ace.
• The aim of the game is to beat the banker’s hand.
• The banker can assume a variety of roles, as he can take up one of the betting positions as a player, adopt the banker position (dealer), or be part of a player-dealer team.
• A player wins if their high hand beats their low hand when they play Pai Gow poker. So, if you have a low or front hand of 4s, a player’s five card hand (big hand) must better the front hand which will have two cards.
• Once your hands are set, the dealer will reveal them if co banking. Of the possible options, a player’s hand beats the banker if they have better hands overall, and they will win the bet.
• House way will dictate how a dealer sets their hands. The house way will vary from one casino to another, so with a no pair, for example, use the highest card in one hand, and then the second and third highest hand in the low hand to avoid losing.

BETTING OPTIONS

Pai Gow comes with a variety of betting options that you can find online and most other casinos that are land based.

The side bets will depend on which Pai Gow title you play. As with all side bets, this will depend on the version of Pai Gow you play as well as the casino you play at.

Fortune Pai Gow – This allows players to make a side bet on trips or better in such Pai Gow poker games.

Pai Gow Mania – This allows players to make two side bets.

Emperor’s Challenge – It allows players to make a side bet for a Pai Gow poker wager.

Progressive Fortune Pai Gow – This allows players to place side bets with a seven cards combined to make a straight flush.

PAI GOW POKER PAYOUTS

When you play Pai Gow poker, the payouts are generally even money when wagered successfully against the dealer.

Below are the odds of hitting a winning hand, which will be based on hand rank. We have illustrated the hands, such as Royal flush, three of a kind, and a flush in a table along with the requisite envy bonuses.

Pai Gow poker payout chart

And when you play Pai Gow poker, there will be a house edge. The house edge will be 2.84%, but most of this comes from when a player sees their losing hands lose. The rest of the edge comes from commissions made on winning hands.

PAI GOW POKER HAND RANKING

Pai Gow poker has specific hand rankings, and these have been ordered from strongest to weakest.

• Five Aces
• Royal Flush
• Straight Flush
• Four of a Kind
• Full House
• Flush
• Straight
• Three of a Kind
• Two Pair
• One Pair
• High Card

CHECK OUT HOW TO PLAY PAI GOW POKER

In the following sections, we will get more to grips with how to play Pai Gow poker using a 53-card deck.

PAI GOW – POKER WITH 53 CARDS IN THE DECK

Pai Gow poker, as mentioned, has 53 cards in the deck which will include a traditional deck, as well as an additional joker.

And when you play Pai Gow poker, you will come across many versions, including Emperor’s Challenge, but most will use seven cards – the seven cards will be split into a five-card hand and a two-card hand, and with one of these hands, you will need to have a high pair.

PAI GOW GAME CHARACTERISTICS

• The back hand (big hand) will be the highest five card hand.
• Your low hand can only be two cards or a pair.
• The banker’s five card hand will follow hand rankings.
• The joker can be used to complete a flush or straight.

HOW TO PLAY PAI GOW – STEP BY STEP

Here is a simple step-by-step guide for how to play Pai Gow poker:

• Starting – After the cards are shuffled, the dealer places them into seven face down piles comprised of seven cards.
• There will be one for each player and the dealer. When you play Pai Gow, there are four unused cards placed in the discard pile.
• Each seat is numbered, beginning with the banker.
• A number is chosen at random to decide who gets dealt cards first.
• At the showdown, a five card poker hand is referred to as the bottom, high or big hand.

PAI GOW POKER STRATEGY

To play Pai Gow poker effectively, you will need to adopt some basic Pai Gow strategy. Success will ultimately be determined by the way the cards are dealt, as well as by setting hands, otherwise, the dealer wins. Here are a couple of things you ought to think about.

Go for the push when money exchanges hands

The push can be quite a common tactic when you play Pai Gow. For example, you could have a five card hand with the same suits such as two 9s which could better the banker’s two card hand. You have to think about the five card hand as well as seven hands. If you have a gut feeling, then go for the push to gain the maximum score.

Play Four of a Kind wisely

With four of a kind, players should keep sixes or closer together as a player’s hands beats that of other players if they have a full house or full flush. This hand wins too if you split sevens through 10s unless you have say two aces, then it is better to play in the lower hand.

BEST TIPS FOR PAI GOW FROM ENERGYCASINO

Now, you have a better idea of how to make a particular hand, and how the dealer’s hands/banker’s hands work, we have provided a couple of tips that could be useful when you play Pai Gow poker.

Break things up

When you play Pai Gow poker, it is best to split pairs between high hands and low hands of the same rank. This can inevitably lead to more player wins as well as winning wagers.

Don’t do things randomly

Always think about the rank higher for any given hand, and things shouldn’t be randomly chosen. So, if you want to make four aces, for example, think about how best to assemble a two card hand as well as a five card hand when you play Pai Gow poker.

PAI GOW POKER IN ONLINE CASINO

You can play Pai Gow poker at an online casino, and you can find real money and practice versions. And if you are going to play Pai Gow poker for the first time, it is best to play in practice mode first to get a feel for the game.

These online casinos will also have native apps, which will usually be extremely user friendly.

CONCLUSION

Pai Gow poker is a fascinating game, and if you can understand the fundamentals, such as the house way and how the banker wins, then this game will keep you engaged.

If you haven’t done so already, have a go at Pai Gow poker and see why it is rated so highly.