Pai Gow Poker Online in 2023
Ruth | January 6, 2023 | Updated on: July 28th, 2023
Recently updated on January 6th, 2023
Pai Gow Poker has been a popular casino game for more than three decades. The poker game is not like traditional five-card poker games. The card game has become a casino mainstay because it is simple to learn and enjoyable to play. Understanding the poker principles can be difficult if you have never heard of Pai Gow before. Take a look at our Pai Gow poker introduction to learn more about this popular poker game.
Best Pai Gow Poker Online Casino
What is Pai Gow Poker?
Pai Gow poker combines the Pai Gow and conventional poker games. The game employs cards instead of Chinese dominoes. Sam Torosian produced and introduced the American version of the Chinese classic in 1985. Sam, the owner of a California nightclub, obtained poor legal advice and failed to patent his poker game. Pai Gow tiles, which resemble dominoes, are used in the American version of the game.
Pai Gow poker is a 52-card game in which the goal is to beat the Banker. It is played with a maximum of six participants at the table. There are just three possible outcomes in this game, and it’s a fun way to deal cards. You are dealt seven cards face down to begin.
Furthermore, if you win both of your hands, you will win that round. Rounds that result in a tie between you and the dealer is considered a push and nobody wins. The dealer winning both hands and you losing your bet is the worst possible outcome. Players place their bets within the bet restrictions, much like in other poker games, and wagers must be placed before obtaining any cards.
How to Play Pai Gow Poker and Win
Learning how to play Pai Gow poker can be done in 4 easy steps.
Find a casino where you can play Pai Gow poker
At a land-based casino, the Pai Gow Poker tables can be recognized by the colour of their surface which is usually blue. You then find a spot that isn’t occupied. At web-based casinos, simply check the gaming lobby, make a deposit and click on the game to play.
Make your initial bet
Before the first card is dealt, place your money or chips on the table. After that, bets cannot be made, altered, or withdrawn. Please adhere to the table’s lowest and highest limits.
The game will begin
Each player will get seven cards that are dealt face down. The dealing happens clockwise from the beginning point and to each playing position. Each player has to make a five-card high hand and a two-card low hand with the seven cards. The five-card hand’s rank must be higher than or equal to the two-card hands.
The dealer reveals his cards and establishes his high and low hands following the house plan. He then shows each player’s hands one at a time, comparing them to the Banker’s. Before the dealer reveals your hands, you have the option to relinquish your wager. Your cards aren’t visible to the other players in this situation.
Playing hands in Pai Gow
Pai Gow Poker is played with one standard deck and the Joker.
- Five Aces: a Joker and four Ace cards.
- Royal flush: a suited Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10.
- Straight flush: five cards of the same suit in a row.
- Four of a kind: a set of four cards with the same rank.
- Full house: Three identical cards and a pair complete the full house.
- Flush: Five cards of the same suit are called a flush.
- Straight: A straight is five cards in a row, regardless of suit.
- Three of a kind: refers to three cards that are all of the same rank.
- Two pair: Two pair consists of two sets of two identical cards.
- Pair: Two cards of the same rank are called a pair.
Revealing the winning or losing hands
Your bet wins if both of your hands have a higher rating than the Banker’s equivalent hands. It’s a push if one of your hands is higher in rank than the Banker’s corresponding hand and your second hand is lower or equal to the Banker’s corresponding hand.
Pai Gow Poker Rules
The goal of the card game is to create two poker hands. One hand will have five cards, while the other will only have two. Your hands must beat the dealer’s hands to win a game of Pai Gow Poker. That’s right, and you have to concentrate on more than one hand at a time.
It’s a tie if one of your two hands wins. You will win the bet if both of your hands beat the dealers. Isn’t it easy to learn how to play Pai Gow? Pai Gow is a poker game with many pushes, and players get to play on the same bet for a long time. But that’s not all. If you’re unsure how to arrange your hand, you can ask the dealer, who can advise you on how the house would do it.
Pai Gow Poker Side Bets
Pai Gow Poker variations with side bets that can improve a player’s profits are becoming more popular in casinos. These side bets do not increase or decrease the stake for the hand.
Instead, the player wagers on whether they will obtain three of a kind, a full house, four of a kind, a straight flush, or a royal flush. Naturally, the higher the hand, the bigger the bonus.
The following are some of the most popular games with side bets:
- Emperor’s Challenge—Let’s you to place a Pai Gow side bet.
- Fortune Pai Gow—You can wager on trips or better as a side bet.
- Pai Gow Mania—Allows you to place two side bets at the same time.
- Progressive Fortune Pai Gow—you can place side bets on the jackpot, which is won by a combined seven-card straight flush.
Pai Gow side bets, like any other casino stake, have a negative expectation–much higher than the game of Pai Gow alone. If you don’t want to gamble any more than you already are, stay away from them.
The strength of your high hand determines the strength of your Pai Gow poker bonus bet. Bonus payouts begin at 2:1 for a straight poker hand and increase from there. You should study the complexities of the game by playing free Pai Gow poker with a bonus before placing bets at bonus tables.
Practice Pai Gow Poker Online
Playing Pai Gow poker for free online is an excellent way to learn the game. The more you practice, the more proficient you will become.
The best aspect is that there is no risk because you are not risking your own money. Free Pai Gow poker allows you to experiment with various stake sizes and strategies at your leisure.
Now that you’ve learned the rules and a simple strategy for lowering the house edge, it’s time to try your hand at a few free Pai Gow games online.
Pai Gow Poker Payouts
Let’s take a look at how much each conceivable hand is worth. The payout= for each Pai Gow poker hand is shown in the table below. You’ll notice that some surprisingly good profits are possible.
| Pai Gow Poker Hand | Payout |
|---|---|
| 7-Card Straight Flush with No Joker | 8000 to 1 |
| Royal Flush | 2000 to 1 |
| 7-Card Straight Flush with a Joker | 1000 to 1 |
| 5 Aces | 400 to 1 |
| Royal Flush | 150 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 50 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind | 25 to 1 |
| Full House | 5 to 1 |
| Flush | 4 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 to 1 |
| Straight | 2 to 1 |
| Pair | 0 |
| High Card | 0 |
Pai Gow Poker Strategy
With two hands to play, you will come across various ways in which you could handle the gameplay. Our experts share the ways to play pairs, a full house and other hands. You will also find tips on how to split your hands.
How to handle pairs
When you’re given a hand with two pairs, it’s always better to split them up more, especially if you have a pair of aces, two high pairs, one high pair, and a medium pair. Place the pair in your large hand and the other top cards in your low hand if you’re dealt a hand with one pair. If you don’t have a pair in your hand, play the top cards in your bigger hand and the other highest hands in your smaller hand.
When to split your hand
If your hand does not contain an ace or a king, you should divide it. Always split your hand into two low pairs, as well as a medium and low pair. A hand with two medium pairs and a high hand with one high and one low hand are two other hands that should be split.
How to play a full house
We would easily rule out splitting the hand if it were any other poker hand. This is Pai Gow, though. If you have a second pair instead of three of a kind, play the pair in your two-card hand and the three of a kind in your large hand. In a two-card hand, play the larger pair.
Playing various hands
- Unless you have three aces, play 3-of-a-kind in your high hand.
- Play a pair in your high hand and ace-high in your low hand if you have three aces.
- Should you have two pair, play straights and flushes with your high hand.
- Then, for two-pair hands, split them according to the following principles.
- If the four-of-a-kind is JJ or above, split it into two pairs.
- A 4 of a type 6s or lower should be kept together.
- Only keep four-of-a-kind together if you have an ace.