1. Pai Gow Poker Hands
2. Pai Gow Poker Rules Strategy
3. Pai Gow Poker House Rules
4. How To Play Pai Gow Poker
5. Pai Gow Poker Free

In Pai Gow Poker, you only play against the dealer and not other punters. The percentage at which the house edge will be lowered is small and it might seem negligible but it. Pai Gow Poker is loosely based on the Chinese game of Pai Gow which is played with 32 dominos. For this casino game, the dominos are replaced by a set of playing cards. There are 53 cards in all (the usual 52 cards plus one joker). In this game, you’re playing against the dealer.

Pai Gow Poker is one of the most fun casino games but it can be tricky to learn when first starting out.

If you want to enjoy playing Pai Gow Poker online or live at a casino, then it is important to learn the basic rules and hands.

You are already ahead of the curve if you know the rules of Texas Hold’em, especially the hand rankings.

But don’t let the amount of previous poker knowledge stress you out. By the time you have completed this beginner’s guide to Pai Gow Poker, you will know:

1. What is Pai Gow Poker
2. Pai Gow Poker rules
3. Pai Gow Poker hands
4. Pai Gow Poker strategy
5. How to Play Pai Gow Poker for Free

1. What is Pai Gow Poker?

Pai Gow Poker may not have the long and storied tradition of popular casino table games blackjack or roulette or of the most popular poker variant in Texas hold’em as it was invented by casino owner Sam Torosian in 1985.

'Pai Gow roughly translates to 'Make Nine' in Chinese'

But, the game does have deep historical roots as it was taken from the domino-based Pai Gow Tiles (also known as simply Pai Gow) that has been played in China for more than a millennium.

Pai Gow roughly translates to “Make Nine” in Chinese as this represented the maximum score in the game outside some special circumstances.

Most poker games pit player against player with the dealer not involved with the hand other than dealing cards and enforcing the rules.

Pai Gow Poker is a bit different in that it is a casino game that you are playing against the dealer or on occasion, can even choose to be the dealer yourself.

Despite being a casino game, it can be every bit as much as social as other forms of poker and is considered to be one of the lowest risk casino games thanks to the slow pace of play and many hands ending in a tie or push.

In addition, the Pai Gow Odds vary by venue but are typically among the lowest among casino table games.

If you are planning to play Pai Gow for the first time, starting from the basic rules of the game is key.

The good news is that the rules of Pai Gow Poker are easy to learn with a little practice and anyone – including you – can learn the optimal Pai Gow Poker strategy in no time flat.

2. Pai Gow Poker Rules

So how do you play Pai Gow Poker?

Pai Gow Poker utilizes a 53-card deck which features the standard 52 cards used in most poker games along with one joker.

The game is easier to master than most forms of poker as there is no bluffing involved as betting only takes place before any cards are dealt. In other words, you can master the best approach to the game simply by learning the rules.

So, let’s dive straight in…

A Pai Gow Poker hand begins after bets are placed when the dealer deals all of the players in a hand and the banker seven cards face down. The banker is often the dealer but it can also be a player or at some venues a player/dealer team.

Each player will then separate their hole cards into a five-card high hand and a two-card low hand. The high hand must always be better than the low hand.

The banker places their hand into a high and low hand as well via house rules which can differ between venue and online. Players can also ask the house for advice on how to set their hand the house way if they so choose at most if not all casinos.

A player can then win, lose, or push (tie) a hand based on the following scenarios:

1. The player wins their bet when both of the player’s hands are better than both of the banker’s hands. The amount won is the amount of a bet less a commission (usually 5%).
2. The player pushes (ties) and has their bet refunded when only one of the player’s hands beats one of the banker’s hand. This applies whether the banker has won or tied a hand while losing the other hand.
3. The player loses their bet when the player loses or ties both hands against the banker.

Pai Gow Poker Hand Rankings

Pai Gow Poker utilizes the same hand rankings as most poker games including Texas hold’em. One big difference between Pai Gow and other forms of poker is the joker in the deck.

In Pai Gow Poker, the joker is treated as an ace unless it can be used to complete a flush or straight.

The hand rankings are identical to that of Texas hold’em except for the two following rules.

1. Five aces, which can be achieved with the joker, beats a royal flush and is the best hand in Pai Gow Poker.
2. A wheel straight, e.g. , is the second best straight at most casinos, only behind a broadway straight, e.g. .

Here is a look at all of the Pai Gow Poker hand rankings. Please take note that in the two-card low hand the best hand that can be achieved is one pair.

Also in the case both the player and the banker have the same hand, the rank of that hand would be used to potentially break a tie. For example, if a player’s straight would be stronger than the dealer’s and a player’s one pair would be better than a dealer’s one pair.

• Five Aces – five aces including the joker
• Royal Flush — five cards of the same suit, ranked ace through ten; e.g.,
• Straight Flush — five cards of the same suit and consecutively ranked; e.g.,
• Four of a Kind — four cards of the same rank; e.g.,
• Full House — three cards of the same rank and two more cards of the same rank; e.g.,
• Flush — any five cards of the same suit; e.g.,
• Straight — any five cards consecutively ranked; e.g.,
• Three of a Kind — three cards of the same rank; e.g.,
• Two Pair — two cards of the same rank and two more cards of the same rank; e.g.,
• One Pair — two cards of the same rank; e.g.,
• High Card — five unmatched cards; e.g., would be called 'ace-high'

Pai Gow Poker Side Bets

Both online and live casinos often offer special Pai Gow Poker side bets.

These bets can often be lucrative in the short run, especially those with progressive jackpots, but in general should be avoided as they boast a higher house edge than the base game.

The Fortune Pai Gow Poker side bet is one of the most popular you will see. This side bet looks at all seven of the player’s cards regardless of how it was eventually set.

A natural seven-card straight flush without a wildcard can pay big with this side bet, especially if a progressive jackpot is involved instead of fixed odds. The pay tables can vary but very often players can win with trips or better while other payout structures begin with a full house.

Other side bets include Dealer Bonus, Jackpot, Emperor’s Challenge, Progressive, Insurance, Lucky 8’s, and many more.

Pai Gow Poker Hands

As these side bets vary from casino to casino, it is best to ask the dealer, who is usually more than happy to explain, how all the side bets work if interesting in an extra gamble before sitting down to play in a live casino. Likewise, you can read up about all the rules of any side bets your favorite online casino might feature in its Pai Gow offering.

Pai Gow Strategy

Setting a Pai Gow Poker hand can be tricky, although most of the time it is straight forward.

For example, being dealt a hand plays itself out with a straight going on the bottom high hand and the pair of deuces going on top for the low hand.

But what if you are dealt a hand like . Your best two options to choose from are as follows:

1. Strongest possible hand up top - = high hand for a straight; for low hand.
2. Very strong low hand – = high hand for a pair of nines; for low hand.

The first hand would almost guarantee a push but it might not be the best option even if it is at first the most intuitive.

The second hand presents better options as the pair of eights for the low hand is almost very strong while giving the player a chance for a win with the pair of nine for the high hand often being a winning hand.

Pai Gow Poker Rules Strategy

How to Play Pai Gow Poker Online

The MGM Grand Las Vegas is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The MGM Grand is the largest single hotel in the United States with 6,852 rooms. It is also the third-largest hotel complex in the world by the number of rooms and second-largest hotel resort complex in the United States behind the combined The Venetian and The Palazzo. When it opened in 1993, the MGM Grand was the largest hotel complex in the world.

Owned and operated by MGM Resorts International, the 30-floor main building includes five outdoor pools, rivers, and waterfalls convention center, the MGM Grand Garden Arena, and the Grand Spa. It also houses numerous shops, night clubs, restaurants and the largest casino in Clark County.

Located on the Tropicana – Las Vegas Boulevard intersection, pedestrians are not allowed to cross at street level. Instead, the MGM Grand is linked by overhead pedestrian bridges to its neighboring casinos: to the south across Tropicana Avenue, the Tropicana, and to the west across the Strip, New York-New York.

Games at MGM Grand

There are more than 2,500 machines for gaming as well as 139 poker and table games including Pai Gow.

The pokies machines at the MGM Grand range from 1¢ to $1,000 and include progressive pokies, video poker, and multi-game machines. There is a special High Limit pokies area, featuring pokies machines with payouts up to $500,000.

The race and sportsbook is a state-of-the-art betting area that features thirty-six 60-inch plasma TVs, along with twenty-four 42-inch plasmas. Bets are offered on a range of sports including soccer, football, boxing, MMA and more. They are also the first room to offer what they call “SkyBoxes”. These boxes can hold up to ten guests and come with beverage servers and complimentary food

MGM Grand House Way for Pai Gow Poker

The following is the house way for the MGM Grand as mentioned by Wizard of Odds and taken from a document on the procedures of the game, dated 2002.

NO PAIR: Use the highest card in the high hand, then use the second and third highest as the low hand.

ONE PAIR: Always use the pair as the high hand and use the highest ranking cards for the low hand.

TWO PAIRS: Pairs will be broken into three groups (when splitting, always play the lowest pair in the front hand).

• 2’s thru 6’s — Low Pair
• 7’s thru 10’s — Medium Pair
• Jacks thru Aces — High Pair

Play the two pair as follows:

• NEVER SPLIT ANY TWO LOW PAIRS (6 OR UNDER).
• LOW PAIR — MEDIUM PAIR: Split unless holding an Ace, then play two pair in high hand.
• LOW PAIR — HIGH PAIR: Split unless holding an Ace, then play two pair in high hand.
• MEDIUM PAIR — MEDIUM PAIR: Split unless holding an Ace, then play two pair in high hand.
• MEDIUM PAIR — HIGH PAIR: Always split.
• HIGH PAIR — HIGH PAIR: Always split.
• PAIR OF ACES AND ANY OTHER PAIR: Always split.

THREE PAIRS: Always play the highest pair for the low hand.

THREE-OF-A-KIND: Always keep, unless Aces, then play one of the Aces for the low hand.

(TWO) THREE-OF-A-KIND: Play Pair of the highest Three-of-a-Kind for the low hand.

ALL STRAIGHTS, FLUSHES, STRAIGHT FLUSHES AND ROYAL FLUSHES

WITH NO PAIR: When given a choice to play either a straight, flush, straight flush or royal flush, play the category which will allow the highest two cards to be played on the low hand.

WITH ONE PAIR: Play pair in front hand if a straight, flush, straight flush or royal flush can be preserved in high hand. With Ace or Joker and pair of 10’s, Jacks, Queens or Kings — play Ace or Joker in front hand and pair in high hand, unless a straight or flush can be maintained with an Ace in the low hand.

WITH TWO PAIR: Use two pair rule. (With two low pair, play straight or flush unless you can play two low pair in the high hand with at least an Ace in the low hand. )

WITH THREE PAIR: Use three pair rule.

WITH THREE-OF-A-KIND: Play pair in front hand.

WITH FULL HOUSE: Use full house rule. Example: (A Heart, Joker, J Heart, J Spade, J Club, K Heart, 2 Heart, play: Ace, Joker/J, J, J, K, 2)

• Three-of-a-Kind and pair: Always split and play pair in front hand. Exception: When the hand contains a pair of 2’s, an Ace, King and Three-Of-A-Kind, you will play A, K as low hand and the pair of 2’s and three-of-a-kind (full house) in the high hand.
• Three-of-a-Kind and two pair: Play highest of the pairs in front hand.
• Three-of-a-Kind and Three-of-a-Kind: Play highest of Three-Of-A-Kind as a pair in front hand.

Pai Gow Poker House Rules

FOUR-OF-A-KIND

• 2’s thru 6’s: Never split, play in high hand.
• 7’s thru 10’s: Split unless an Ace can be played in the front hand, then keep four in high hand.
• Face Cards and Aces: Always split.

How To Play Pai Gow Poker

FOUR-OF-A-KIND WITH A PAIR (OR THREE-OF-A-KIND)

• Always play Four-of-a- Kind in the high hand. (The only exception will be four Aces which will always be split.)
• Four Aces and a pair: split four Aces, except if you have a pair of Kings and four Aces in back.

FIVE ACES: Always split and play two Aces in front hand. The only exception will be if you also have a pair of Kings in front and five Aces in back.

Points to note:

Pai Gow Poker Free

• The bank cannot set an automatic loser!
• The “A-2-3-4-5” is the second highest straight.
• The Joker will be used as an Ace or may be used to fill a straight, flush, straight flush or a royal flush.

  When the Joker is used to fill a Flush, the Joker will be used as the highest value card not already held in the hand. Example: Ace, Joker, King, 7, 5 will be played as Ace, King (Joker=”Queen”) 7, 5 in the flush.