Online Pai Gow Poker is a banking game derived from the ancient Chinese domino game known as Pai Gow. The object of the game is to create two hands, consisting of five and two cards each, that beat the banker’s hand.
If you are already familiar with this unique game's rules and want to skip ahead and start playing, visit our online casino reviews page for where to find the best Pai Gow Poker tables. We recommend Europa Casino and Casino Tropez.
If you need instructions and a lesson in strategy, read the below summaries and click on the links for their related pages. The Gambling City Guide to Pai Gow is comprehensive. We'll have you playing and winning in no time.
Pai Gow Poker Rules—A simple how-to guide
The game begins with the banker and each of six potential players receiving 7 cards. Players and banker all attempt to make the best five card high hand and two card low hand possible, with hands ranked according to traditional poker valuation. One exception exists: A2345 is the second highest straight. Rounds are lengthy, making online Pai Gow Poker a game you can play for hours with only a few dollars.
Pai Gow Poker Strategy—Tips for winning
Good game strategy rests almost entirely on how you arrange your front (2 card) and back (5 card) hand. Because all cards are dealt at once and you can neither fold nor raise, the singular skill to develop is how to best split your hand. An important pre-game strategy is choosing the right table at which to play; choose well and you have the power to increase your bankroll significantly.
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Free Pai Gow Poker—Where to play Free Pai Gow Poker
This other free casino games are one of several advantages to playing online. Free Pai Gow Poker games allow new players to practice and familiarize themselves, in a risk-free environment, with game rules and Pai Gow Poker bets. Seasoned players can tighten their strategy and test new tips and techniques. Gambling City’s free Pai Gow Poker game in flash lets you play with no download required.
Pai Gow Poker Odds—Your chances of winning
Because it’s a relatively new game to most online poker players, few handbooks on game probabilities exist. That doesn’t mean there are no odds to consider. In fact, Pai Gow Poker bets, odds an payouts are quantifiable and unchanging, thanks to the games structure. Gambling City provides you the information you need to measure your chances of receiving and winning with each possible hand.
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Pai Gow Poker Tips—Game dos and don’ts
The game is fun, but few know how to play to win. Most new players, and even a few seasoned veterans, create hands as if they were playing any other poker game. This strategy is, as several losing game histories prove, destined to fail. A few simple Pai Gow Poker tips can remedy this. Here, a quick list of dos and don’ts.
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Pai Gow Poker History—Origins of the game
The roots of this game are tied to the ancient Chinese game, Pai Gow, which translates to “make nine”. Originally played with dominos, the game was symbolic and quite difficult to master. Conversely, Pai Gow Poker is fairly easy to learn, which perhaps accounts for its quick proliferation after being introduced to Vegas casinos in 1987.
Pai Gow Poker Glossary—Terms and Definitions
Standard poker and Pai Gow Poker share a few common terms. But once you get past the basics, much of the language changes. Read the Gambling City Pai Gow Poker Glossary before taking a seat at the table, and stay focused on what’s important—your cards. You’ve got to talk the talk before you can walk the walk.
Pai Gow Poker Summary
Though not nearly as popular as Omaha Hi-Lo, another two-hand poker game, Pai Gow Poker has become a cult favorite in both brick and mortar and online casinos.
Its deck includes a joker, for a total of 53 cards. Seven cards are distributed to each of six potential players and a banker within a single, initial deal. Each participant then constructs his best front (2 card) and back (5 card) hands, in the hopes of emerging the winner.
Standard poker hand valuations apply, with the exception of A234. Here, it is the second highest straight. Each player has the chance to be the banker, a unique game stipulation that provides an opportunity to increase one’s bankroll significantly. Ties are awarded to the banker and penalties are issued to players whose low hand outranks their high hand.
The challenge is in knowing how to put together the most competitive hand combinations.
Because of the time it takes players to analyze and construct their hands, this unique poker variation tends to have a somewhat slower game pace than other card games, a fact that permits players with more modest bankrolls to stay and play a little longer at the table.