Play Pai Gow like a pro

Have you ever visited a land-based casino? Then you see the Pai Gow poker table. You might dream about playing the game – as long as you know exactly how it works. To some, this name is a little scary, but don’t worry, it’s just a name.

In fact, real money Pai Gow Poker is much easier to play than you think. Unfortunately, many newbies mistakenly view the game as online poker or a regular game of Texas Hold’em. That’s not the case, and such thinking may cost you.

So stick with us. We’ll show you the best places to place your bets, how to play the cards correctly and how to win real cash with online Pai Gow Poker. We will also show you why online casinos are better suited for Pai Gow Poker than land-based casinos, such as:

• Bet as low as $5 per bet when playing for real money, well below the $25 typically required in Las Vegas

• You never have to wait for a table – there’s always room, and no other players limiting your style

• If you want to practice the game before depositing, you can play the game for free

This is just the beginning of Pai Gow Poker Online becoming one of the most popular real money online casino games. Read on to find out why it will soon become your new favorite online gambling game.

Learn about the game

Real money Pai Gow?Poker uses 53 cards. It includes 52 cards, plus a Joker card that can act as a wild card in certain situations. Unlike video poker games where the Joker is a complete wild card, in Pai Gow Poker the Joker can be used as an Ace or to help you complete a Straight, Flush, Straight Flush or Royal Flush.

First, place your bet. The amount you can bet depends on the online casino site you’re playing at, but generally you can bet up to $5. Once you are satisfied with your bet, click Deal to receive your cards.

You will receive a total of seven cards. At this point, you need to make two hands – a 5-card hand and a 2-card hand. But here’s the thing. A 5-card hand must be better than a 2-card hand.

5-card hands are ranked using the same poker hand ranking system you may be used to. After you build your hand, you can ask to see the dealer’s hand. He will play cards the same way, the so-called “House Way.” This determines exactly how the dealer is forced to distribute his cards. Every real Pai Gow Poker casino you choose to play at will let you know exactly what the House Way is, so you know what you’re getting into before you even sit down.

Now that you both have two hands, the software will compare your two hands and pay out your bet. If you draw, you push.

Now, in land-based casinos, you have the opportunity to bet or play against other players sitting at Pai Gow Poker or the dealer. Online casinos usually don’t offer this service because there are no other players at the table. Keep in mind that in the real world, most people usually refuse to bank, so this doesn’t really make a difference.

Learn Pai Gow in 5 steps

• Place your bets (remember it’s you versus the dealer).

• You and the dealer both receive seven cards. – Your face is up and the dealer’s face is down.

• The goal is to split your seven-card hand into a hand of five and a hand of two. – Your five-card hand must be ranked higher than your two-card hand.

• After you decide how to distribute your cards, the dealer will reveal his/her cards and compare your hand to theirs.

• If both of your hands are better, you win, minus the 5% commission. If the dealer’s two cards are better, you lose. If one is high and one is low, this hand is a push. You will receive your bet. All tied hands are a win for the dealer.

Best Online Pai Gow Website

To make sure you get the best online Pai Gow games, it’s best to follow the pros and develop a suitable set of criteria by which to judge casino sites. Below we’ve listed some popular features and explained how they can help improve your gaming experience:

Payout Percentage: The higher, the better

This is the bonus amount that the casino pays based on the amount wagered. If a casino has a 98% payout ratio, then it will pay out $98 for every $100 wagered. The $2 goes to the casino as profit.

It’s important to note that individual bets you place will not see the same payout percentage. This is because the casino’s numbers are an average across the entire site, taking into account several months of gaming and thousands of players. However, it’s best to choose the highest payout rate you can find, as it gives you the best chance of winning more on casino games.

Online Pai Gow Strategy

Know the best hands

In a normal game of poker, you would think twice before playing four aces (you can learn how to play poker here ). If you’re playing draw poker, you don’t dare pass up on these. But in Pai Gow Poker, you need to create two hands, one of which only has two cards.

Sometimes, creating the best two hands requires splitting up seemingly amazing hands. For example, if you are dealt four aces, as well as a 2, 3, and 4, you may be tempted to play the four aces with one hand. But with only 2, 3, and 4, you will almost certainly lose to the dealer’s hand.

That’s why you need to strategize before throwing cards around. In this case, you’re better off playing 3 Aces when you have 5 cards in your hand, and an Ace and 4 in another hand. You will most likely win the low hand because there are no other aces on the table, so only one pair can beat you.

maximize every opportunity

We show you how splitting a good hand sometimes makes the most sense. But this scenario really only applies to Aces. What about other big players? Just use our advanced Pai Gow Poker strategy tips to make the right move. By doing this, you can learn to separate the cards in the correct way.

Pai Gow Poker Rules

Before you sit down to play Pai Gow Poker for real money, you need to know the rules. Most important is the hand ranking system. Hands are ranked the same way they’re ranked in stud games and Texas Hold’em, with one exception. In Pai Gow Poker, you can technically hit a five of a kind. This is the top rated hand. However, sometimes it might be worthwhile to split them up, thereby creating a smaller hand. In case you need a refresher, take a look at the Pai Gow hand ranking system:

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

Pai Gow Poker Reference Chart – Get Yours!

Want to get started quickly? Easy. We’ve put together a quick guide to explain Pai Gow for the new player, and made it available at the link below. It’s absolutely free. Just click ‘Download Now’ and you’ll be reading it in seconds.

Our guide will show you the layout of the table so you know how to place your bets and where everything goes. We’ll also explain the odds and the betting options available to you, so you will be able to make smarter, safer betting choices. Sit down at the Pai Gow poker table feeling confident you know exactly what’s going on.

A Quick History of Pai Gow

Pai Gow Poker infuses an ancient Chinese tile game called Pai Gow, or Make Nine, with the popular card game poker. The current game is relatively new, but has caught on quickly with gambling enthusiasts making it one of the more popular tables online and offline.

1000 A.D. (+/-)

When the original game of Pai Gow was invented is unknown. Historians have been able to trace back the Chinese tiled game of Pai Gow to at least one thousand years where it was popular with soldiers and citizens. This is reflected in the two suits: civilian and military. In the original game, players were dealt seven tiles which had to be arranged in the best two combinations. The tiles had a special pattern on each one with a total of 21 patterns and 32 tiles. Bets were placed on who could create the best tile combos.

1985-86

How Pai Gow moved from China to the U.S. is not fully understood, but somehow it made its way across the Great Pacific Ocean and into the mind of California Bell Casino owner Sam Torosian. In 1985 the Los Angeles resident had an idea to combine certain features of Chinese Pai Gow with elements of poker. He named the game Pai Gow Poker and by 1986 most large casinos offered the game on their floor. Before long Pai Gow Poker could be found in every major casino around the world.

1990s-2000s

Following Pai Gow’s success, Sam Torosian continued to create popular gambling games along with his partner Fred Wolf. With the onset of online casinos, Pai Gow Poker continued to gain a loyal virtual following. A bonus bet was added to many variations, which now lets players win massive jackpots. Today Pai Gow is available to play on every kind of device. We’re sure players will soon be able to play a live dealer version of Pai Gow in the very near future.

FAQ

The original Chinese game of Pai Gow was played with a series of complex layouts of tiles, or dominoes. However, the online casino version of Pai Gow is a poker game based on the ancient Chinese game. In short, the modern version is much easier and combines the ancient game with traditional poker.