Poker players can’t get enough of the poker-inspired table games offered in our online casino. That’s why there are so many popular table games based on poker, like Caribbean Hold’em and Stud Poker, Let ‘Em Ride, and Tri-Card Poker. You can’t make a living at these games, but you will find plenty of professional poker players taking a break from the grind and enjoying themselves at the tables. Pai Gow Poker might be the most entertaining of these table games. Combining poker and the classic Chinese pai gow, this is a fun game to play both live and online here at Bovada. You can learn Pai Gow Poker in minutes; we’ll get you started with a few simple basics.
What Is Pai Gow Poker?
Invented by Sam Torosian in 1985, Pai Gow Poker is a table game played in casinos that pits players against a Dealer. Unlike the original Pai Gow, Pai Gow Poker uses a standard deck of playing cards (plus a Joker) instead of dominos and uses poker hand rankings instead of a domino point system.
How to Play Pai Gow Poker
Each round of Pai Gow Poker begins with a wager. In our online version, you can wager between $1 and $500 per round. After putting your bet on the table, you’ll be dealt seven cards face up, and the Dealer will be dealt seven cards face down. You must divide the seven cards into two hands; one five-card hand and one two-card hand. The five-card hand must be higher in poker value than the two-card hand.
The Dealer divides his hand the same way. Once you’re ready to compare, the dealer’s two hands are revealed. In order to win, you must have the higher five-card hand and the higher two-card hand. This results in an even-money payout minus a 5% commission. If you have one stronger hand and one weaker hand, the round is a push and your wager is returned. If both your hands are lower than the Dealer’s, you lose your wager.
Pai Gow Poker Rules
Pai Gow Poker has some quirky rules that make the game unique compared to the other poker-inspired table games. One tricky rule to remember is that the wheel (5432A) is the second-highest straight in Pai Gow Poker. Also, the game uses a standard playing deck plus a Joker, which is an Ace, but can also be used to complete straights and flushes, making it semi-wild. Because of the inclusion of the Joker, you can make Five of a Kind with Aces, which ranks higher than a Royal Flush.
As mentioned, the five-card hand must be of higher poker value than the two-card hand. If you try to create a better two-card hand, you’ll be prompted to rearrange your hands.
The house edge comes from instances where you have the exact same hand as the Dealer, (for example, 7,6 for the small hand). The Dealer wins these ties.
Pai Gow Poker Hands
The five-card hand in Pai Gow Poker adheres to standard poker rankings plus the five of a kind for having four Aces and a Joker. See below for the Pai Gow five-card hand rankings beginning from the best hand and going down to the lowest hand.
|
Hand |
Description |
|
Five of a Kind |
Four Aces plus a Joker |
|
Royal Flush |
Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten – suited |
|
Straight Flush |
Five cards in consecutive rank – suited |
|
Four of a Kind |
Four cards of the same rank |
|
Full House |
Three cards of the same rank and two cards of the same rank |
|
Flush |
Five cards of the same suit |
|
Straight |
Five cards in consecutive rank |
|
Three of a Kind |
Three cards of the same rank |
|
Two Pair |
Two two-card sets of matching cards |
|
Pair |
Two cards of matching rank |
|
High Card |
When you don’t have a set from above, your hand is based on your highest card |
Hand rankings for the two-card hand are much simpler; you either have a pair or don’t have a pair, in which case your hand is assessed based on your high card. The highest hand for the two-card hand is a pair of Aces. The highest non-pair hand is Ace, King.
Pai Gow Poker Odds
Knowing the odds of landing a certain hand will help you manage expectations and make strategic decisions. See below for the odds of getting each hand.
|
Hand |
Odds |
|
Five of a Kind |
140,000-1 |
|
Royal Flush |
6,000-1 |
|
Straight Flush |
750-1 |
|
Four of a Kind |
500-1 |
|
Full House |
36-1 |
|
Flush |
25-1 |
|
Three of a Kind |
20-1 |
|
Straight |
14-1 |
|
Two Pair |
9-2 |
|
Pair |
5-2 |
Pai Gow Poker Tips
• Most Pai Gow Poker hands will include one pair and nothing else. These are easy to divide. Put the pair in the high hand, and the two highest single cards in the low hand.
• If you can arrange a straight in two different ways, arrange it in the way that will give you the stronger low hand. Chances are the lower straight will still beat the dealer, and then you have a competitive low hand too.
• Always split up full houses so that the pair goes into the low hand, and the three of a kind goes into the high hand.
Now that you know how to play Pai Gow Poker, and are equipped with tips to win, are you ready to put theory into practice? Try on Practice Play at first, and switch to Real Play when you’re ready to play Pai Gow Poker for real money.