Pai Gow is a poker variant played against the dealer. The aim is to make a five-card and a two-card poker hand out of the seven cards you are dealt, with the aim of both your hands beating both the. Pai Gow Online Video Poker. Please feel free to try out our free online Pai Gow Poker game. If you are playing this game on a desktop or laptop computer, you should have no problem with compatibility.

Pai Gow is a gambling game that has been played in China for over a thousand years. Traditional Pai Gow is played with Chinese dominos, which are definitely different from the dominos that Westerners are accustomed to, and in any case Pai Gow hasn’t been a game that has had any great degree of popularity outside China, even though it is played in some Western casinos.

Westerners though are much more familiar with card games using a standard deck, and are especially fond of the game of poker. The game of Pai Gow does have some interesting elements in it though, especially the idea of making two hands, which results in some very interesting decisions being made, ones that are far more rich than you see at any other casino game really.

Strategy in playing casino games tends to be either non existent, like for instance with games like roulette, craps, or baccarat, or pretty minimal, like with blackjack for instance. Sure, there are some decisions to be made at the blackjack table, and ones that clearly affect outcomes, but they are very easily mastered.

Pai Gow is a completely different animal though, and the basic concept is to form two hands so to speak, the hand ahead and the hand behind, with the hand behind needing to be stronger. The dealer also has two hands, and the object of the game is for the player to combine their cards such that they have the best chance to win one or both hands. This is not a straightforward task by any means and will challenge players to think strategically in a way that you just don’t see in other casino games.

If players were just looking to build one or the other hand as strongly as they can, then this would be a pretty simple matter, but since the strength of both hands need to be accounted for, and adding in the fact that in some cases you may want to make one or the other stronger to ensure you win at least one of the two, this does make the game of Pai Gow very interesting.

Pai Gow Meets Poker

The marriage between Pai Gow and poker has the unique gambling laws of the State of California to thank, as well as the ingenuity of casino manager and gambling inventor Fred Wolf. California law only allows for card games to be offered legally, for whatever reason, and if Pai Gow was to be offered here, it would have to be played with cards and not dominos.

So Fred Wolf, who is known for several other gambling innovations, came up with the idea to play Pai Gow with a deck of 52 cards plus a joker, using standard poker hand rankings.

So he teamed up with Bell Club owner Sam Torosian and together they rolled out Pai Gow Poker. The Bell Club is long gone now but Pai Gow Poker became a big hit, and quickly spread to other card rooms in the Los Angeles area and then to the rest of the world.

Being based upon poker and poker hand rankings has made Pai Gow much more understandable to the gambling public, and the game is enjoyed by many these days. It is a very easy game to learn but not to easy to completely master, further adding to its appeal.

How To Play Pai Gow Poker

Players are dealt seven cards which they then make two hands with, one with two cards, the hand ahead, and one with five cards, the hand behind. The dealer also gets dealt seven cards and does the same.

The manner in which players put together their hands is what is most interesting about Pai Gow Poker. The dealer is required to put together his or her hand according to the “house way,” which differs by casino, but involves a set strategy of combining them together.

Hand rankings follow standard poker rules, other than the fact that some Las Vegas casinos rank a lowball straight, ace to five, as the second highest straight, after ace to ten. The five card hand must be of a higher ranking than the two card hand, adding an additional interesting twist.

If the player beats the dealer with both hands, the player wins. If only one of the two hands are won, then the bet is a push. If one hand is lost and the other ties, the player also loses.

So there are a lot of pushes in Pai Gow Poker and while it is not anywhere near as fast paced as some other casino games, many players see this as an advantage and find the game both relaxing and stimulating. It definitely is stimulating with all of the strategy involved and does get players thinking a fair bit, although even less experienced players won’t find any trouble putting together hands.

Pai Gow Poker has a fairly player friendly house edge, not quite as friendly as a game like blackjack but comparable to other casino games such as craps, baccarat, and single zero roulette. Players can really get plenty of bang for their buck with this one with all the pushes that occur.

Pai Gow Poker is a fairly new game, but it’s one that has really caught on and is poised to grow in popularity as more and more casino players become familiar with it. It is definitely a unique game and one that has many fans already.

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Table Of Contents

• Pai Gow Poker is a variant of Poker based on Chinese Pai Gow domino game
• It’s one of the easiest Poker games to learn and play
• Learn how to play Pai Gow Poker online and play for free here

Pai Gow Poker might sound Chinese in origin, and it is. But it’s a version of Poker that was developed in the United States.

Pai Gow, the ancient Chinese game of skill and craft, is played with dominoes and is still immensely popular to this day.

Pai Gow Poker, on the other hand, takes place at a Poker table, with a deck of cards.

Developed as a twist in Poker for those who want a bit of variation to their playing style, Pai Gow Poker is a great
card game to play - and you can play it online for free.

Let’s take a look at the reasons why you will love Pai Gow Poker free online Casino game. And a few basic strategy tips that will help you to hit the table and instantly do well.

Pai Gow Poker: the Basics

The game of Pai Gow Poker actually isn’t that old - it was developed by Sam Torosian for the Bell Card Club in 1985.

One of the reasons it became so popular is the social factor.

Pai Gow Poker requires both of a player’s two hands to beat those held by the banker in order for the player to win.

The game can last quite long, with many pushes, and you’re likely to spend a lot of time with your fellow players.

This is good for anyone who plays Poker to enjoy themselves, and to have a nice time with like-minded people.

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Surely, this is why we all play Casino games.

Yes, you might like to play for the money, but ultimately you need anything you play to be enjoyable, otherwise you’re wasting your time playing it.

The house edge of Pai Gow Poker, on average, is rated as between 2.5 and 2.7 percent.

So, whether you are an experienced Poker player or someone looking for a game for a bit of recreational fun, your chances of winning are very reasonable.

Another reason why people like Pai Gow Poker is because, in most versions of the game, all six players are playing against the banker.

This leads to a situation where you and your fellow players are all united by a common goal, and against a common enemy.

When the banker wins, everybody else loses. As a group, you’ll win and lose together on the balance of occasions.

Thanks to this, it’s a lot more social than a conventional game of Poker.

Pai Gow Poker Online Rules

You can end up playing Pai Gow Poker with up to six players and a dealer. Online, it’s just you and the dealer.

In a real-life version of Pai Gow Poker, any player and the dealer can be the banker, but in the online version, it is the dealer who takes this role.

It’s often called a two-hand Poker because that’s exactly what you have when you play.

The banker uses a 53-card deck for a Pai Gow Poker. It consists of the classic 52-card deck, plus a Joker.

The Joker acts as a wild card like in other card games.

Unlike other Poker variants, in Pai Gow Poker, you’re dealt seven cards.

The aim is to use these cards to form two high hands out of it, both beating the dealer's hands.

The usual Poker hand ranking applies - you can win with a high-card hand, Royal Flush-hand, Straight-hand, etc. - you know the drill.

One of these hands should be a five-card hand and the other one a two-card hand.

The five-card hand has to be higher than the two-card hand. Yet, both still have to be the winning hands when they confront the dealer’s hands.

If you get it right, you win.

There are three outcomes of the game:

• you win when both of your hands beat the banker’s
• it’s a push when only one of your hands is higher hand than banker’s
• you lose when neither of your hands is higher than banker’s

The payout for the win is 1 to 1. If the game results in a push, you get your wager back but don’t win anything extra.

Pai Gow Strategy: How to Win at Pai Gow Poker Online

Pai Gow Poker is a great game. Especially, if you follow a strategy that works.

While you can ultimately develop one yourself, there are a few principles you can follow to make your playing experience as profitable as possible.

Here are some Pai Gow Poker strategy tips.

Practice Pai Gow Poker

Make a Sensible Bet

At the start of a Pai Gow Poker online game, you’ll have to make a bet.

This is the only bet you need to make, so make sure it’s a good one yet friendly to your bankroll.

On all Casino and Poker games, I always advise you to only bet a small proportion of what you can afford, and this is sensible advice here too.

Remember -

When you’re starting out with Pai Gow Poker, even if the house edge is smaller comparing to some other games, you’ll still find yourself at a competitive disadvantage because of your inexperience.

Balance risk with reward and go for a bet that you can back up in future games too.

Play for Free at First

At some online Casinos, you can practice Pai Gow Poker by playing for free.

This is an ideal thing to do if you haven’t played the game before.

It gives you a chance to get to know how it works and what kinds of hands win. Thus, playing Pai Gow Poker online, free is a really good idea.

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Learn To Play Pai Gow Poker Online

Make the Strongest Possible Hand Across Both Hands

Pai Gow Poker is different in that it gives you two hands to play with. That adds to the variables for you as a player.

Your two-card hand must never outrank your five-card hand.

If it does, that’s a foul and a silly way to lose your money.

However, you can’t win money if only one of your hands is better than the dealer’s.

It’s necessary to balance your hands so that both are reasonably strong. Yet, keeping your five-card hand slightly stronger, as I’ve mentioned before.

Also, make sure to read this article on CasinoSmash to develop an optimal Pai Gow Poker strategy.

Do this and it won’t be long before you start winning.

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