How to Play Pai Gow Poker & Its Rules

Pai Gow Poker is a card version of the Pai Gow Chinese domino game. It’s a fun, easygoing casino game that’s gained a lot of popularity. Learning how to play Pai Gow Poker is actually rather simple. You’ll be playing Pai Gow Poker in no time if you have a basic understanding of the five-card hands that are linked with regular poker plus a few easy rules!

Table of Contents

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.

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.

Learning the Basics Rules

Learn the 10 basic 5-card hands in traditional poker. Pai Gow Poker is a variation of poker that uses the traditional 5-card hand. However, instead of playing against the other players at the table, everyone is playing against the dealer’s hand. Before you play Pai Gow Poker, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic 5-card poker hands.

Royal flush: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and a 10 of the same suit.
Straight flush: 5 consecutive cards of the same suit like ace, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of clubs.
4 of a kind: 4 of the same cards, but different suits.
Full house: 3 cards of the same ran plus 2 cards of the same rank.
Flush: 5 cards of the same suit.
Straight: 5 cards in sequence but can be from different suits, like 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
3 of a kind: 3 of the same cards.
2 pair: 2 matching cards of the same ranking and 2 matching cards of another rank.
A pair: 2 matching cards.
High card: the highest ranking card in the hand.

2. Make your best 2 hands out of the cards you’re dealt each round. In Pai Gow poker, you’re dealt 7 cards each round. Once you get your cards, you need to arrange your best 5-card hand and your best 2-card hand. Your 5-card hand has to be better than your 2-card hand. For your 2-card hand, the best you can get is a pair.

Not every one of the 5 cards needs to be a part of your hand. For example, if you have 3 of a kind, the remaining 2 cards can simply form the rest of your 5-card hand.

3. Try to beat both of the dealer’s hands to win a round. In Pai Gow poker, you play against the dealer, not the other players at the table. If both your 5-card hand and your 2-card hand beats the dealer, you win the round and double the bet that you placed. Lose both of your hands against the dealer’s hands, then you lose your bet. If you win 1 of your hands and the dealer wins the other, then the round ends in a push and nobody wins the round.

If both of your hands tie the dealer, then the dealer wins that round.

Playing a Round

1. Choose the dealer for each round. If you are not playing at a casino, you can take turns being the dealer or “banker.” The goal of Pai Gow Poker is to defeat the dealer, not the other players at the table. You can change the dealer after each round to keep the play interesting.

2. Place your bet before you get your hand. Every player at the table must place their bets before the dealer will deal out 7 cards to each player. There will be a minimum bet and a maximum bet and you need to place your bet between those amounts.

3. Wait for the dealer to pass out 7 cards to each player. After the initial bet, the dealer will deal 7 cards to each player at the table and each player will begin to form their 2 hands. Then the dealer will deal themselves 7 cards, face up and arrange their hands. You’ll take a look through the 7 cards you were dealt and form them into 2 hands, which you will place face-up on the table.

Every player, including the dealer, will be able to see everyone’s hands at the table.

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4. Form your 5-card hand and your 2-card hand. Look through your cards and form your 5-card hand with your best cards and your 2-card hand with the best cards that you have left.

Remember, your 5-card hand must be better than your 2-card hand.

Scoring in a Round

Compare your 2-card hand to the dealer’s 2-card hand. After everyone at the table has arranged their 2 hands, the dealer will deal their 7 cards and form their 5-card and 2-card hands. Compare your 2-card hand to the dealer’s hand to see if yours is better.

If you have a pair and they have a pair, the higher pair wins.

2. Match your 5-card hand against the dealer’s 5-card hand. You only need to beat the dealer’s hand to win that round, so after you’ve compared your 2-card hand to theirs, check their 5-card hand to see how it stacks up next to yours. Remember the 10 basic 5-card hands and check to see if your hand outranks the dealer’s hand.

If your hand ties the dealer’s hand, then the dealer wins that hand.

3. Win the round by defeating both of the dealer’s hands. If both of your hands defeat the dealer’s hands, then you will receive double the amount that you bet. If you lose both of your hands against the dealer’s hands, then the dealer will collect your bet and add it to the bank.

Gambling can be extremely addictive. Limit your betting to a healthy amount.

4. Score a push to move on to the next round. If you win 1 of your hands and the dealer wins the other, then the round ends in a push, or a tie. That means that nobody wins and the play moves on to the next round.

For example, if your 5-card hand beats the dealer’s 5-card hand, but your 2-card hand is defeated by the dealer’s 2-card hand, then the round ends in a push.

Pai Gow Poker Strategy

Strategy-wise, you should generally try to create the highest two-card hand that you can. Most times, your remaining cards will still form a higher five-card hand.
The five-card hand is called the high hand | rear hand | back hand | big hand
The two-card hand is called the low hand | front hand | small hand
If you’re dealt a pair or better, put the highest card in the five-card hand and the two second-highest cards in the two-card hand.
Play three of a kind on your five-card hand unless they’re triple aces, in which case play the high ace in the two-card hand and the other two in the five-card hand.
If you have four of a kind that are jacks or better, split them into two pairs.
Split full houses into three of a kind and a pair. If you have an extra pair, play the high pair in your front hand.
For new players, it’s always best to select “House Way” when arranging your cards until you get a better feel for the strategy of the game.

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PAI GOW POKER “HOUSE WAY”

NO PAIR: Place the 2nd and 3rd highest cards in front.
ONE PAIR: Place the pair in back, highest two other cards in front.

*PLACE BOTH PAIRS IN BACK IF ACE IS PRESENT.

**PLACE BOTH PAIRS IN BACK IF KING OR HIGHER IS PRESENT.

THREE PAIR: Place high pair in front.

THREE-OF-A-KIND

ACES: Place Ace and next highest card in front.

KINGS AND BELOW: Place three of a kind in back, two highest other cards in front.

TWO SETS: Place pair from higher set in front.

STRAIGHT OR A FLUSH

WITH ONE PAIR: Play the straight or flush in back.

WITH TWO PAIR: Play according to two-pair rules.

WITH THREE-OF-A-KIND: Place complete hand in back, pair in front.

EXCEPTION: With an Ace and a pair of Kings, Queens, Jacks, or 10’s, play the Ace in front and the pair in back if the front hand can be improved.

FULL HOUSE: Put the highest permissible pair in front.

FOUR-OF-A-KIND

ACES, KINGS, QUEENS, JACKS: Always split.
10’s, 9’s, 8’s or 7’s: Always split, unless a King or Ace can be played in front.
6’s AND BELOW: Never split.
FOUR OF A KIND: Play the pair in front. WITH A PAIR (OR THREE-OF-A- KIND).
FIVE ACES: Place pair of Aces in front, unless a pair of Kings can be
played in front.
THREE ACES THAT INCLUDE A JOKER: If Joker can be used in a straight or flush, play the straight or flush.
JOKER IN A FLUSH: Joker will be used as an Ace, if an Ace is present the Joker will be the next highest value card.

FORTUNE PAI GOW POKER

Fortune Pai Gow Poker is identical to the normal Pai Gow Poker game with the exception of an optional Bonus Wager side bet. When a player makes the Bonus Wager they are betting that of the seven cards they receive, they will be able to create a qualifying five-card poker rank hand. The Bonus Wager wins an odds payoff based on the rank of the five-card poker hand

regardless of how the player sets their seven cards. Additionally, if any player at the table makes a five-card hand of four-of-a- kind or better, then the other players who have made the Bonus Wager $5 minimum qualify to receive the Envy Bonus payout, regardless of their own hand.

PROGRESSIVE PAI GOW POKER PROCEDURES

Progressive Pai Gow Poker is identical to the normal Pai Gow Poker game with the exception of an optional Progressive Wager side bet. When a Player makes the Progressive Wager they are betting that of the seven cards they receive, they will be able to create a qualifying five-card poker rank hand.

The Progressive Wager wins an odds payoff based on the rank of the five-card poker hand regardless of how the Player sets their seven cards. A Player may opt to split a straight flush, five Aces, or a full house etc., but will still be paid for the Progressive Wager.

The Progressive Wager is made at the same time as the regular Pai Gow Poker Wager.
The Progressive Wager is $5. This bet will not be returned to the Player.
A Player may bet the Progressive Wager regardless if they have bet the Bonus Wager, but they must bet the Pai Gow Poker hand.
The Dealer will call for any more bets on the progressive and announce that the bets are closed.
After all wagers are made, the Dealer will then hit the “coin in” button and collect the $5 cheques.
The Dealer will make sure that each progressive red light is lit properly. If there is a problem, a supervisor must be called.
The hand will then be played as normal.
Working from right to left, the Dealer will begin exposing the Player’s hands. The Progressive Wager is determined independent of the Pai Gow Poker Wager and the Bonus Wager. If any qualifying five-card poker hand can be created from the players’ seven cards, then the Player wins the Progressive Wager regardless of the outcome of the Pai Gow Poker Wager.
The Pai Gow Poker Wager is determined first, then the Bonus Wager. The Progressive Wager will be paid last, immediately following the Fortune Bonus Bet payout.

Payout Table
As in the traditional version of Pai Gow utilizing dominos, and as is a common trait among many East Asian and Pacific Islander games, Pai Gow Poker offers an increased payout if the player manages to win against the Dealer.

7 Card Straight Flush	8000
Royal Flush and Royal Match	2000
7 Card Straight Flush using the Joker	1000
5 Aces	400
Royal Flush	150
Straight Flush	50
Four-of-a-Kind	25
Full House	5
Flush	4
Three-of-a-Kind	3
Straight	2

Rules of Pai Gow Poker

When presenting their hand, players should place the Small Hand first, then the Big hand underneath it.
Players should never allow their Small hand to outrank their Big hand. This is known as fouling, and in lenient casinos results in a push, but in more stringent venues results in a forfeiture of the whole wager.
Many casinos treat Pai Gow Poker as a more casual, friendly game, whose results are based more on luck than they are on skill. As such, many Dealers/Bankers are more than happy to help a player set their hands. Just ask your Dealer if they are willing to help set your hand for the Showdown.
All wagers and side bets must be made before the cards have been dealt.
If a player cannot form a meld in either hand, they have what is known as “Pai Gow”, the “non-hand.”

Setting Hands and Rank

Hands in Pai Gow Poker are not organized in the traditional poker hierarchy that most are familiar with.

Straights, for example, are below three-of-a-kind melds in Pai Gow Poker. As such, there has been a table provided below describing the order of possible melds, as well as their payouts. However, setting up a hand in Pai Gow is not as simple as choosing the best possible melds for both hands at all times.

One should consider, for example, that making one hand stronger potentially makes another hand worse. While this is the natural conclusion of a 0-sum game, as both hands must draw from the same pool of 7 cards, sometimes the simplest game mechanics are the most crucial to understand.

By making the two-card hand weak in order to strengthen the five-card hand, for example, players weaken their chances of a push. This is beneficial to players that wish for a high-risk, high-reward gameplay experience, but for players that wish to maximize their odds of winning a profit, also known as advantage play, players should consider that the increased chance of winning both hands also opens up a Player to an increased chance of losing both hands.

If the Small hand has a high-ranking pair, it is very unlikely for the Dealer to have a better pair. This will make the Small hand a winner in the Showdown, and automatically qualify the player for a push, rather than opening them up to a loss.

Players will not win much money from setting up their cards in this way, but they also will not lose much money either. Long-term Pai Gow players understand this, and so often try to push rather than win outright. This is the origin of the game’s laid-back attitude.

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