Pai Gow Rules

Pai Gow rules generally refer to the rules that govern Pai Gow poker, a modern derivative of the original Chinese tile game. Although we focus on the guidelines relating to the poker game, we do provide a brief overview of Pai Gow rules. Despite the fact the popular poker is played with cards and not tiles, there are similarities between the two Pai Gow variants. You can explore the rules of Pai Gow below at eCasinosonline.com before sizing up which of these classic casino games are best suited to your gambling requirements!

Getting Started with Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow poker is played with 52 playing cards and a joker. Once the bets are made and the cards shuffled, seven cards are dealt face up to you, the player, and face down to the dealer. You have to split the cards into two separate hands, a five-card hand and a two-card hand according to poker hand rankings. Your objective is to create two strong hands, both of which have to beat the dealer’s in order for you to win and bank the bet. You can base your decision on the Pai Gow odds or the probability of achieving specific ranked hands.

Fundamental Pai Gow Rules

There are three basic Pai Gow rules crucial to a successful time at the cyber tables. Misinterpret them and it could cost you big time:

Your five-card hand has to be of a higher rank than your two-card hand. If you arrange your hands in the incorrect manner in land based casinos it is deemed a foul and you lose your bet. Play Pai Gow poker online and you’ll be given a welcome reprieve as the casino software automatically alerts you to the fact that your low hand outranks your high hand.
Jokers are not wild cards. They always count as Aces unless they can create a straight or flush. The highest possible poker ranking is five Aces.
You will only win and be paid out 1:1 if both your hands beat those of the dealer’s. Tied hands are only beneficial to the casino. Be aware that all online casinos deduct a 5% commission from your winnings as the house edge.

Potential Pai Gow Results

Once you’ve created the poker hands to your satisfaction, the dealer’s cards are revealed, a comparison is made and there are only three possible results:

You are paid out even money if both your hands beat the dealer’s.
You lose your bet if both the dealer’s hands outrank yours or if one of the hands is a tie.
Your bet is returned to you if one hand wins and the other loses.

Now that you understand basic Pai Gow rules it’s time to put them into practice. You can find reputable online casinos at eCasinosonline.com that offer Pai Gow in both the free to play and real money modes!

Pai Gow Tiles Rules

Pai Gow Tiles rules refer to the Chinese tile game commonly known as Pai Gow tiles. Instead of standard playing cards, the game is played with 32 domino-like tiles. These tiles feature combinations of dots in red and white arranged in a high: low configuration. Despite the different hardware, the aim of the game is exactly the same as the poker variant; to create two tile stacks that beat the dealer’s.

Getting Started with Pai Gow Tiles

Once the bets are made, the tiles are mixed or shuffled together and arranged in eight stacks of four. Each player is presented a stack according to a roll of the dice. The tiles are then split into two hands of two tiles apiece. Instead of poker hand rankings, the hands are valued according to the total numerical value of the two sets of dots. The hands are then compared to the dealer’s and you win, and are paid out even money, you lose, and lose your bet, or one hand wins and the other loses, the round is a push and you get your bet back.

Fundamental Pai Gow Tiles Rules

The numerical value of the hands is calculated by adding the dots together and then dropping the ten digit in the same way as baccarat. This means the highest possible hand, apart from a couple of exceptions, is 9.

Tiles marked 6:6 and 1:1 are known as Teen and Day respectively. When these tiles are combined with an 8 or value, the total is 10 or Gong or 11 or Wong, the ten digit is not dropped and the hand outranks 9.

You can explore these intriguing Pai Gow variants online. Browse our online casino reviews and casino bonuses at eCasinosonline.com to find your perfect gambling destination where you can put Pai Gow rules into practice!