One of the most exciting aspects of playing poker is the fact that there are so many variations of the game. Perhaps, one of the most innovative is that of online pai gow poker. Based on the traditional Chinese dominos game, the game of pai gow poker offers you multiple chances to win by making you build two poker hands from seven cards in a 53-card deck.
If only one of your hands beats the dealer, you already have an opportunity to win. With one hand being a 5-card hand and other a 2-card hand, all you need in your small hand is a pair to perhaps move towards victory.
If you would like to find more about playing the game online, make sure to stick around. Below we go through all you need to know about how you can play free pai gow poker online, including:
- How to play the game,
- The best strategy to use,
- And, fortune pai gow terms to wrap your head around.
We also list all the best pai gow poker online casinos so that you don’t have to visit an old, dusty land based casino in Las Vegas to begin playing the game.
Best Pai Gow Poker Online Casinos 2021
Pai Gow Links
- Best Pai Gow Poker Online Casinos 2021
- Learn How to Play Pai Gow Poker Online
- Pai Gow Poker Rules
- Pai Gow Poker Payouts
- Free Online Pai Gow Poker Games
- Pai Gow Poker Strategy
- Pai Gow Poker Glossary
- Pai Gow Poker Online – FAQs
Learn How to Play Pai Gow Poker Online
Pai Gow Poker is played with a deck of 53 cards. This means that the Joker in Pai Gow Poker is fair game, which isn’t true for all variations of poker. The game still makes use of standard poker hands, expect with the two-card hand where the best combination is a pair.
If you are unsure of how to play the game, a standard game will play out as follows online:
- As with all poker variations, you start the casino game by placing a bet. Betting limits are determined by the casino and game developer.
- You will then need to click the “Deal” button. Following this, you will receive seven cards face up, while the dealer receives seven cards face down.
- You need to separate your cards into a five-card hand and a two-card hand. (The five-card hand is referred to as the back hand while the two-card hand is referred to as the front hand.) Your aim is to build the two best possible hands with your cards.
- Once you are finished, you will compare your two hands to that of the dealer. Here are the possible outcomes:
- You beat the banker and win an even money payout (1:1) if both your hands are better than both hands of the dealer.
- Your bet is pushed if one of your hands is better than the dealer’s.
- You lose if both your hands are worse than the dealer’s.
Pai Gow Poker Rules
Here are some rules you will have to note about pai gow poker:
- Once you have set your two hands face down in the allocated area of the table, you cannot touch them again.
- Don’t show your hands to other players until all the cards have been exposed.
- Five-card hands need to rank higher than the 2-card hands. A player loses if they fail to comply with this rule.
- The joker acts as a wild card and can only be used either as an ace or to complete a hand higher than a straight.
- All standard poker hands are used. However, there is one addition – five aces is the highest hand in the game.
Pai Gow Poker Payouts
A standard game of pai gow poker will usually make use of the following pay table (high cards won’t usually get you a payout):
| Bonus Hand | Payout |
| Straight | 2:1 |
| Flush | 3:1 |
| Full House | 5:1 |
| 4 of a Kind | 25:1 |
| Straight Flush | 50:1 |
| Royal Flush | 100:1 |
| 5 of a Kind | 200:1 |
| 5 Aces | 250:1 |
| 7 Card Straight Flush with Joker | 500:1 |
| 7 Card Straight Flush no Joker | 500:1 |
Free Online Pai Gow Poker Game
Play pai gow poker online free and test your skills without risking your bankroll. You can play free pai gow poker games without downloading any software to your computer or a pai gow poker app to your mobile device.You have the opportunity to play cards until you feel comfortable with the game and ready to bet.
Pai Gow Strategy
The general aim is of pai gow poker is to create two great hands. Although this seems easy to do, it can be difficult to get those wins. Here are some pai gow poker tips to help you craft the best pai gow poker betting strategy:
- Study the rules of the game so you don’t make stupid mistakes. For example, making your two-card hand better than the five-card hand will get you disqualified, even in a pai gow poker online game.
- Dealers also need to follow certain rules when making their hands. Knowing these rules will help you better prepare for outcomes.
- You are very unlikely to win in an online pai gow poker fortune bonus. The reason is that you need to create a winning hand with seven cards. Side bets usually aren’t worth it.
- If you have got a pair of aces and can still make your five-card hand better than your two-card hand, put in your two-card hand. At the very least, you’ll be able to manage a push.
Pai Gow Poker Glossary
- Hand behind – a term for the five-card poker hand (high hand).
- Hand in front – a term for the two-card poker hand (low hand).
- Dragon hand – a hand that is dealt to an empty seat.
- Bug – a play who bets against all the other players at the table.
- Copies – the term for either a low hand or high hand that matches the banker’s corresponding hand.
- Joker – in the five-card hand, the joker can be used to complete a flush or straight. With a two-card hand, the joker is always an ace. It is a wild card.
- Push – a term for a tie.
- Banker – the banker rotates every turn that happens on the table.
- House Ways – these are rules that all dealers adhere to when constructing their two pai gow poker hands.
Pai Gow Poker Online – FAQs
A direct translation of pai gow is “make nine” or “card nine”.
In pai gow poker, you get seven cards, with which you need to build two hands – a five-card hand and a two-card hand. Your two-card hand can’t be better than your five-card hand. To win, both of your hands needs to beat that of the dealer’s.
Yes, pai gow poker is a good game. It has a relatively house edge of 2.7%, which can be lowered if you use the right strategies.
The odds of getting a seven-card straight flush in Pai Gow is 602,121:1. It is highly unlikely you will complete the straight.
The odds of getting five aces in pai gow is 676,066:1. So, not very favorable.
The House Way refers to the house rules regarding how the dealer is allowed to set their hands. Players have set rules to follow too, so read up on those before you begin playing for real money.
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