1. PAI GOW POKER. As the name implies, Pai Gow Poker is a combination of the games Pai Gow and Poker. Players arrange 7 cards to make 2 poker hands. The game's low variance and moderate house edge make it a useful option for bonus play when blackjack, video poker, and hold'em are not available. Rules and Play.
  2. Jul 09, 2015  In this video, the viewer will learn how to arrange their cards so they have the best house edge. This is also called the “House Way” and these are the rules the casinos use to give themselves.
  1. Pai Gow Bonus Payout
  2. Pai Gow Poker House Edge
  3. Pai Gow Poker

Nov 01, 2019  The Falls View casino in Niagara Falls Ontario offers 'Progressive Pai Gow Poker'. This is basic pai gow poker with an added $5 side bet. The following table shows the return table based on a breakeven meter of 20536.05 bet units, which for a $5 bet is $102,680.24. The house edge at all other times is 11.5428% less 1.1242% for every $10,000 in.

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On This Page

Introduction

This section contains my analysis of the following pai gow poker side bets:

Dealer Bonus


Please see my page on the Dealer Bonus for information on that side bet.

Fortune Pai Gow Poker


Please see my page on the Fortune side bet for information on that side bet.

Jackpot Pai Gow Poker


'Jackpot' is a side bet I noticed at the Rio in November 2005. The game was closed at the time so the top prize was not evident, but according to the Shufflemaster web site it is alternatively $25,000, $50,000, or $100,000.

The following table shows the probability and return for each possible event. A $100,000 for the top win is assumed and a $5 bet, for a win of 20,000 to one. The table also assumes the player will always set his hand to maximize the value of the side bet, at the possible cost of his pai gow poker bet. The lower left cell shows a house edge of 2.21%, which for a side bet is pretty good.

Jackpot Pai Gow Poker Return Table

EventPaysCombinationsProbabilityReturn
Natural Royal plus Pair of Aces*20000120.000000080.001557
Five Aces plus Pair400720.000000470.000187
Royal Flush plus Pair20015600.000010120.002024
Five Aces20010560.000006850.00137
Royal Flush100245600.000159330.015933
Straight Flush plus Pair60117480.000076210.004573
Four of a Kind plus Pair40576480.000373990.01496
Straight Flush301730840.001122880.033686
Four of a Kind202498240.001620730.032415
Full House plus Pair121504800.000976240.011715
Flush plus Pair84892600.003174060.025393
Straight plus Pair611555360.007496520.044979
Full House640245600.026109250.156655
Flush456314200.036533720.146135
Straight3101453880.065817990.197454
Three of a kind274706760.048465850.096932
Nothing-11245561960.80805571-0.808056
Total1541430801-0.022088

* Both royal flush and pair of aces must be natural (no joker) for highest win.

If the top prize is less than $100,000, or the player bets more than $5 on the side bet, the return will be slightly less. The next table shows the house edge according to various other wins for a natural royal plus pair of aces according to the win on a to one basis.

House Edge by Highest Win

Natural Royal plus Aces PaysHouse Edge
200002.21%
100002.29%
50002.33%
40002.33%
30002.34%
20002.35%
10002.36%

Emperor's Challenge

Emperor's Challenge is a side bet I noticed at Hooter's Casino in Las Vegas in April, 2006. The following return table shows the probability and return of all possible outcomes. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 4.171%.

Emperor's Challenge Return Table

EventPaysCombinationsProbabilityReturn
Natural 7-card straight flush5000320.000000210.001038
Wild 7-card straight flush10001960.000001270.001272
Five aces50011280.000007320.003659
Royal Flush150260920.000169270.025391
Straight Flush501846440.001197870.059894
Four of a Kind253074720.001994720.049868
Full House541885280.027172990.135865
Flush461720880.040041290.160165
Three of a kind376725000.049775180.149326
Straight2110342040.071584170.143168
9 high pai gow40310800.000201630.008065
10 high pai gow52486400.001613050.008065
J high pai gow29634800.006250560.012501
Nonpaying hand-11233129960.79999048-0.79999
Total1541430801-0.041714

I hear that in Washington State the player must bet at least $5 to qualify for the pai gow hands.

Progressive Pai Gow Poker

The Falls View casino in Niagara Falls Ontario offers 'Progressive Pai Gow Poker'. This is basic pai gow poker with an added $5 side bet.

The following table shows the return table based on a breakeven meter of 20536.05 bet units, which for a $5 bet is $102,680.24. The house edge at all other times is 11.5428% less 1.1242% for every $10,000 in the meter.

Progressive Pai Gow Poker Return Table

EventPaysCombinationsProbabilityReturn
Natural Royal Flush or Five Aces + pair20536.053360.0000020.044764
Wild Royal Flush + pair20012600.0000080.001635
Straight Flush + pair50117480.0000760.003811
Four of a Kind + pair40576480.0003740.01496
Full House + pair121504800.0009760.011715
Flush + pair84892600.0031740.025393
Straight + pair411173880.0072490.028996
Natural Royal Flush or Five Aces2053.653040.0000340.070664
Wild Royal Flush100203600.0001320.013209
Straight Flush251730840.0011230.028072
Four of a Kind202498240.0016210.032415
Full House640304160.0261470.156883
Flush456637120.0367430.146973
Straight2100715160.0653390.130677
Three of a kind275445480.0489450.09789
Nothing-11245561960.808056-0.808056
Total15414308010

Pai Gow Insurance


Pai gow 'Insurance' is a side bet that I noticed at the Red Rock casino in August, 2008. It appeared along with the Emperor's Challenge side bet. A 'pai gow' in pai gow poker is a hand with seven singletons, where no straight or flush is possible. This side bet wins if the player had a pai gow, the lower the highest card, the more it pays. The following return table shows the details. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 7.35%.

Pai Gow Insurance

EventPaysCombinationsProbabilityReturn
9 high pai gow100310800.0002020.020163
10 high pai gow252486400.0016130.040326
J high pai gow159634800.0062510.093758
Q high pai gow727195000.0176430.123499
K high pai gow563869400.0414350.207176
A high pai gow3144307800.0936190.280858
Loser-11293626600.839238-0.839238
Total1541430801-0.073457

Lucky 8's


Please see my page on the Lucky 8's for information on that side bet.

Pai Gow'd


Pai Gow'd is a side bet I noticed at the Four Queens on December 26, 2011. It is exactly like Pai Gow Insurance, explained above, but with a modified pay table. The lower right corner of the odds table below shows a house edge of 6.44%.

Pai Gow'd

Pai Gow Bonus Payout

EventPaysCombinationsProbabilityReturn
9 high pai gow100310800.0002020.020163
10 high pai gow502486400.0016130.080652
J high pai gow109634800.0062510.062506
Q high pai gow727195000.0176430.123499
K high pai gow563869400.0414350.207176
A high pai gow3144307800.0936190.280858
Loser-11293626600.839238-0.839238
Total1541430801-0.064384

The Jokolor is a side bet mentioned on page 85 in the a document titled Rules of casino games in Great Britain (1124K). The side bet wins if the player has a joker and/or all cards of the same color. The following table shows the house edge is 3.90%.

Jokolor

EventPaysCombinationsProbabilityReturn
Six cards same color plus joker304604600.0029870.089617
Seven cards same color, without joker1013156000.0085350.085349
Any hand with joker5198980600.1290880.645441
Loser-11324689600.85939-0.85939
Total1541430801-0.038982

This side bet is paired with pai gow poker games, including EZ Pai Gow, offering the G3 electronic side bet wagering. As far as I can tell at the Rampart casino, it is just titled the 'Bonus Bet.'

Bonus Bet Return Table

EventDynasty PaysEnvy BonusCombinationsProbabilityDynasty ReturnEnvy Bonus
Natural 7-card Straight Flush8000$ 5000320.0000000.0016610.000208
Royal Flush + Natural AQ Suited2000$ 1000720.0000000.0009340.000093
Wild 7-card Straight Flush1000$ 5001960.0000010.0012720.000127
Five Aces400$ 25011280.0000070.0029270.000366
Royal Flush150$ 50260200.0001690.0253210.001688
Straight Flush50$ 201846440.0011980.0598940.004791
Four of a Kind25$ 53074720.0019950.0498680.001995
Full House5$ 041885280.0271730.1358650.000000
Flush4$ 061720880.0400410.1601650.000000
Three of a Kind3$ 076725000.0497750.1493260.000000
Straight2$ 0110342040.0715840.1431680.000000
Losing combinations-1$ 01245561960.808056-0.8080560.000000
Total:1541430801.000000-0.0776560.009268

The next table shows the overall house edge according to the number of players, including yourself, and various bet amounts. Note that the high edge is lowest at a bet of $1. This is because the win for the Envy Bonus is the same, regardless how much the player bets.

Bonus Bet House Edge

Players$1-$4 bet$5 bet$10 bet$15 bet$25 bet
67.77%3.13%5.45%6.22%6.84%
57.77%4.06%5.91%6.53%7.02%
47.77%4.99%6.38%6.84%7.21%
37.77%5.91%6.84%7.15%7.39%
27.77%6.84%7.30%7.46%7.58%
17.77%7.77%7.77%7.77%7.77%

This is a progressive side bet found with G3 electronic betting units. The player may bet $1 to $25. All jackpot wins are the same, regardless of bet size, so I would never bet more than $1. As usual with progressive bets, wins are on a 'for one' basis. That means you don't get your original bet back, even if you win. To be consistent with other pages on this site, the following page is on a 'return basis,' meaning what the player can expect to get back for his bet, based on a $1 bet.

G3 Progressive

EventPaysCombinationsProbabilityReturn
7-card Straight FlushJackpot$ 2280.0000010.000000
Five Aces0.1×Jackpot$ 1,1280.0000070.000000
Royal Flush$500$ 26,0920.0001690.084636
Straight Flush$100$ 184,6440.0011980.119787
Four of a Kind$75$ 307,4720.0019950.149604
Full House$4$ 4,188,5280.0271730.108692
All other0$ 149,434,9880.9694560.000000
Total154,143,0801.0000000.462719

The bottom right corner shows a return of 46.27% on all fixed wins. The value of the progressive is 22.11% for each $100,000 in the meter. To reach 100% the meter would need to be $243,011.06.When I saw this bet at the Rampart casino on March 17, 2011, the meter was at $207,361, for a return of 92.12%. This was probably unusually high, because the Rampart has had a truck with a big sign in the back drive around Summerlin promoting the large jackpot.

Real money Pai Gow poker first appeared in 1985, and it’s slowly grown in popularity ever since. While it doesn’t appear poised to enter the upper echelon of casino games anytime soon, it maintains a decent following both online and at land-based casinos.

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The invention of the game is attributed to Sam Torosian, the owner of the Bell Card Club in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, both his attorney and a noted poker author told him the game couldn’t be patented, which likely cost poor Sam a fortune in licensing fees.

Pai Gow Poker House Edge

By the end of the 1980s, the game had spread to the Las Vegas Strip. Less than two decades later, it was firmly entrenched as a standard option in the table games section of most Internet casinos.

No matter what your level of experience, you should come away from this with a newfound appreciation for the game and a desire to do some gambling. The rules are explained, as well as other important elements such a finding a reliable casino, avoiding the wrath of the law, and making deposits without a lot of hassle.

Is Playing Real Money Pai Gow Poker Legal?

The answer to this question isn’t a simple one, as it all depends on the nation where you reside. Even then, the laws may be different in various states or territories.

For an example of how confusing the laws can be, just take a look at the United States. While there’s no federal law that actually prohibits individuals from participating in online gaming, the dreaded Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act does make it difficult to make deposits and withdrawals to offshore sites.

The state laws are even more complicated, as they range from disinterested to draconian. The state of Washington is a perfect example of the latter, as they actually hold individuals responsible for Internet gaming instead of just passing the blame to the offending website.

If you have any doubts about the legality of such an endeavor, the Internet is the best place to find your answers. A lot of countries and individual states have governmental websites set up to detail specific laws, and any reputable casino should maintain a list of banned countries on their terms and conditions page.

Just remember: ignorance of the law isn’t a valid defense. If you’re thinking about playing Pai Gow poker for real money, it’s your responsibility to make sure you’re in compliance with any federal, state, or local statutes.

How to Play Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow poker is hardly a household name, and many online gamblers pass right by it on the way to more popular games such as blackjack or roulette. If you’re uncertain how the game works, this section should clear up any questions you might have.

After the player makes their initial wager, they’ll receive seven cards. The game is played with a 52-card deck, as well as a joker card.

The objective of the game is to create a two-card hand and a five-card hand, both of which are superior to that held by the dealer. If the player manages to accomplish this, then they receive a payout at even money (minus a 5% commission at most casinos). Winning one hand but losing the other results in a push. Losing both hands results in the player forfeiting their money for that hand.

As you can see, the basic rules of the game are pretty simple. There are, however, a few more details to keep in mind:

  • Standard poker ranking rules apply, although there are a couple of exceptions. The Ace-2-3-4-5 straight is the second-highest straight in the game. A pair of aces is the best two-card hand.
  • The 5-card hand must rank higher than the 2-card hand.
  • A joker is only wild when it completes a flush or straight. Otherwise, it counts as an ace.
  • Any tie results in a win by the dealer.
  • In some online versions of the game, the player has the option of splitting the first two cards dealt into a pair of hands.

Pai Gow Poker House Edge

The house edge describes the mathematical advantage that a specific casino game holds over the player in the long run. For example, let’s say a player chooses a game with a 2% house edge. According to this number, the individual should expect to win back $98 for every $100 risked over the long term. This gives the casino a $2 advantage, which is where they make their profit. Of course, short term variation can be much different, which is why the house edge is usually calculated over thousands of hands or spins.

The overall house edge for Pai Gow poker is 1.46%. In case you’re wondering, that percentage is superior to each of the following games: single zero roulette (2.70%), Three Card Poker (3.37%), Pai Gow (1.50%), and Red Dog (2.80%).

Who Designs Pai Gow Poker?

Since the inventor of the game, Sam Torosian, famously failed to patent his creation, it’s available for any online or land-based gambling establishment to use. This has led Pai Gow poker to be included in most casino software packages, usually as a way to pad out the number of table games. Almost all of the leading designers have got in on the act, with everyone from Betsoft to Rival producing their own version of the game.

Choosing a Reliable Casino

Like any other business, some online casinos are more trustworthy than others. Since these operations are usually based in a foreign nation, customers who fall prey to shady activities are often left with no recourse. Therefore, it’s important to do some research before opening an account to ensure that your casino of choice is going to deal with you in a fair and honest manner.

There are several ways to go about conducting such research, and the following are the ones that have worked best for me:

  • Read Online Reviews – Type the name of any virtual casino into a search engine, and you’re bound to get back numerous results for reviews and complaints. Some of these are more accurate than others, however, and it can sometimes be a chore trying to distinguish between the two. If you want to remove all doubt, you can seek your information directly from a casino watchdog site, as these operations specialize in offering unbiased details on hundreds of online gambling establishments.
  • Is the Site Publically Traded? – Check to see if the casino is traded on one of the many stock exchanges around the globe. These sites can still receive customer complaints, but shareholders usually have little patience for any sort of behavior that’s going to cause a major scandal and drive down prices.
  • Licensed Jurisdiction – Any reputable casino is going to be licensed and operated from a certain jurisdiction, and these certifications are normally displayed at the bottom of their homepage. Basically, the casino pays an annual fee to the jurisdiction for a license, and the host country verifies that all their business is conducted fairly. Some locales are more thorough than others, though, so it’s always a good idea to stay away from companies based in certain locations (such as Costa Rica, for example).

Sign-Up Bonuses Explained

Pai Gow Poker

Online gambling is a cutthroat business, with operations continually looking for ways to spirit away customers from the competition. Sites often live or die by the content of their homepage, and the words “sign-up bonus” should be familiar to anyone who’s ever engaged in Internet gaming.

For those who are new to the world of virtual gambling, here’s a brief description of how it usually works. A casino offers a matching sign-up bonus with a monetary cap. When the customer signs up and makes their first deposit, the casino then matches the amount of their deposit up to the amount of the cap.

Here’s an example. A casino is offering a 100% matching bonus up to $500 for new players. If the customer signs up and makes a deposit of $500, they’ll receive an additional $500 from the casino. While this sudden influx of free money sounds great, the fine print of the offer is actually loaded down with extra stipulations.

In order to keep the bonus money, the player is usually required to meet a wagering requirement within a certain period of time (usually anywhere from one to six months). This amount is a multiple of the bonus, although sometimes the bonus and initial deposit may be added together.

Let’s say, for example, that the player receives $500 in bonus money and has six months to meet a 30X wager requirement. This means a total of $15,000 must be risked before the player has an opportunity to request a withdrawal (or, in some cases, permanently keep the money in their account).

If the player fails to meet the target sum in the allotted time, they may find the entire bonus amount removed from their account. And, if the casino is especially devilish, they may also remove any winnings that have been generated with that amount. As you might expect, customers who don’t bother to read the fine print can often become enraged when such details become apparent to them.

In their terms and conditions, some sites state that bonus money is intended only for recreational players. Anyone who, in the opinion of the casino, appears to be a professional can find their bonus money revoked along with any subsequent winnings. I take a dim view of this practice, as it gives some establishments a license to screw over any player who has the gall to be too successful.

Finally, there’s the matter of some games counting less than others when it comes to fulfilling the wagering requirements. This is almost always based on the house edge, with pure games of chance counting more than those requiring a bit of strategy. Games like craps and roulette are often excluded entirely from such deals, while table games such as Pai Gow poker usually count 60%. That’s means a $300 wager only counts $180, so anyone looking to unlock a bonus is going to have a lot of work ahead of them.

Pai Gow Poker Bonus House Edge

Pay Attention to the Fine Print

I would hope that the previous section adequately drove this message home. However, for those who are a bit dense, allow me to say it one more time: always read the fine print. Casinos love to get technical if there’s a possibility that it’ll save them money, so make sure to know exactly what’s expected of you before putting any cash on the line.

Watch Out for Thieves

Much like the real world, the Internet has its share of thieves. These shadowy individuals love to hack accounts and steal vital information, and you don’t even have the option of catching them in the act and beating them with a baseball bat.

The top casinos have a number of security safeguards in place, but the smart customer also takes steps on their end to ensure a hassle-free experience. Passwords should always include a combination of letters and numbers, and never use the same password for multiple accounts. It’s also a good idea to alter this information from time to time, even though most view this as a major hassle. After all, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Another key to ensuring security is to buy and maintain solid anti-virus software. Take the time to do some research on the available brands, as some of the leading names in the industry are actually pretty ineffective.

For those who share their computer with others, always make sure to log out of your casino account when you’re finished for the day. Even if you trust your friends and family implicitly, doing otherwise is just inviting potential trouble.

While there’s no sure-fire way to keep online thieves at bay (other than staying off the Internet entirely), there are a number of reasonable steps that can be taken to assist with online security. By taking your fate into your own hands, you should be able to gamble all you want without worrying too much about hackers.

Learning about Withdrawals

Before you select a new casino and start depositing money, take a few minutes and read up on how their withdrawal policies work. This information might seem useless when you’re starting out, but customers are bound to need these details eventually.

Here are the areas to pay particular attention to:

  • Available Withdrawal Methods – While casinos often provide a dozen or more methods for depositing money, the withdrawal options are usually much smaller. In some cases, the customer may be required to use the same transaction method for both deposits and withdrawals, which is good to know about ahead of time.
  • Fees – When you make a withdrawal, are there any associated fees? Casinos usually don’t charge one, but the company performing the transaction often does.
  • Payment Time – Once you’ve requested a withdrawal, how long does it take before you receive the money? This can be a major point of contention, especially since some casinos engage in what’s become known as “slow pay.” This is the practice of drawing payments out as long as possible, usually in the hope that the player will give up and either cancel their request or gamble it away before the transaction is made.

Don’t Neglect Taxes

Unless you live in Australia or a few other select nations, you’re going to be expected to pay income tax on any casino winnings. A lot of players just ignore this stipulation, but it might come back to haunt them down the line.

If you fail to report $100 or less, you probably don’t have anything to worry about. If you win more than $1,000, though, your odds of slipping by are far less. Things might seem okay at first, but anyone who gets audited will have to account for the extra money that’s been deposited into their bank account. Failure to do so could lead to fines, garnishment of salary, and even possible jail time (in extreme cases).

In order to avoid a potential headache, just write down the date and amount won or lost after every session. At the end of the year, you’ll have a handy record that can be used when it’s time to figure up your taxes. If you fail to do so, don’t say that I didn’t warn you.

Conclusion

Real money Pai Gow poker may not be a household name, but it does present online gamblers with a fun alternative to more famous casino titles. The rules are some of the simplest around, and each hand is resolved in short order. As long as you’re careful about selecting a reputable casino and paying attention to Internet security, you should be able to enjoy this entertaining game without worrying about additional problems.