Pai Gow Table

Pai Gow Table 8,5/10 6653 votes
A set of Chinese dominoes. The top double-row of tiles lists the eleven matching pairs, in descending value from left to right. Below them are five non-matching pairs, worth less than the matching pairs, and also in descending value from left to right. The Gee Joon tiles, lower right, are the highest pair of all.

Pai Gow Poker gives card players the best of both worlds. This exciting game combines the ancient Chinese game of Pai Gow with the American classic, poker. Played with a regular deck of 52 cards plus one joker – which can be used only as an ace, or to fill out a straight, flush or a straight flush – the game produces some robust card. What to do now: If you don't know how to play Pai Gow, start with Chapter 1 of the Pai Gow Tutorials for an easy introduction to the game. If you are already an experienced player, discover how the Denenberg Strategy can improve your results at the table. Experience players will also find fascinating new information and explanations in our Tutorials.The essays will improve.

Pai gow (Chinese: 牌九; pinyin: pái jiǔ; Jyutping: paai4 gau2) is a Chinesegamblinggame, played with a set of 32 Chinese dominoes. It is played in major casinos in China (including Macau); the United States (including Boston, Massachusetts; Las Vegas, Nevada; Reno, Nevada; Connecticut; Atlantic City, New Jersey; Pennsylvania; Mississippi; and cardrooms in California); Canada (including Edmonton, Alberta and Calgary, Alberta); Australia; and, New Zealand.

The name 'pai gow' is sometimes used to refer to a card game called pai gow poker (or “double-hand poker”), which is loosely based on pai gow.

Pai Gow Table

Rules[edit]

Starting[edit]

Tiles are shuffled on the table and are arranged into eight face-down stacks of four tiles each in an assembly known as the woodpile. Individual stacks or tiles may then be moved in specific ways to rearrange the woodpile, after which the players place their bets.

Next, each player (including the dealer) is given one stack of tiles and must use them to form two hands of two tiles each. The hand with the lower value is called the front hand, and the hand with the higher value is called the rear hand. If a player's front hand beats the dealer's front hand, and the player's rear hand beats the dealer's rear hand, then that player wins the bet. If a player's front and rear hands both lose to the dealer's respective hands, the player loses the bet. If one hand wins and the other loses, the player is said to push, and gets back only the money he or she bet. Generally seven players will play, and each player's hands are compared only against the dealer's hands; comparisons are always front-front and rear-rear, never one of each.

There are 35,960 possible ways to select 4 of the 32 tiles when the 32 tiles are considered distinguishable. However, there are 3620 distinct sets of 4 tiles when the tiles of a pair are considered indistinguishable. There are 496 ways to select 2 of the 32 tiles when the 32 tiles are considered distinguishable. There are 136 distinct hands (pairs of tiles) when the tiles of a pair are considered indistinguishable.

Evaluations of three basic hands

Basic scoring[edit]

The name 'pai gow' is loosely translated as 'make nine' or 'card nine'. This reflects the fact that, with a few high-scoring exceptions, the maximum score for a hand is nine. If a hand consists of two tiles that do not form a pair, its value is determined by adding up the total number of pips on the tiles and dropping the tens digit (if any). Examples:

  • 1–3 with 2-3: value 9 (nine pips altogether)
  • 2–3 with 5-6: value 6 (16 pips; drop the 10)
  • 5–5 with 4-6: value 0 (20 pips; ones digit is zero)
A Day tile (left) and a Teen tile (right)

Gongs and Wongs[edit]

There are special ways in which a hand can score more than nine points. The double-one tiles and double-six tiles are known as the Day and Teen tiles, respectively. The combination of a Day or Teen with an eight results in a Gong, worth 10 points, while putting either of them with a nine creates a Wong, worth 11. However, when a Day or Teen is paired with any other tile, the standard scoring rules apply.

Gee Joon tiles[edit]

The 1-2 and the 2-4 tiles are called Gee Joon tiles and act as limited wild cards. When used as part of a hand, these tiles may be scored as either 3 or 6, whichever results in a higher hand value. For example, a hand of 1-2 and 5-6 scores as seven rather than four.

Pairs[edit]

The matching pair of eights (left) is worth more than the non-matching pair of eights (right). If a hand contained one of the tiles on the left and one of the tiles on the right, these would not form a pair at all, since the tiles that make pairs are defined by tradition.

The 32 tiles in a Chinese dominoes set can be arranged into 16 pairs, as shown in the picture at the top of this article. Eleven of these pairs have identical tiles, and five of these pairs are made up of two tiles that score the same, but look different. (The latter group includes the Gee Joon tiles, which can score the same, whether as three or six.) Any hand consisting of a pair outscores a non-pair, regardless of the pip counts. (Pairs are often thought of as being worth 12 points each.)

When the player and dealer both have a pair, the higher-ranked pair wins. Ranking is determined not by the sum of the tiles' pips, but rather by aesthetics; the order must be memorized. The highest pairs are the Gee Joon tiles, the Teens, the Days, and the red eights. The lowest pairs are the mismatched nines, eights, sevens, and fives.

Ties[edit]

When the player and dealer display hands with the same score, the one with the highest-valued tile (based on the pair rankings described above) is the winner. For example, a player's hand of 3-4 and 2-2 and a dealer's hand of 5-6 and 5-5 would each score one point. However, since the dealer's 5-5 outranks the other three tiles, he would win the hand.

If the scores are tied, and if the player and dealer each have an identical highest-ranking tile, the hand is ruled a copy and the dealer wins. For example, if the player held 2-2 and 1–6, and the dealer held 2-2 and 3–4, the dealer would win since the scores (1 each) and the higher tiles (2-2) are the same. The lower-ranked tile in each hand is never used to break a tie.

There are two exceptions to the method described above. First, although the Gee Joon tiles form the highest-ranking pair, they are considered to have no value when evaluating ties. Second, any zero-zero tie is won by the dealer, regardless of the tiles in the two hands.

Strategy[edit]

The key element of pai gow strategy is to present the optimal front and rear hands based on the tiles dealt to the player. There are three ways to arrange four tiles into two hands when no two of them form a pair. However, if there is at least one pair among the tiles, there are only two distinct ways to form two hands.

There are three ways to arrange these tiles into two hands.

Using the tiles shown at right, the following hands and scores are possible:

  • A and B (0), C and D (0)
  • A and C (5), B and D (5)
  • A and D (3), B and C (7)

The player must decide which combination is most likely to give a set of front/rear hands that can beat the dealer, or at least break a tie in the player's favor. In some cases, a player with weaker tiles may deliberately attempt to attain a push so as to avoid losing the bet outright. Many players rely on superstition or tradition to choose tile pairings.

See also[edit]

External links[edit]

Las
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pai Gow.
  • Pai gow lore at Wizard of Odds website (Michael Shackleford)
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pai_gow&oldid=989739017'

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


Pai Gow Table

'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

Free Pai Gow Play

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

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
Pai gow table

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.

Pai Gow Table

My Pai Gow Poker Offerings

Pai Gow Poker Coverage

  • Dealer Probabilities: Shows the probability the dealer will form any given hand orless. Useful for making accurate strategy decisions.
  • When to split a two-pair: My advice on when to split a two pair.
  • Side Bets:Analysis of various side bets such as Fortune, Jackpot, and Emperor's Challenge.
  • No Push Pai Gow Poker: My analysis of this PGP variant.
  • Pai Gow Mania: My analysis.
  • Washington State Pai Gow Poker: In Washington often there is no commission charged if the player makes the Fortune bet. I address this rule variant in my 'Ask the Wizard' column.
  • Play Pai Gow Poker: Play my new and improved game.

House Way for...


Pai Gow Online


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Written by:Michael Shackleford