Pai Gow Tiles Rules

11-05-2021 admin

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There are 32 tiles used in PAl GOW which are mixed or shuffled by the house dealer. The tiles are placed in eight (8) stacks of four (4) each. The dealer and up to seven (7) players are dealt one stack (four tiles). The object of the game is to set the tiles into two pairs for the best 'ranking' combinations. If they are lower, the dealer wins. Online Pai Gow Rules. The object of pai gow is to make two hands out of four dominos that can beat each of two dealer hands (again, similar to the goal in pai gow poker, with which many players are more familiar). Each player it dealt four dominos out of a set of 32; the dealer is also given four dominos.

Introduction

Pai gow is the oldest of the casino games. It easily pre-dates roulette and baccarat. How such a complicated game ever got started, I have always wondered. Indeed, pai gow is a difficult game to learn. The concept is the same as pai gow poker, where both player and banker make high and low hands, and then compare against each other. What makes pai gow difficult is there is order of hands and tiles seems largely random, and is difficult to memorize.

What I love about pai gow is that for bankroll preservation, there is nothing that beats it. The pace is slow at about 30 hands per hour, and 41% of hands result in a push. If you are a pale-face, like me, you'll impress the dealer and some other players that you even understand it. However, some Asians immediately leave the table when I sit down, as if I'm unlucky. Don't be scared to try the game, even if you know nothing about the rules. You can always ask the dealer to set your hands according to the 'house way.' Better yet, keep reading to learn more about the game.

Rules

Following are the primary rules when it comes to pai gow. Each casino may have some its own fine points when it comes to player banking and prepaying the 5% commission.

Pai gow is played with a set of 32 dominoes displayed below.
Each player and dealer will be given four tiles.
The player will separate his tiles into low and high hands. The player does not need to specify which is higher, as this will be obvious.
Each pair of tiles will have a ranking order as follows:
- Pair: There are 16 pairs, as shown in the image above. The tiles are pictures in rank order, starting at the upper left, and reading like a page to the bottom right.
- Wong: This is a 2 or 12 tile with any 9 tile.
- Gong: This is a 2 or 12 tile with any 8 tile.
- 9 to 0 points (the more the better): For all other 2-tile hands, the total number of dots will be taken, and the terminal digit is used to determine the number of points (as in baccarat). For example, a 10 and 9 tile is worth 9 points; a 4 and 7 tile is worth 1 point.
An exception to the above rule is that the two tiles in the highest ranking 'Gee Joon' pair are semi-wild and are worth either 3 or 6 points, whichever results in a higher total. For example, when combined with a 4-point tile, a Gee Joon tile counts as 3 points to make a 7-point hand, instead of counting as 6 points to make a 0-point hand.
The player's high hand will be compared to the dealer's high hand, and the player's low hand compared to the dealer's low hand (as in pai gow poker).
If both player and dealer have a Wong, Gong, or 1 to 9 points, the tie will be broken according to which hand has the higher-ranked high tile.
If the high tile does not break the tie then the win will go to the banker.
A 0-0 tie always goes to the banker.
When using high tiles to break a tie, the rank order is the same as the pair order (see picture above), except the two tiles in the highest 'gee joon' pair are ranked lowest individually and will therefore never be a hand's high tile.
If the player wins both hands he will win even money, less a 5% commission. If the player wins one and loses one then his wager will push. If the dealer wins both then the player will lose his wager.
At most casinos, the turn to be banker rotates around the table. At some casinos, such as Foxwoods, the turn to be banker zig-zags between the player(s) and dealer, meaning that the dealer must bank at least every other hand.
The player may invoke his turn to bank whenever it is his turn, although most players decline.
The banker plays against every other player at the table and the dealer. The dealer will wager the same amount the player wagered the last time the dealer was the banker. More often than not, other players will sit out the hand when another player is banking, letting him or her take on the dealer alone.

Strategy

My assistant and I have spent lots of time studying and developing pai gow strategy. Here are the strategies we have come up with so far:

Wizard Basic Strategy (added Oct. 25, 2017)

A reader known as Charlie combined various parts of these strategies to create a nearly optimal strategy he could fit on a sheet of paper. He was nice enough to share it with us.

For a graphic version, click the image above for a larger version. I also have a PDF version (149K).

We also have the following strategy charts showing the correct play for every possible combination under three banking scenarios:

The next table shows the possible outcomes and house edge under various strategies, banking or not banking, and whether prepaying the commission. The table assumes the player is playing against the Foxwoods house way and a 5% commission. If the player prepays the commission, which is sometimes allowed, the house edge is reduced by 0.07%.

Pai Gow House Edge

Your Strategy	Banking?	Prob. Win	Prob. Loss	Prob. Push	House Edge
House Way	No	29.21%	30.18%	40.61%	2.44%
House Way	Yes	30.18%	29.21%	40.61%	0.53%
Wizard Basic Strategy	No	?	?	?	1.98%
Wizard Basic Strategy	Yes	?	?	?	0.08%
Wizard Way	No	29.07%	29.5%	41.43%	1.88%
Wizard Way	Yes	30.03%	28.55%	41.42%	0.02%
J.B. Simple	No	29.29%	29.72%	41.00%	1.90%
J.B. Simple	Yes	30.18%	28.76%	41.06%	0.10%
J.B. Advanced Strategy without exceptions	No	29.37%	29.74%	40.89%	1.84%
J.B. Advanced Strategy without exceptions	Yes	30.26%	28.77%	40.97%	0.03%
Optimal	No	29.42%	29.60%	40.98%	1.66%
Optimal	Yes	30.21%	28.52%	41.27%	-0.20%

Inefficiencies in the standard casino house way cost the casino about 0.75% compared to optimal house strategy. If both player and dealer played optimal strategy, the house edge to the player when banking would be 0.54%, and when not banking 2.38%. For more on this topic see JB's optimal house strategy comparison table (24K). To see an enormous document on the actual optimal house strategies see JB's optimal house strategy charts (735K). I'm quite sure this is the first time it has ever been put in writing.

The perfect hand, seen at the Peppermill
in Reno. The odds are 1 in 35,960.

Prepaying the Commission

Some casinos let the player prepay the 5% commission. For example, betting $105 to win $100. This lowers the overall commission to 1/21, or 4.76%. The effect on the house edge is a reduction of 0.07%. This is an option the player should always invoke when available, yet many don't.

Betting 10% Extra as Banker

Some casinos let the player bet up to 10% more than he wagered against the dealer the last time the dealer was the banker. Assuming the player is banking every other hand, this lowers the combined house edge between banking and not banking by 0.07%.

Co-Banking

The player may make a back wager on the player acting as banker up to the amount he bet against the dealer the last time the dealer was banking. However, the player will forfeit his own turn to bank if he invokes this option. This rule will not have an effect on the overall house edge if the player is trying to maximize his action as banker (which he should), but can make the game more enjoyable if playing with friends. Rather than sitting out a hand where your friend is banking you can co-bank with him, so you're always in the game.

Calculator

My pai gow calculator will tell you the expected value and/or strategy for any hand, with lots of other features including the effect of tiles known to be held by other players or your opponent.

Power Ratings

The following table shows the power ratings for each hand. There are four columns of power ratings, according to whether the hand is high or low, and whether the player is acting as banker or not. The power ratings are on a 0 to 100 scale, which represents the probability an opponent playing the Foxwoods house way will beat that hand.

A practical application of this table is to add the two power ratings for the three ways to set a hand, and set it the way with the highest power rating sum.

Power Ratings in Pai Gow

Hand	Low Hand Not Banking	High Hand Not Banking	Low Hand Banking	High Hand Banking
Gee joon	100	99	100	100
6/6 pair	100	98	100	99
1/1 pair	100	97	100	98
4/4 pair	100	96	100	97
1/3 pair	100	95	100	96
5/5 pair	100	94	100	95
3/3 pair	100	93	100	94
2/2 pair	100	92	100	93
5/6 pair	100	90	100	92
4/6 pair	100	89	100	90
1/6 pair	100	88	100	89
1/5 pair	100	87	100	88
Mixed 9 pair	100	86	100	87
Mixed 8 pair	100	85	100	86
Mixed 7 pair	100	84	100	85
Mixed 5 pair	100	83	100	84
Wong with 6/6	100	80	100	83
Wong with 1/1	99	78	100	80
Gong with 6/6	99	73	99	78
Gong with 1/1	99	67	99	73
9 with 6/6	98	61	99	67
9 with 1/1	97	54	98	61
9 with 4/4	97	53	97	54
9 with 1/3	96	50	97	53
9 with 5/5	96	49	96	50
9 with 3/3	95	47	96	49
9 with 2/2	94	45	95	47
9 with 5/6	94	44	94	45
9 with 4/6	93	43	94	44
9 with 1/5	92	42	93	43
8 with 6/6	90	40	92	42
8 with 1/1	89	39	90	40
8 with 4/4	88	38	89	39
8 with 1/3	87	35	88	38
8 with 5/5	86	35	87	35
8 with 5/6	84	33	86	35
8 with 4/6	84	32	84	33
8 with 2/3	82	31	84	32
7 with 6/6	82	31	82	31
7 with 1/1	81	30	82	31
7 with 4/4	81	29	81	30
7 with 1/2	79	28	81	29
7 with 5/5	78	26	79	28
7 with 3/3	76	25	78	26
7 with 2/2	75	24	76	25
7 with 5/6	72	22	75	24
7 with 4/6	71	21	72	22
7 with 3/6	69	20	71	21
6 with 6/6	68	19	69	20
6 with 1/1	67	18	68	19
6 with 4/4	66	17	67	18
6 with 5/5	61	15	66	17
6 with 3/3	60	15	61	15
6 with 5/6	59	14	60	15
6 with 4/6	56	13	59	14
6 with 1/6	55	12	56	13
6 with 3/6	54	12	55	12
5 with 4/4	52	11	54	12
5 with 1/3	51	10	52	11
5 with 5/5	49	10	51	10
5 with 3/3	48	9	49	10
5 with 2/2	47	8	48	9
5 with 4/6	45	8	47	8
5 with 1/6	44	7	45	8
5 with 1/5	43	7	44	7
5 with 3/6	42	7	43	7
5 with 2/6	40	6	42	7
4 with 6/6	40	6	40	6
4 with 4/4	37	5	40	6
4 with 1/3	33	5	37	5
4 with 5/5	31	4	33	5
4 with 3/3	30	4	31	4
4 with 2/2	29	4	30	4
4 with 1/6	27	3	29	4
4 with 1/5	26	3	27	3
4 with 3/6	25	3	26	3
4 with 2/6	24	3	25	3
3 with 6/6	24	3	24	3
3 with 1/1	23	2	24	3
3 with 4/4	22	2	23	2
3 with 1/3	21	2	22	2
3 with 3/3	20	1	21	2
3 with 2/2	19	1	20	1
3 with 1/6	18	1	19	1
3 with 1/5	18	1	18	1
3 with 2/6	17	1	18	1
3 with 3/4	17	1	17	1
2 with 6/6	16	0	17	1
2 with 1/1	16	0	16	0
2 with 4/4	14	0	16	0
2 with 1/3	14	0	14	0
2 with 3/3	12	0	14	0
2 with 2/2	12	0	12	0
2 with 1/6	11	0	12	0
2 with 3/4	11	0	11	0
1 with 1/3	10	0	11	0
1 with 5/5	9	0	10	0
1 with 3/3	8	0	9	0
1 with 2/2	7	0	8	0
1 with 5/6	6	0	7	0
1 with 1/5	5	0	6	0
Zero	0	0	5	0

The following graph shows how often the House Way will make each type of hand out of all 35960 combinations.

Suzie with a rare two pair.

Pai Gow Tiles Set

The House Way

I'm proud to provide the following pai gow house ways. Most of them were rewritten into my own words. The one from the MGM is taken directly from their own rules and procedures on the game:

MGM Grand (PDF -- 1,180 K)
Marina Bay Sands (Singapore) (PDF -- 483K)

Where to Play

The following is a list of games I am aware of in the U.S.. I'm sure there are some I don't know about. Feel free to tell me if you are aware of others.

Las Vegas: Aria, Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Encore, Harrah's, Lucky Dragon, MGM Grand, Mirage, Palace Station, Palazzo, Paris, Rio, Venetian, and Wynn. The Treasure Island and Mandalay Bay don't staff a table on a regular basis any longer, but may open one if a whale requests it.
Atlantic City: Most, if not all, casinos.
Connecticut: Mohegan Sun, Foxwoods.
Indiana: Hammond Horseshoe, Southern Indiana Horseshoe.
Lake Tahoe: Harrah's.
Maryland: Horseshoe Baltimore. (unconfirmed)
Pennsylvania: Sands Bethlehem, Mount Airy Casino in Mt Pocono (unconfirmed), Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs near Scranton (unconfirmed), Sugar House Casino in Philadelphia (unconfirmed), Valley Forge Casino near King of Prussia, and Parx Casino near Bensalem (unconfirmed).
Reno: Peppermill, Silver Legacy.

Play for Fun

Pai gow is a game that cries out for a way to practice before making a fool of yourself and blowing your money in a casino. For this reason please try my pai gow game.

Internal Links

The Legend Behind Pai Gow — The story behind the game.
Bonaza Pai Gow — Side bet seen at the Crown Casino in Melbourne.
Pair Fortunes — Side bet seen at the Palace Station in Las Vegas.
Pai Gow Game.
Pai Gow Calculator.

External Links

Pai Gow rules in Macau at WizardOfMacau.com.
Where to play Pai Gow at Harrah's properties.

Acknowledgements

Chinese Pai Gow

Pai Gow Without Tears by Bill Zender. The author kindly gave me a copy of his booklet to help with my research on pai gow. If you are interested in the book it may be purchased from the Gambler's Book Club for $20.00.
A Detailed Study of Pai Gow by Dr. John M.Gwynn, Jr. This study appears in the book Finding the Edge (Edited by Olaf Vancura, Judy A.Collins, and William R. Eadington).
The many people who supplied me with house ways, which are not easy to get.

Pai Gow Poker (pronounced pi gow) combines the elements of the ancient Chinese game of Pai Gow and the American game of poker. A relatively slow-paced game, Pai Gow Poker is played with a traditional deck of 52 playing cards, plus one joker. The joker can be used only as an ace, or to complete a straight, or a flush.

Each player at the table is dealt seven (7) cards which they will use to construct two (2) separate hands of two (2) cards and five (5) cards.

The five-card hand must be higher than the two-card hand (for example, if the two-card hand is a pair of sevens, the five-card hand must contain at least a pair of eights or higher).

The object of the game is for both of the player's two-card hand and five-card hand to rank higher than both of the Banker's two hands. Should one hand rank exactly the same as the Banker's hand, this is a tie and the Banker wins all tie hands.

If the player wins one hand, but loses the other, this is considered a 'push' and no money exchanges hands. Winning hands are paid even money, less a five percent commission. Losing hands lose the money wagered.

Normal poker rankings will be used. Any exact copy hand (tie) will be given to the banker. Exact copy hands occur when both the player and the banker's cards (in either the two-card hand or five-card hand) are the same value.

How to Play Pai Gow Poker in Las Vegas

Basic Rules: The Pai Gow Poker deck will consist of 53 cards which includes a Joker. The Joker is wild when used in straights, flushes and straight flushes. If used alone the Joker becomes an Ace.

The dealer shuffles the cards and deals seven hands of seven cards each, face down in front of the dealer's tray. The dealer checks that exactly four cards are left over, then places those cards in the discard holder.

A dice cup containing three dice is shaken by the Banker to determine who receives the first hand. Before the dice are uncovered, all bets must be in the betting circle. In Pai Gow Poker, the Banker's position is always 1,8 or 15. The dealer counts from the Banker's position. The cards will then be placed by the dealer in front of each player-including the dealer-in a clockwise rotation from the starting ping indicated by the dice.

Casino Pai Gow Tiles Rules

Each player arrange the seven cards dealt to them into the two hands, one hand will contain five cards and is known as the high hand; the other hand will contain two cards and is the second highest hand. The house dealer does not look at the cards until all players and player/Banker have set their hands in the designated space face down. The house dealer then turns his cards over and sets his hand in front of the tray face up. The player/Banker's hand is compared to the house dealer's hand first.

Winning hands are left lying face up next to the betting circle. For losing hands, the wager is picked up by the dealer and the cards are placed in the discard holder. Losing wagers are set in the center of the layout. If the player wins one hand and loses the other, this is considered a push and no money exchanges hands. Tis is the part that makes Pai Gow Poker slower than other games of chance. There are frequent rounds (up to 40% of rounds, in fact) in which no one wins and playing time is simply extended.

Note: If a player touches his hand after the banker has exposed his hand, that player's hand is considered a loser. Any hand 'Set Foul' (if the two-card hand is higher in ranking than the five-card hand, or if the two-card hand contains more or less than two cards) is also considered a loser.

Pai Gow Poker Tips & Strategy

Here's a great tip from expert player Matt Villano to avoid losing in a streak:
Every casino table game can get streaky; pai gow is no exception. Because the push rate is so high (again, north of 41 percent), it's a good rule to leave the table if you lose three hands in a row.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.

Players Club Cards

Be Warned:

Pai Gow Poker Tiles Rules

This website encourages you to play responsibly by betting within your limits and by recognizing that over time the house will come out ahead.

Pai Gow Tiles Practice