Why play Online Pai Gow?

As stated above, Pai Gow is a slow-paced casino game, suited to the casino enthusiast who prefers a calm, leisurely game. But land-based casinos are rarely, if ever conducive to this sort of atmosphere. They’re busy, loud, somewhat chaotic and purposely keep you on your toes and reaching for your wallet. The atmosphere when playing online, much of which is up to the player him/herself, is certainly favourable for players who are more likely to enjoy a game of Pai Gow. There are no fellow players eager for you to speed up your play and thought process; no distracting waitresses offering beverages that affect your game; no unruly array of sounds emanating from hundreds or slot machines in the background. The less distracted you are, the less errors you will make and the better your chances of winning at Pai Gow.

General friendliness is another big factor. There may be more social interaction in a land-based casino, but which land-based casino will allow you to take a time-out and ask the dealer or fellow players for some advice? Which land-based casino will advise you to practice before you play? Which land-based casino will allow you to play for free (or for next-to-nothing table limits)? Which land-based casino offers 24/7 customer help regarding everything that has to do with your Pai Gow experience? Which land-based casino will allow you to keep a record of hands and strategy with you while you play? In a land-based casino, you’re either ready to play with your money in hand and your strategy memorised, or you’re not playing at all; this is not the case in an online casino.

Where can I play Online Pai Gow?

Finding an online casino that offers Pai Gow is not hard at all; it’s a very popular poker variant after all. But different online casinos offer different variance rates and different house edges when it comes to Pai Gow. Some offer better promotions and player bonuses than others, some offer a wider range of banking options than others, some offer better client support… Online casino vary on many fronts and it is important that each player finds the right one for him/her.

How to play Online Pai Gow

Online Pai Gow is based on Poker, but it’s not like any other Poker game you’ve played. There are several differences. You are dealt seven cards from which you are required to form two playable hands (a 5-card backhand and a 2-card front hand); you play against a banker rather than against several different players; an A,2,3,4,5-straight beats any other straight except for a 10,J,Q,K, A-straight; and a single joker card acts as a semi-wild card, only replacing an A or being used to complete a straight or flush. If you'd like to learn how to play Pai Gow Poker, head to our page on the game's rules where you'll be able to learn the A to Zs of how to play it along with the different hands in Pai Gow Poker and of course the pay-outs. If you want to understand how to play online pai gow in depth, then read up on the pai gow poker terms to really know how to use the lingo when you play.

Pai Gow Strategy

Playing perfect Pai Gow is not at all easy. In fact, Pai Gow involves some relatively complex strategy in comparison to other casino games. Nevertheless, one may utilize good strategy to play close to a perfect game without too much difficulty. Our separate Pai Gow Strategy page guides you through the basic Pai Gow strategy and presents the different scenarios Pai Gow players may find themselves in while playing and adds examples to each. It also presents a detailed account of Pai Gow terminology, as well as a history of the game to satisfy your curiosity and interest. If you take some time and read up on the strategy, Pai Gow is one of the most interesting casino games you will play. It’s a hidden gem of the casino world.

Pai Gow History

Pai Gow is, alongside Keno, China's biggest contribution to the casino industry. In the old version of the game, the domino tiles were separated into different groups which symbolized military and civilian units. This in itself reminds us of China's history of being a highly militarized country. In its early form, Pai Gow was a quite complicated game, to say the least, however, as time passed, Pai Gow took different forms in different parts of the world. In the late 20th century, Fred Wolf introduced Pai Gow Poker, or double-handed poker, in California. The game became an instant hit and it didn't take long before it was introduced to Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Nowadays, you can play Pai Gow Poker in casinos all over the world and it's also quite popular in online casinos.