Pai Gow is a popular casino game based on Chinese Dominoes. Due to its popularity with Asian gamblers, the game is becoming more widespread in the UK. And you can even find freeplay games at some of the best online casinos.

If you're not too familiar with the game, think of it a little like poker, except there are two hands to make instead of one. Beat both the Dealer's hands and you win - it's that simple.

Pai Gow is a great game to try out for free and you'll find plenty of games online in 2016.

The Chinese have been playing Pai Gow with dominos since ancient times. Once East met West, however, Pai Gow Poker was born. Credit is given to Sam Torosian, who headed up the California Bell Club card room, for popularizing the new game and helping everyone figure out how to enjoy Pai Gow. Online Pai Gow Poker for Real Money Pai Gow poker is a slow-paced card game based on the rules of Chinese Pai Gow dominoes. One Pai Gow poker table can accommodate multiple players, and their objective is to defeat the dealer’s hand.

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History of Online Pai Gow

Pai Gow is a Chinese casino game traditionally played with a set of 32 dominoes. It's hugely popular at Macau casinos, but also around Australia and some London casinos.

Pai Gow Poker first appeared in Californian cardrooms in the 1980s. It took on the facets of the ancient dominoes game - making sets of 'hands' or tiles - and added a poker twist.

The game continued to be popular in LA casinos like the Bicycle and Commerce, as well as its nearest cousin, Super-9.

Exciting variants continued to be developed, including Pai Gow Mania which allowed side bets on each hand. Emperors Challenge awards a side bet if the player's seven cards make no hand (a 'Pai Gow').

Available for free at most online casinos, Pai Gow Poker is a great game if you're already familiar with Chinese Poker. It can also be played as a Live Dealer variant at some casinos. Here, you play against a human croupier directing the action from a live casino setting or studio.

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How to Play Pai Gow Online

Pai Gow is played between you and the dealer. 53 cards are used (a standard deck of cards plus one joker).

Both you and the dealer are dealt seven cards. With these you have to form two poker hands, one with five cards and one 2-card hand.

The five-card hand is the 'High', and the 2-card hand the 'Low'. The Low can never be better than the high hand. For example, you wouldn't be able to have a pair of sixes in the High and a pair of sevens in the Low.

The usual poker rankings are used to decide whose High hand is best:

• Royal Flush
• Straight Flush
• Four of a Kind
• Full House
• Flush
• Straight
• Three of a Kind
• Two Pair
• One Pair
• High Card

For the Low Hand, the best hand is a pair of aces, then kings, queens, jacks, etc. If you don't have a pair, the value goes on the quality of the high card. So, A-K would be the best non-pair hand, followed by A-Q, A-J, and so on. 3-2 is the worst Low hand.

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Placing Bets: To kick things off, you need to place a bet. The area is clearly displayed on-screen; just drag the chips to the spot to place a bet. You can also place an additional 'bonus' bet. Bonus payouts (see below) are paid immediately if you've hit three-of-a-kind or better.

Now, you need to divide your cards into two hands. Select the two cards you want to form your Low and the five you want to form your High. You can also decide to click on the 'House Way' option if you like. This allows the casino to automatically split your hands the best way possible.

To win, BOTH your hands must be better than the Dealer's. If just one of your hands beats the Dealer's, your bet 'pushes' and is saved to the next hand. If the Dealer beats both your hands you lose.

Using the Joker: If you get the Joker, you can use this to substitute for any other card in the deck. However, it can only be used to form a straight, flush, straight flush, or Royal Flush. If you don't, it will count as an ace.

Payouts: If you beat the Dealer's hands, you win even-money, or 1/1. However, there's a 5 percent cut (commission) taken from any payout. This is the house's edge over the player. In effect, the real payout is 19/20.

Bonus Payouts: If you've placed a bonus bet, you'll earn special payouts if you hit a winning bonus hand. Bonus hand payouts are as follows:

7-card Straight Flush (e.g. 5-6-7-8-9-10-J all hearts): 8,000-1
Royal Flush and 2-2 (e.g. 10-J-Q-K-A hearts plus a pair of twos): 2,000-1
7-card Straight Flush including Joker: 1,000-1
Five aces (four aces plus the Joker): 400-1
Royal Flush (10-J-Q-K-A same suit): 150-1
Straight Flush (e.g. 2-3-4-5-6 same suit): 50-1
Four of a Kind (e.g. four Jacks): 25-1
Full House (3-of-a-kind plus a pair): 4-1
Three of a Kind (e.g. 3-3-3): 3-1
Straight (e.g. 4-5-6-7-8 different suits): 2-1

Example Hand:

You get dealt Qh-Qc-9h-As-2h-Jd-3d

Pai Gow Online

Immediately you have a strong pair. You place the pair in the High hand, and the two highest single cards in your Low Hand. There are no flushes or straights out there, and you want to save the ace to make a high Low.

HIGH: Qh-Qc-9h-3d-2h

LOW: As-Jd

The dealer turns over his cards and he has garbage. He has As-Ks-10s-8c-7s-5c-4h. The dealer is obliged to play the 'House Way', which is the set optimum way of 'setting', or arranging his cards.

In fact, he has a 'Pai Gow' hand, a hand that contains no pairs. He can't even make a flush with his four spades. He is forced to play the two highest cards in his five-card hand.

The dealer places his hands like this:

HIGH: As-Ks-10s-8c-7s

LOW: 5c-4h

The player manages to beat both the High and Low, and wins the bet.

Online Pai Gow Top Tips

1 - Sorting Your Highs and Lows

As you only win of BOTH your hands win, it's important to split your cards the right way. It's important to balance your cards between the two hands. Players often go for a very strong five-card hand and forget all about their two-card hand. But you have to remember that BOTH hands need to beat the dealer to win. Make sure your Low contains an ace unless it's being used to form a straight flush or other bonus hand.

2 - Don't Get Carried Away With a Full House

A full house is a great hand in poker, but in Pai Gow it can get you into trouble. A full house is a very particular hand, and makes a great 5-card hand. However, it will leave your Low Hand very exposed. It's better to split the 3-of-a-kind and pair into the High and Low and hope to beat the Dealer that way.

3 - Don't Be Afraid to Use the 'House Way'

The House Way is the optimum strategy for that hand. In a land-based casino you can ask the Dealer for advice. Online, just click the House Way button and the software will split your cards the best way possible.

Pai Gow Glossary

Bet - Wager placed on a hand
Bonus Bet - Extra bet which pays out if you hit special hands
Bottom Hand - The five-card High Hand
Commission - Percentage of a payout the casino takes as a fee
Croupier - Dealer in a live casino
Dealer - Croupier in charge of the game. The computer assumes the role of the dealer in an online Pai Gow game
Fee - Casino's cut from a payout
Forward Hand - The Low Hand
High Hand / Highest - The player's five-card poker hand
House Edge - The statistical advantage the casino has over the players
House Way - The optimum strategy for playing a Pai Gow hand
Joker - A single card that substitutes for all other cards
Low Hand - 2-card hand that is inferior to the High hand
Pai Gow Hand - A bad hand where the player or dealer can't make a pair
Play - Action button that moves the game along
Push - Your bet carries forward to the next hand
Rebet - Place the same bet on the next hand
Second Highest - The 2-card Low hand
Set - Place your cards into Pai Gow hands
Top Hand - The 2-card, or Low, Hand
Wager - Bet on a game of Pai Gow
Wild card - Joker that is used to replace any other card

Whether you’ve played pai gow before or are interested in learning how to play but have been a little hesitant to sit down in person, real money pai gow may be just what you’re looking for. You can get the exact same excitement and rush that you get playing in a brick and mortar casino right from the comfort of your own home. Not only that, but the money that you can win is just as real as when you win in the casino!

To get started, check out one of the top online casinos offering pai gow poker action below and you’ll be playing for real money in minutes!

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Now, maybe you’re brand new to pai gow or have never played it anywhere else other than in the casino. If that’s the case, we completely understand that you want to get a little more information about how it all works before you jump into the action for real. To help you out, we’re going to cover everything you need to know about online real money pai gow poker in the next few sections. We’ll talk about how it matches with playing in person, the top tips you should know before you sit down at the virtual tables, and how you can get started today.

If you’ve played pai gow in the casinos, you may be wondering what it’s like to play the game for real money online. If you’ve never played before and are trying to decide between playing online or in person, you’re probably going to be interested in some of this information as well. In this section, we’re going to break down some of the major differences between real money pai gow played in person versus playing it online. While the game is exactly the same, the experience is going to be slightly different. The important thing is determining which you prefer.

The biggest perk to playing pai gow online is the fact that you’ll never have to wait for a seat and you’re never going to have issues with the casino bumping the limits too high for what you’re comfortable playing with. You see, when you play pai gow online, you are given your own table. (You do have the option of playing with others if that’s something you want to do). But, for the most part, because everything is done digitally, they can give you your own table.

This means you’re never going to be waiting for a seat in the game. If you’ve ever been to a busy casino, you know the pai gow tables are usually limited, and the people that play the game typically play for a long period of time in one sitting. This means that if you don’t get there early enough or get lucky, you’re not going to get to play. Online, though, you’ll always be able to find a seat in the game.

Additionally, the limits are going to vary greatly between playing online and in person. In person, you’re usually going to have to play at least $10-$15 a hand when the casino isn’t busy, and that may go up from there if they are busy because they want to ensure the higher limit players are getting priority. Online, though, you can play real money pai gow for extremely low stakes, if you want. We’re talking $1 a hand, sometimes even lower. You’re never going to see these types of limits in person because the casino would lose money having to pay for the dealer and the tablespace on the floor.

All of this means you’re never going to have a problem getting the exact pai gow action you want at the time you want to play. No more waiting in line or hawking over tables hoping to grab a seat if someone decides to get up.

Playing in the casino can be intimidating for a lot of new pai gow players. You might not be the quickest at setting your hand, or you might have to ask for help every time it’s your turn. This can make you even more nervous when there are other players at the table, which is just not helpful for getting you to go any faster. While most dealers and other players are accommodating, it’s still not ideal for newer players or players who like ensure they’ve made no mistakes.

When you play real money pai gow online, though, you have your own table and a virtual dealer. This means you are free to take as long as you want to set your hands and play your turn. If you’re new, this is awesome. You don’t have to worry about any other players giving you a hard time or everyone staring at you while you decide how to play your hands. If you’re a player who likes to relax and take their time, this is also awesome because you set the pace of play.

This is not just a perk for pai gow players who like to play slower. This is a perk for those of you out there who are quick at setting your hands and want to get into the action as quickly as possible. When you play online, as soon as your hand is set you can click to see the dealer’s hand and let the action play out. This means you can get in way more hands per hour than you could at a live table with other players, if that’s what you’re seeking.

The bottom line is that you control the pace of play when it comes to online real money pai gow. Go as quickly or slowly as you want.

Unlike games like craps or roulette, pai gow is a much more controlled game environment with less of a social aspect. Still, there are times that you play in the casino where you get to interact with the dealer and other players. If that social aspect is important to you, you may want to keep playing in person because you’re not really going to get that online.

If you’re more concerned about having fun and playing the game, then you’ll love playing online. Online takes away all of the distractions of the smoky casino, the drunks running around spilling drinks, and all of the distracting commotion. If you are concerned with playing well and not making any mistakes, you’re going to enjoy this aspect of online pai gow.

We do have a few recommendations if this section has you torn on which is best for you. First, you can always play both options. We know a lot of pai gow players who will play online when they don’t have the time to get away to the casino but will play at the casino when they’re looking for a night out with some social interaction. Second, you can always look at Live Dealer pai gow poker, which is an online variation of the game that actually utilizes a real dealer and allows other players from around the world at the table.

The last thing we’d like to cover before we send you out to the virtual felt is a list of several tips for playing online real money pai gow. While the game you’re playing is identical, there are a few things you can do to enhance the quality of your online experience. While these are not technically strategy tips, they can, and will, save you money and increase your chances of leaving the virtual tables a winner.

Even if you’re a big-time player with a lot of experience playing pai gow, we highly recommend you play a few hands at the play money tables before you start playing for real money. If you’re a brand new player, this is highly advised. There are several reasons we recommend this to players of all skill levels when they come to a new online casino.

First, there are going to be different buttons and controls to set your hands and make your bets. While these are almost always user-friendly and pretty simple to operate, we think you should do your learning when there’s no real money on the line. If you make a mistake, it’s not going to cost you any money. Second, if you’re new to the game, you should get a little practice on how to set your hands when there is no money on the line. Learning is better when it’s free, don’t you agree?

For experienced players, this will probably only take you a few minutes and a few hands to clear out any issues. After that, you can jump over and start playing with real money.

For newer pai gow players, you might want to spend a few more minutes with the play money, just to get the hang of things. When should you make the jump to real money? Well, when you’re comfortable.

Once you understand the controls and know how to set your hands, you can jump over and start confidently playing for real money. Remember, you can also start with very low limits to continue the learning process and increase them as you see fit.

Online real money pai gow is not going anywhere anytime soon, so take your time and make sure that you get started the right way.

If you’re a brand new player, you might have some trouble setting your hands at times. If you look around the web, there are several tools that can help set your hand for you as well as strategy and advice articles that can break down the optimal strategy. Initially, you should try using some of these tools and resources to make sure you aren’t making any costly mistakes and giving the casino an even bigger edge.

Once you get more comfortable and confident in what you’re doing, you can let the crutches go, and you’ll be a rock star on your own. But, there’s no reason to give the casino your money just because you’re new to the game. This is something you can’t really do when you play in person, so definitely take advantage of being able to do this when you play online or from your smartphone.

Getting Started Today

The only thing left for you to do now is pick out an online casino and give it a try. Remember, we’ve provided an awesome list of great sites at the top of the page to help get you started. Pick out one of those casinos and get yourself into the action now! Also, remember that you can take things slow and don’t have to dive in headfirst. Start with play money, and when you’re comfortable, you can jump over and start playing for real money.

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Good luck!