Pros and cons of Pai Gow Poker online
While Pai Gow Poker is a lot of fun, it’s not perfect. Let’s look at the pros and cons of choosing Pai Gow over traditional poker.
Pai Gow Poker: Pros and Cons
- Simple and quick to play
- Room for interesting strategy
- Play for free or real money
- Not available at many casinos
What is Pai Gow Poker online?
You may have played different types of
Poker Online, but you might not have seen Pai Gow Poker until very recently. It will appeal to many poker players as it combines many elements they are familiar with, and adds new elements of strategy that will pique the interest of anyone looking for something a bit different.
If you have played traditional poker before, many of the rules of Pai Gow will sound familiar. This guide will explain the game so that both poker veterans and beginners will be able to start playing Pai Gow with confidence.
How to play Pai Gow Poker online
The first thing you need to know is that Pai Gow Poker Is not played with a 52 card deck, but with 53 as a joker is added. This joker is wild to complete a flush, straight or create 5-of-a-kind, or simply acts as an ace.
You are dealt seven of these cards which you then divide into one of 5 cards (your high hand) and one of two cards (your low hand). The dealer does the same, and you can go with any combination as long as your higher hand is stronger than your lower hand. You win if both your hands beat the dealers, you lose if both of there’s beat yours, and if you have one winning hand each, it’s a push, and funds are returned:
| High hand winner | Low hand winner | Result |
| Player | Player | Player Wins |
| Player | Dealer | Push |
| Dealer | Player | Push |
| Dealer | Dealer | Dealer Wins |
How to win when playing Pai Gow Poker online
The winning hand is decided by conventional poker hand hierarchy, which I’ve included for anyone who is new to playing poker online, and of course noting the addition of the ‘wild’ joker:
- 5-of-a-kind
- Royal flush
- Straight flush
- 4-of-a-kind
- Full house
- Flush
- Straight
- 3-of-a-kind
- Two pair
- Pair
- High card
Should both the player and the dealer have the same value hand, the dealer will typically win.
Pai Gow Poker Betting
The betting will look familiar to those who often play
Blackjack Online, because if you win, you will have your stake plus the same amount again, minus the house edge, which is often 5%. So if you bet $20 and won with both low and high hands, you’d receive a total of $39. In the case of a push, you’d have your stake returned, and if you lost both hands you would get nothing.
Pai Gow Poker Strategy
The game is relatively simple to learn and play, but it still leaves plenty of room for strategy. Of course, which cards you get will be random, but once you have them, the main strategy is how you divide them to create your two hands. Depending on what you were dealt, you could attempt to create two strong hands to win, or concentrate on getting a stronger higher hand so at least you won’t lose.
This gives you room to choose a strategy that matches your playing style and attitude to risk. The rules also make it so that many games will end as a push, making the game somewhat less punishing for new players. Though of course, you’re always better off playing free Pai Gow poker until you learn the rules of the game.
Playing Pai Gow Poker online
Now you know what to expect, it’s about how and where you want to play, and what you want to play for. While you can play the video version of this game, by far the most popular way to play is at a live casino. I’ll say right now that you won’t find Pai Gow Poker everywhere, especially if you want to play Pai Gow Poker for free, but the better online casinos will have it on their games roster.
When you play at a live casino, you are playing via video feed with a live dealer, and the cards and play you see is real and actually happening, and I’ve found this provides the best experience.
Where can you find free Pai Gow Poker?
There are plenty of ways to play Pai Gow poker for free while you’re still learning the rules. First of all, many online casinos will allow you to play some games in demo mode so you can see what happens before you risk any of your money.
If you’re in the US, you can also try playing at a sweepstakes casino. Those sites will always have a way for you to play their games for free. These casinos won’t always offer Pai Gow Poker as readily as blackjack or
baccarat online, but you can play for free there and hone your skills at minimum risk. If you are not sure which option might be best for you, the banners on this page can give you some pointers for the best solution where you are.
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Where is the best place to play Pai Gow Poker online?
While your options might be a little more limited than if you chose to play one of the more well-known table games, the extra dimension added by Pai Gow Poker rules makes it worth the extra effort of finding the right place to play. Having limited options doesn’t mean you have to sign up with the first casino you come across though, as there are several factors you need to take into account before you get started:
Make Sure the Casino is Legit 👍
This involves reading the T&Cs to make sure you are not breaking any laws or wasting your time signing up on a platform you ultimately can’t play on. The small print should have the details you need, but don’t forget to use the reviews and recommendations you’ll find here. Remember: the banners on this page will only show you casinos that are available in your region, so they’re a good place to start.
Pick the Best Welcome Bonus 🎁
By best I don’t always mean the biggest. Some welcome bonuses are hard to claim, will have loads of requirements and might not be suited for Pai Gow Poker players, as it might not contribute much to any playthrough requirements, if anything at all.
If you are going to be playing over the long term, you’ll want to know what’s in it for you if you stay around. Many casinos will have a loyalty or VIP program, but they are not all created equal so you need to find one that fits your playing style. There will also be other promotions, but again look to see if Pai Gow Poker is included among them, as it is more of a niche table game than
Craps Online
or roulette. It’s also good to look for refer-a-friend programs that can get you extra rewards for introducing others to your chosen online casino.
Ensure You Can Find Your Way Around 🧭
It might seem like common sense, but you need to make sure the platform you pick is easy to find your way around, It’s not just that a niche game like Pai Gow Poker might be tucked away somewhere, it’s also about ease of payments and getting hold of customer support. Take a look around to make sure the platform has the right feel for what you want.
Top takeaways for playing Pai Gow Poker online
That’s everything covered you need to get started, but as with playing any table games online, whether it is for free or for real money, there are some key takeaways:
- Stay in control – set a budget for your gameplay each day/week/month and do not exceed it. Look for help if you feel you are not as in control as you want to be.
- Set time limits – also budget your time and don’t let playing stop you from working, looking after yourself or spending time with family or friends.
- Don’t get emotional – emotional betting rarely ends well, so walk away if think you are chasing losses
- Make sure you know the hierarchy of poker hands – remember it’s different for Pai Gow Poker, and make sure you know how the joker works
- Learn the ropes – practice if you can first by playing demos or for free, the only wager small amounts until you have a full grip of the rules
- Perfect your strategy – Pai Gow Poker can be all about how you divide your hands, so make sure you spend time working on a strategy that works for you
Conclusion – add to your online casino experience with Pai Gow Poker
Poker is a perennial favorite at online casinos in many countries, but Pai Gow Poker does not get the recognition it deserves. It adds an extra element of strategy that you might not have seen before, yet it is simple enough to play so you can get started in minutes.
One of the best things about this poker variant is that it is a low-impact game that beginners could take to easily. The biggest issue, however, is that this game can be hard to find, as it is lesser-known and not as popular as other table games.
However, Pai Gow Poker is definitely fun enough to be worth the effort of finding a casino that carries it. And you can click the banners on this page to find a platform where you can play and place your bets on this fun poker variant.
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Pai Gow Poker online FAQs
🃏 Is Pai Gow Poker complicated to play?
With the prospect of 53 cards and two hands to play with, Pai Gow poker might seem too complicated for beginners but that’s not the case at all. It’s simple and easy to learn, especially if you already know the rules of traditional poker.
💻 Where can you play Pai Gow Poker online?
Pai Gow Poker is a table game, most commonly found in the live casino area of any given online casino. As it is still quite a niche game, it is not as common as baccarat or blackjack so you need to pick where to play carefully.
✋ What is a ‘push’ in Pai Gow poker?
In Pai Gow Poker, you have a high and a low hand, and they must both beat the dealer’s hands to win. The dealer must also win both hands to take your stake. If you win one hand each, this is called a push and stakes are returned for the next game.
⚖️ Is Pai Gow Poker legal to play online?
As with all online casino games, there are plenty of licensed and regulated platforms where you could potentially play for real money or for free. Whether or not this will be legal will depend on the local legislation where you are as rules will vary between countries and even states.
