Pai Gow poker is a variant of the traditional game of Pai Gow created in 1985. Being upfront and honest, Pai Gow isn’t the easiest of games to get to grips with, and you will end up with a lot of push rounds that can frustrate some players. However, if you stick with it and play through the pushes, you can slowly build up a nice pile of cash. It’s a relaxing game and can be played at your own pace, whether you play Pai Gow online or at a land-based casino.

Wherever you decide to play Pai Gow, you’re going to need some tips – especially if you’re a novice. A great hand can quickly go pear-shaped and turn into a loss if you play the wrong cards at the wrong moment. Listen up and pay attention, as here comes BitStarz Casino’s top tips for winning in Pai Gow.

Picking Your Hands

In Pai Gow, you’re dealt seven cards, two of which you have to remove and play as a second hand. Your second hand can’t be a better hand than your first hand with five cards – meaning if you play a pair as your second hand, you need to have a higher pair or better in your first hand.

If you only have a high card, it’s worth keeping the high card in the first hand and sacrificing the second hand. It’s better to build one strong hand rather than play two weak ones. This is more likely to result in one hand winning and the other hand being a push – meaning you don’t lose the stake. This mindset and gameplay style is why Pai Gow can take some time to play before you bag yourself a big win – it does have a somewhat complex reputation after all.

If you’re playing Pai Gow at a land-based casino you can make your two card hand out rank your five card hand. If you do this, it’s called “fouling your hand” and you will forfeit the hand as a result. Thankfully, online Pai Gow will stop this from happening – you’re welcome.

Know Your Opponent

During a game of Pai Gow you play against the dealer, not other players. If you’re playing in a land-based casino this can pay off as a huge advantage for you as a player. Learn how the dealer builds his or her decks, and you can start to notice a pattern of which hand they pack to the nines if they only have one good hand. You can then formulate a strategy to play the opposite hand as your strong hand and go for the push.

When you master the art of setting up your hands, you can cut the house edge down to a tiny 2.8%. Pai Gow isn’t the easiest card game around, so if you’re fresh to the world of online casino play, we recommend you start with something simple like Blackjack to get into the swing of things. Don’t forget, every hand you play in Pai Gow will earn you points to climb up the Table Wars leaderboard. If you make it into the top 30, you will earn a slice of €1,000 every week!