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Home » Vegas Betting Guide » How to play Pai Gow Poker in Vegas

How to play Pai Gow Poker in Vegas

By Chris Wassel
Updated July 1, 2024

A common misconception Vegas visitors have about poker is that it’s all the same game. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Poker has many variations and you see that in Las Vegas. In this article, we want to focus on a less common variant called Pai Gow Poker. Well, this is actually very famous in Eastern Asia, but the West is less in the know about it.

So what is Pai Gow Poker? How do you play it? These are all important questions about the online casino game, which we’ll get into in this article. 

Playing Pai Gow Poker in Las Vegas

The Pai Gow poker rules are fairly simple and require just a traditional deck of 52 cards, plus a joker. The use of a joker is unusual for poker games. It can be used only as an ace, or to complete a straight, or a flush.

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Each player is dealt 7 cards, which they will use to construct two separate hands of two cards and five cards. In order for the hands to be valid, the 5-card hand must equate to something higher than the 5-card hand. 

A big part of Pai Gow’s poker strategy is related to fully understanding the principle rules of the game, which are an oversight for many players—notably new players. The basic idea of the game is for both of the players’ two-card and five-card hands to rank higher than the Banker’s hands. In the case of a tie, the banker wins.

How to play Gow Poker in Las Vegas (offline)

In terms of how to play Pai Gow poker in Vegas, it couldn’t be easier. The popularity of the game means that it’s easy to find a casino providing Pai Gow poker to customers, especially for those bettors interested in gaming around the strip. There is an almost endless list of casinos on offer to avid Gow Poker players, but some of the most popular are the Venetian and CG technology bookmakers.

Our best advice to players in Las Vegas would be to ensure they go with a casino that’s reliable and offers a fair range of odds and betting opportunities on games like Gow Poker. There are so many casinos available that it can be difficult to distinguish one from the next, so be sure to take what we said into consideration when looking for Pai Gow poker Vegas table games. 

As you’d expect, playing this poker variant on the Strip is on the pricier side since table minums are quite high. Casinos off the Strip have cheaper get-in prices for Gow Poker.

How to play Gow Poker online

For those looking to experience the excitement of Pai Gow poker online, we’d strongly advise taking into consideration the bookmakers we mention in our online betting guide. These include the likes of Cafe Casino and Slots LV Casino to name a few. 

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Pai Gow poker Vegas card games are popular online, with many operators offering some of the best Gai Pow poker in online Vegas casinos. Looking through our Vegas betting guide, you’ll find that there is some invaluable information in there for bettors who are interested in playing other popular casino games.

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How to play pai gow poker in vegas

Players have two hands and they win one but not the other, then the result is a push and no money is exchanged. Winning hands are paid at even money, with the house taking less than 5% in most casinos.

There is a dice cup containing three dice, which is shaken by the banker in order to see who receives the first hand. The dealer counts from the banker’s position. The cards are then dealt in an anti-clockwise rotation. 

Players then arrange the seven cards dealt with them into two hands, one hand will contain five cards and is known as the high hand. Once the cards have been put into hands, the dealer will then turn their cards. Winning hands are left face up next to the betting circle. An important thing to notice is if the player touches their hands before the dealer’s hand is exposed the hand is forfeit and automatically loses. 

Pai Gow FAQs

Can you beat the big dealer Pai Gow?

Of course! The dealer is often beaten, just as you would see in a game like Blackjack. Dealers are beaten all the time. 

Where is the best place to play Pai Gow online?

We cannot define where the very best place is for betting. However, we have a recommended list of online casino providers, so it’s worth looking through the various casinos offering Pai Gow. 

Can you make small bets on Pai Gow?

Yeah, some of the entry fees for Pai Gow are really low, which means bettors can get access to the tables for very little and make small bets throughout. 

Is Pai Gow popular in Vegas?

Pai Gow is totally available in Las Vegas, as bettors can make the most of this great version of poker at a variety of top casinos.

The best casino for Pai Gow in Vegas?

There are a whole host of casinos available for poker betting. We have a number of recommendations in this article as well as on our homepage, take a look!

Chris Wassel

Chris Wassel

Chris Wassel is someone who has covered a little bit of everything: business, writing, sports, food, grilling, the Olympics, injuries, politics, and more. He has climbed mountains like Mount Washington and Mount San Jacinto in Palm Springs, California, and for those who don’t know, he is also big into food challenges. With friends like Joey Chestnut and Casey Webb, Chris has tackled eating feats like finishing a 16-pound turkey or a 32-inch meat lover's pizza. Since 2013, he has focused on fitness, fishing, and sports while managing to fit in running, hiking, rock climbing, and even the occasional mini-triathlon. He can lift more than his body weight with ease and is the person you turn to when you want to know if a NASCAR rain delay means a Monday race. Over his career, Chris has worked at places like Amazon, USA Today, and various rumors and fantasy sports sites. He has been nominated for awards such as the Fantasy Sports Writers Association's Hockey Writer of the Year and has a collection of high-stakes fantasy trophies and rings on display at home. With all this, Chris sums it up best with his motto: "Shut up and play."

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