Gow Poker
Pai Gow poker is played with a standard English deck of 52 cards plus the joker, or bug. The joker can only be used as an ace or a card that completes a straight or flush. Players and the dealer receive seven cards they place into two hands: five cards and two cards. The five-card hand must be of a higher total rank than the two-card hand. Pai Gow Poker has become one of the most popular casino table games. It involves the player competing against the banker to make the better low and high hand than the house. This is a slow-paced, relaxing. Pai Gow Poker, also called Double Hand Poker, is a version of Pai Gow played with cards instead of Chinese dominoes, or pai gows. While a fun game to play, understanding its fundamentals can be a bit tricky in the beginning. Pai Gow poker was invented and patented in the United States in the 1980s by Fred Wolf. This format is one of the many varieties of poker. Pai Gow rules are very different from the classic poker version.
Pai Gow Poker has become one of the most popular casino table games. It involves the player competing against the banker to make the better low and high hand than the house.
This is a slow-paced, relaxing game. The low number of hands dealt per hour and the number of pushes keep players in the game longer. Some consider it a great way to get comp drinks with little risk.
There are five types of Pai Gow Poker in Las Vegas. Each is a bit different. All is explained below, along with details of which casinos offer Pai Gow Poker.
Pai Gow Poker Variants in Las Vegas
Fortune Pai Gow is based on the traditional version of the game. Players may bank this game. The button moves around the table.
Banking is optional. Winners pay a five percent commission on all wins.
Emperor’s Challenge Pai Gow
Emperor’s Challenge is another Pai Gow Poker variant that is based on the original game. Like Fortune, players may bank and pay a five percent commission on wins.
The difference between Fortune and Emperor’s Challenge is the side bets.
Pai Gow Plus is another classic variant.
It is essentially the original version of the game.
Face Up Pai Gow
Face Up Pai Gow now accounts for about two-thirds of the Pai Gow Poker installs in Las Vegas. That is an incredible feat considering the game did not exist a few years ago.
Pai Gow Poker Bonus Payouts
In Face Up Pai Gow, the dealer looks at the house hand before players act. If the dealer has an ace high pai gow, the hand pushes. If the dealer has any other hand, it is set face up and players set their hands accordingly.
This version turns a skill game into pure luck.
There is no commission on wins in Face Up Pai Gow. Players may not bank.
This was the first version of Pai Gow Poker that eliminated the five percent commission on wins. The dealer pushes if the house has a queen high pai gow. Players may not bank. There is no commission on wins.
Best Las Vegas Casinos for Pai Gow Poker
There are many variables that go into what makes a Las Vegas casino the best one for Pai Gow Poker. Some players have a specific variant in mind. To others, the ambience and minimum bet matters more.
Variant | Max Bet | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aliante Casino | Emperor’s | 5 | 1000 | 3 |
| Arizona Charlie’s Decatur | Emperor’s | 5 | 500 | 1 |
| Club Fortune | Emperor’s | 5 | 200 | 1 |
| Eastside Cannery | Emperor’s | 5 | 1000 | 1 |
| M Resort | Emperor’s | 10 | 2000 | 3 |
| The Strat | Emperor’s | 10 | 2000 | 2 |
| Westgate | Emperor’s | 15 | 2000 | 1 |
| 4 Queens | Face Up | 15 | 500 | 1 |
| Aliante Casino | Face Up | 5 | 1000 | 1 |
| Aria | Face Up | 25 | 10000 | 2 |
| Bally’s | Face Up | 15 | 5000 | 1 |
| Binion’s | Face Up | 10 | 1000 | 1 |
| Boulder Station | Face Up | 5 | 1000 | 3 |
| Cannery | Face Up | 5 | 1000 | 1 |
| Circus Circus | Face Up | 20 | 1000 | 2 |
| Encore | Face Up | 25 | 10000 | 2 |
| Fiesta Henderson | Face Up | 5 | 1000 | 1 |
| Flamingo | Face Up | 15 | 3000 | 2 |
| Gold Coast | Face Up | 10 | 2000 | 2 |
| Green Valley Ranch | Face Up | 10 | 2000 | 4 |
| Harrah’s | Face Up | 10 | 5000 | 4 |
| Linq | Face Up | 10 | 3000 | 2 |
| Luxor | Face Up | 25 | 3000 | 2 |
| Mandalay Bay | Face Up | 25 | 5000 | 2 |
| MGM Grand | Face Up | 25 | 10000 | 2 |
| Mirage | Face Up | 25 | 10000 | 3 |
| NYNY | Face Up | 25 | 3000 | 2 |
| Palace Station | Face Up | 10 | 3000 | 4 |
| Palazzo | Face Up | 25 | 20000 | 3 |
| Palms | Face Up | 10 | 2000 | 3 |
| Paris | Face Up | 15 | 5000 | 2 |
| Park MGM | Face Up | 25 | 10000 | 2 |
| Planet Hollywood | Face Up | 15 | 5000 | 2 |
| Plaza | Face Up | 10 | 1000 | 2 |
| Rampart | Face Up | 5 | 1000 | 4 |
| Red Rock | Face Up | 10 | 2000 | 5 |
| Rio | Face Up | 15 | 5000 | 2 |
| Sam’s Town | Face Up | 5 | 1000 | 3 |
| Santa Fe Station | Face Up | 5 | 1000 | 3 |
| Silverton | Face Up | 10 | 2000 | 1 |
| Sahara | Face Up | 10 | 3000 | 1 |
| Suncoast | Face Up | 10 | 2000 | 3 |
| Sunset Station | Face Up | 10 | 1000 | 3 |
| Texas Station | Face Up | 5 | 500 | 2 |
| Treasure Island | Face Up | 10 | 5000 | 2 |
| Venetian | Face Up | 25 | 20000 | 3 |
| Wynn | Face Up | 25 | 10000 | 2 |
| Aria | Fortune | 25 | 10000 | 2 |
| Bellagio | Fortune | 25 | 10000 | 1 |
| Caesars Palace | Fortune | 25 | 5000 | 4 |
| California | Fortune | 15 | 500 | 2 |
| Cannery | Fortune | 5 | 1000 | 1 |
| Cosmopolitan | Fortune | 15 | 10000 | 2 |
| Cromwell | Fortune | 10 | 3000 | 4 |
| Downtown Grand | Fortune | 10 | 1000 | 1 |
| Fiesta Rancho | Fortune | 5 | 500 | 2 |
| Flamingo | Fortune | 15 | 3000 | 3 |
| Fremont | Fortune | 10 | 500 | 1 |
| Gold Coast | Fortune | 10 | 2000 | 2 |
| Golden Nugget | Fortune | 15 | 5000 | 2 |
| Harrah’s | Fortune | 10 | 5000 | 3 |
| Linq | Fortune | 10 | 3000 | 1 |
| Main Street Station | Fortune | 15 | 500 | 1 |
| Mandalay Bay | Fortune | 25 | 5000 | 1 |
| MGM Grand | Fortune | 25 | 10000 | 1 |
| Orleans | Fortune | 10 | 2000 | 2 |
| Paris | Fortune | 15 | 5000 | 5 |
| Park MGM | Fortune | 25 | 10000 | 1 |
| Planet Hollywood | Fortune | 15 | 5000 | 3 |
| Rio | Fortune | 15 | 5000 | 2 |
| Santa Fe Station | Fortune | 5 | 1000 | 1 |
| Silverton | Fortune | 10 | 2000 | 1 |
| Sahara | Fortune | 10 | 3000 | 1 |
| South Point | Fortune | 10 | 2000 | 8 |
| Tropicana | Fortune | 10 | 2000 | 2 |
| Wynn | Fortune | 25 | 10000 | 2 |
| Fiesta Henderson | No Commision | 5 | 1000 | 2 |
| Bellagio | Plus | 25 | 10000 | 2 |
| The D | Plus | 10 | 2500 | 1 |
How to Play Pai Gow Poker
Pai Gow Poker is spread at over 60 Las Vegas casinos. There are several variants dealt, even within the same casino.
There are several bets available at a Las Vegas Pai Gow Poker table. The main bet has a minimum of at least $5, depending on the casino. Side bets can often be made for $1 or $5.
Pai Gow Poker Hands
The player and dealer start with seven cards. The deck has a joker that may be used to complete straights and flushes. Otherwise, it is an ace.
In traditional versions of the game, the player sets that hand before the dealer does. It is separated into a five-card and two-card hand. The five-card hand must be higher than the two-card one. The dealer then sets the banker hand.
Gow Poker
If the player beats both dealer hands, the bet is paid, sometimes with a five percent commission. If the dealer wins both hands or wins one and ties one, the house wins. If the dealer ties one and loses one, the hand pushes. If the player and dealer split with one win each, the hand pushes. Some casinos permit players to bank once per round.
In Face Up Pai Gow Poker, the dealer sets the house hand first. If the dealer makes an ace-high pai gow, the hand pushes all around. If it does not, players set their hands based on the best way to beat the dealer’s exposed one. Players may not bank in Face Up Pai Gow.
How Poker Works
We carry out an annual survey of Las Vegas casinos and the table games they offer. This allows us to publish details of every table game available in Vegas, and the best place to play it.
Gow Poker Crossword
See the page below for the latest version of our full survey.