Most poker games pit player against player with the dealer not involved with the hand other than dealing cards and enforcing the rules. Pai Gow roughly translates to “Make Nine” in Chinese as this represented the maximum score in the game outside some special circumstances. 'Pai Gow roughly translates to 'Make Nine' in Chinese'īut, the game does have deep historical roots as it was taken from the domino-based Pai Gow Tiles (also known as simply Pai Gow) that has been played in China for more than a millennium. Pai Gow Poker may not have the long and storied tradition of popular casino table games blackjack or roulette or of the most popular poker variant in Texas hold’em as it was invented by casino owner Sam Torosian in 1985. By the time you have completed this beginner’s guide to Pai Gow Poker, you will know:

You are already ahead of the curve if you know the rules of Texas Hold’em, especially the hand rankings.īut don’t let the amount of previous poker knowledge stress you out. If you want to enjoy playing Pai Gow Poker online or live at a casino, then it is important to learn the basic rules and hands. Pai Gow Poker is one of the most fun casino games but it can be tricky to learn when first starting out.

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