How to Play the Casino Game of Pai Gow Tiles
Pai Gow Tiles is a challenging casino game that will take some practice to master, but if you’re willing to put in the effort, it will become second nature soon enough.
This game involves ranking pairs of Chinese dominoes. The tiles are arranged into nine combinations (ranks one through nine), and players must match the highest single ranking pair to win.
Game rules
Pai Gow Tiles, a casino game similar to dominoes, offers players an exciting alternative for playing with tiles. Each tile has between two and twelve pips on one side for added strategy and enjoyment.
To play the game, a player will receive four tiles which they must arrange into two pairs. These pairs will then be compared against those of the banker.
When a player’s pairs beat those of the banker, they win their bid. On the contrary, if there is no such pair available then their bid is forfeit and all bets returned.
There are three ways to arrange tiles into two hands, but the most popular strategy is stacking them. Doing this gives you a set of front and rear hands that are likely to beat the dealer or break a tie in your favor.
Betting options
Pai gow is a casino game where players attempt to beat the dealer’s hands by playing tiles instead of cards. It can be quite complex, but if you take time to learn its intricacies, you’ll be glad you did!
Before playing, make sure you have the appropriate tiles. They look similar to dominoes but were specifically created for this game.
You’ll need 2-8 players to play with. Select one person as the dealer.
If you’re new to the game, request that the dealer set your tiles the “house way.” Doing this ensures that you won’t make any mistakes.
Selecting the correct tile combinations is an integral part of playing pai gow. You must decide which combinations are most likely to give you a set of front/rear hands that can beat the dealer or break a tie.
Variations
Pai Gow Tiles is a widely played casino game inspired by the ancient Chinese game of pai gow, which translates to “make nines.” Similar to dominoes but with special rules regarding matching pairs and non-matching pairs, Pai Gow Tiles utilizes tiles that look like dominos for play.
At the start of every hand, the dealer shuffles the tiles and creates eight stacks of four tiles each. He then shakes dice to determine who will receive the first stack of tiles.
Players select four tiles from their stack and arrange them into two hands – one with a lower value called the front hand, and another higher value called the rear hand. They then compare these two hands against that of the dealer to see if either can beat it; if so, they win even money.
When the dealer’s front hand wins and the player’s rear hand loses, they are pushed and only receive their original wager back. However, if they also made a bonus wager, this action will extend action for that bet as well.
Origins
Pai Gow Tiles, also known as Pai Gow Poker, is a casino game featuring tiles that look like dominoes but share many similarities to poker. You can find this title at many traditional and online casinos alike.
The game’s roots can be traced back to China, where it enjoyed centuries-long popularity. Nowadays, it continues to be widely enjoyed across many Asian countries.
But the game only made its way to America in the 1980s, thanks to Sam Torosian at Commerce Casino in California. Sam wanted to attract more Chinese gamblers and believed that offering this game would do just that.
Unfortunately, Torosian made a costly error. He failed to file for patent protection for his game, leading to competitors using it without paying him anything – costing him hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenue.
