Pai Gow Poker is a casino card game derived from the Chinese domino game Pai Gow — played with a standard 52-card deck plus one Joker. Each player receives 7 cards and must split them into two hands: a 5-card hand (ranking like standard poker) and a 2-card hand (called the "low hand" or "small hand"). The 5-card hand must always rank higher than the 2-card hand. The player wins if both their hands beat the dealer's corresponding hands — a push (no money changes hands) if only one hand wins. The Joker acts as a wild card in specific situations (completing straights, flushes, or serving as an Ace otherwise). Pai Gow Poker is known for its slow pace, low house edge (approximately 2.84% with optimal "house way" setting), and the very high frequency of pushes (approximately 41% of hands are pushes). The banker option — where the player can be the banker against other players — reduces the house edge further. Pai Gow Poker is popular at Bitcoin casinos for extended low-volatility sessions.
For the Three Card Poker guide (3-card poker variant — similar low house edge), see Three Card Poker guide. For the Caribbean Stud guide (5-card poker vs dealer), see Caribbean Stud guide. For the Ultimate Texas Hold'em guide (4× pre-flop raise strategy), see Ultimate Texas Hold'em guide. For the house edge guide (all poker variants compared), see house edge guide. For the live casino guide (all live table games overview), see live casino guide. Full operator ranking at high roller crypto casinos.
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Pai Gow Poker is a casino card game where each player receives 7 cards and splits them into a 5-card (high) hand and 2-card (low) hand. Win if both hands beat the dealer's. ~41% of hands are pushes, making it very low-volatility.
Approximately 2.84% with optimal house-way setting. This includes the 5% commission on winning hands (paid to the casino). With the banker option, effective house edge can approach near zero on banked hands.
The house way is each casino's published algorithm for optimally setting dealer hands. Following the house way as a player gives approximately optimal results (~2.84% edge). Most online Pai Gow tables have a 'Set by House Way' button for automatic optimal setting.
The Joker first completes straights, flushes, or straight flushes. If it can't complete any of these, it counts as an Ace. There is one Joker in the 53-card Pai Gow deck.
~41% of hands are pushes (no money changes hands). This dramatically reduces bankroll volatility — you can play for much longer with the same bankroll compared to blackjack, roulette, or slots while facing similar house edge.
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