This page is based partly on information from Ka Lun, Anthony Horsley Sr, Don Smolen, Richard Dewhirst, Alan Ho, Brandon Bahti and several anonymous correspondents.
- Chinese Poker Online With Friends
- Open Face Chinese Poker Online
- Chinese Poker Online Game
- Chinese Poker online, free
- Chinese Poker Online Game
- Play Open Face Chinese Poker
Introduction
How to Play Open Face Chinese Poker. Open Face Chinese is one of the newest games that is really starting to take off. It's vastly different from other forms of poker, such as Texas Hold'em, and can be played with 2-4 players. Chinese Poker Goes Online Despite the fact that the WSOP still hasn't seen fit to re-integrate the game into its proceedings, it continues to surge in popularity, especially in the online casino sphere. Open face Chinese is a scintillating online gambling poker game with lots of strategy and opportunities for huge momentum swings due to royalty bonuses and Fantasy Land play. It's a fascinating excursion from the usual betting on streets. The possibility of fouling a hand adds considerable drama to merely assembling great hands. The only place to play Chinese Poker online was » TonyBet, a small, but decent poker room which offered OFC: Open Face Chinese Poker. Unfortunately TonyBet closed it's poker room in July 2020. How does the Chinese Poker App work? Disable Adblock should the game not run correctly. Click on 'Deal cards!' and you'll receive 13 random cards. Chinese poker is a beginner-friendly poker game, where players don't need to bet or bluff, and only play with points. Instead of holding just one hand, however, players hold 3; a bottom and middle hand with a total of 5 cards, and a top hand with a total of 3. These hands are arranged like a pyramid, and in Open Face Chinese (OFC) Poker, they.
This Chinese gambling game is popular in Hong Kong and parts of Southeast Asia and is also played to some extent in the USA. It is known by several different names.
- In Cantonese it is called Sap Sam Cheung (十三張), which means 13 cards, and in Vietnamese it is known by the similar name Xập Xám Chướng.
- In Chinese, it is also sometimes called Luosong Pai Jiu (羅宋牌九), which I think means Russian Pai Gow. The game is indeed distantly related to Pai Gow.
- In the USA it is often known as Chinese Poker or sometimes Russian Poker, but note that some people also use the name Chinese Poker to refer to the climbing game Big Two. In Hawaii it is called Pepito.
- In the Phillipines it is known as Pusoy, again not to be confused with Pusoy Dos, which is Big Two. Another name sometimes used is Good, Better, Best, referring to the three hands of a player.
The aim is to arrange your 13 cards into three poker hands - two of five cards and one of three cards - which will beat the corresponding poker hands made by the other players.
A recent development is Open Face Chinese Poker, in which after the first five cards, hands are built face up one card at a time.
Players, Cards, Stakes and Deal
There are four players, each playing for themselves. A standard 52 card pack is used.
Before playing it is necessary to agree on a stake. Below I will describe the payments in terms of units; one unit can be worth whatever the players agree in advance - $1, $10, $100, etc.
The cards are shuffled, cut and dealt out singly: 13 cards to each player.
Arrangement of cards
Each player must divide their 13 cards into a 'back' hand of 5 cards, a 'middle' hand of 5 cards and a 'front' hand of 3 cards. Considered as poker hands, the back hand must be better than the middle hand, and the middle hand must be better than the front hand. The standard poker ranking is used - so the hand types from high to low are: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pairs, one pair, high card (see the page on ranking of poker hands). There are no wild cards.
Since the front hand has only 3 cards, only three hand types are possible: three of a kind; one pair; high card. There is no value in having a front hand with three consecutive cards or three cards of the same suit: 'straights' or 'flushes' in the front hand do not count.
Players place their three hands face down in front of them, the front hand nearest the centre of the table and the back hand nearest themselves.
Showdown and Scoring
When everyone is ready, all the players expose their three hands and each pair of players compares the corresponding hands. In the simplest system of payments, you win one unit for each corresponding hand of another player that you beat and lose one for unit each hand that beats you. When the hands are equal you neither win nor lose. Here is an example:
The result would be as follows:
| Players | front winner | middle winner | back winner | North | East | South | West |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North v East | North | North | North | +3 | -3 | ||
| North v South | South | South | North | -1 | +1 | ||
| North v West | North | North | West | +1 | -1 | ||
| East v South | South | South | East | -1 | +1 | ||
| East v West | East | West | West | -1 | +1 | ||
| South v West | South | South | West | +1 | -1 | ||
| Total | +3 | -5 | +3 | -1 |
Notice that although West's back hand is the overall best hand (aces full), West loses on balance because of the weaker middle and front hands. East could have done slightly less badly by putting the sevens in the middle hand, which would then have beaten West. Notice also that it is not legal for East to put the jacks in the front hand, because it would then not be possible to make a middle hand that was better and a back hand that was better still from the remaining ten cards.
Special Hands
It is possible to play using just the payments described above. However, many players add two further features to the stakes: increased payments for certain hands, and some special 13-card hands that win automatically. If you are playing with these it is important to agree in advance exactly which ones are allowed and how much each is worth.
A typical scale of increased payments is as follows:
- If you win the front hand with three of a kind, you receive 3 units instead of 1 for that hand.
- If you win the middle hand with a full house, you receive 2 units instead of 1 for that hand.
- If you win the back (or middle) hand with 4 of a kind, you receive 4 units instead of 1.
- If you win the back (or middle) hand with a royal flush or straight flush you win 5 units instead of 1.
These bonuses only count for you for hands that you win. For example if A and B each have a 3 of a kind in front, but B's is higher, A will pay B 3 units for it. A's 3 of a kind will still count against the other players if it wins.
Example:A has 6-6-6, 4-4-4-9-9, K-K-K-8-8 and B has Q-Q-7, J-J-J-2-2, 5-5-5-5-A. A wins 3 for the front hand, but B wins 2 for the middle and 4 for the back, so altogether A pays 3 units to B.
When special hands are allowed, the following 13-card hands win automatically against any ordinary hand, if declared before the hands are exposed. When two special hands come up against each other, the higher wins the full specified amount and the lower loses its value (though it can still win against the other players). After the special hands have been dealt with, the remaining players expose their cards and settle up among themselves in the normal way. A typical schedule of special hands, in ascending order, is:
- Six pairs: a hand with six pairs and one odd card. When two players have six pair hands, compare the highest pair; if the highest pairs are equal compare the second highest pair, and so on. Win 3 units.
- Three straights: the back and middle hands are five card straights and the front hand is a three card straight (i.e. three cards of consecutive rank). If two players have three straights, compare the highest (back) straights first, then if these are equal the middle straights, and finally, if all else is equal, the front straight. Win 3 units.
- Three flushes: the back and middle hands are flushes, and the front hand is a three-card flush (three cards of one suit). If two players have this, the player with the better back hand wins; if tied the better middle hand; if those are also tied, the better front hand. Win 3 units.
- Complete straight: the hand has one card of each rank: A-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-J-Q-K. Suits can be mixed. If two players have this, they are tied. Win 13 units.
A player who has a special hand can choose not to declare it, but instead to set three hands of 5, 5 and 3 cards in the normal way. This loses the right to an automatic win, but it may occasionally be possible to win more units in the normal settlement, when extra payments can be won.
Chinese Poker Online With Friends
Variations
There seem to be numerous variations in the way the payments are organised. Here are the ones I have so far discovered.
- Three of a kind in the front hand: 2 extra units
- Full house in the middle hand: 1 extra unit
- Four of a kind in the back or middle hand: 3 extra units
- Straight or royal flush in the back or middle hand: 4 extra units
This variation is often combined with the overall point variation above.
Open Face Chinese Poker Online
Chinese Poker Online Game
- Three of a kind in the front hand: 2 extra units
- Full house in the middle hand: 2 extra units
- Four of a kind in the back hand: 4 extra units
- Four of a kind in the middle hand: 6 extra units
- Straight or royal flush in the back hand: 6 extra units
- Straight or royal flush in the middle hand: 8 extra units
The special hands, in ascending order, are:
- Three flushes: 3 units
- Three straights: 4 units
- Six and a half pairs: 4 units
- Five pairs and one three of a kind: 5 units
- Four threes of a kind and an odd card: 6 units
- All cards are the same colour: 10 points
- Small: all cards are 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8: 10 points
- Big: all cards are 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A: 10 points
- Three fours of a kind and one odd card: 16 units
- Three straight flushes: 18 units
- All 12 picture cards plus any 13th card: 18 units
- All thirteen cards of one suit: 26 units
A special hand, if declared before the cards are exposed, beats any normal hand and wins the number of units specified in the table (a player wins from the bank, or the bank wins from all players). If the bank and a player both have special hands, the holder of the higher scoring hand wins the difference between their values.
- Three of a kind in front: 3 units instead of 1
- Full house in the middle: 2 units instead of 1
- Four of a kind at the back: 4 units; in the middle: 8 units
- Straight flush at the back: 5 units; in the middle: 10 units
- Three straights: 3 units
- Three flushes: 3 units
- Six pairs: 3 units
- Five pairs and one triplet: 6 units
- Complete straight A to K with mixed suits: 13 units; if all 13 cards are of one suit: 26 units.
Chinese Poker online, free
- Three of a kind in front: 3 units instead of 1
- Full house in the middle: 2 units instead of 1
- Four of a kind at the back: 4 units; in the middle: 8 units
- Straight flush at the back 7 units; in the middle: 14 units
- Three straights: 4 units
- Three flushes: 4 units
- 12 red cards and 1 black or 12 black and 1 red: 4 units
- All black or all red: 6 units
- Six pairs: 4 units
- Complete straight A to K with mixed suits: 13 units
- All 13 cards of one suit: 39 units
A player wins two out of three hands against an opponent receives 1 unit from that opponent. For winning all three hands the payment is 6 units. A player who wins all three hands against every other player is paid 9 units (instead of 6) by each. For winning with particular hands in particular positions there are additional payments as follows:
- Straight flush: 5 units at the back; 10 units in the middle
- Four of a kind: 4 units at the back; 8 units in the middle
- Full house: 2 units in the middle
- Three of a kind: 3 units at the front
A player who surrenders pays 3 units to each opponent.
Some play with an extra side bet on the number of aces held. One aces is worth 1, two aces 2, three aces 6, four aces 8. Between two players, the player with fewer aces pays the difference in units, in addition to the payments for the Chinese Poker game.
Payments are made in chips and it is not possible to win or lose more chips than you had in front of you at the start of the deal. Settlement is in clockwise order staring with the dealer. Any 13-card special hands are settled first, followed by all other payments. Specifically, if the players in clockwise order are A (dealer), B, C, D then settlements are made in the order A vs B, A vs C, A vs D, B vs C, B vs D, C vs D. Example: A starts with only 8 chips. A wins all three hands against B and loses all three against C. B pays A 6 chips, but A pays only 2 chips to C, because each chip is either doubled or lost, and A's first 6 chips have already been 'used' to justify the win from B. Therefore A ends up with 8+6-2=12 chips. A neither pays to nor receives from D since the transactions with B and C have already accounted for all A's chips. Players can buy additional chips from the house after the settlement and before the next deal.
The casino takes a fixed rake per hand, and part of this is used to build jackpots that are offered for certain unusual events - for example when a player has a straight flush, three of a kind, and a pair and loses all three hands to another player.
Other Chinese Poker web pages
Further information can be found on Don Smolen's Chinese Poker page. From there you can also order his excellent book on the tactics of this game, and obtain his CPOKER computer program.
Rules for a version of Chinese Poker can also be found under the name Pusoy on this archive copy the Bicycle Cards web site.
Rules for Chinese Poker can also be found at the Asian Games Site vinagames.com, where it is possible to play Chinese Poker on line.
Phantasy star online 2 reddit. Open the Steam client and search for 'Phantasy Star Online 2' under the 'Library' section, then click 'Play'. If you opted to create a desktop shortcut, simply double click on the shortcut to launch the game. Windows 10: Open the start menu and search for the 'Phantasy Star Online 2' app shortcut.
Playing Chinese Poker Online
With Phong Le's Chinese Poker Analyser you can compare the power of alternative divisions of 13 cards into three hands, and play Chinese Poker (Xap Xam) against one, two or three computer players.
Have you ever played pai gow?
It's a game played with Chinese dominoes. And it's the inspiration for pai gow poker, the game we're covering in this guide.
You'll find it in both brick-and-mortar and online casinos. It's fun to play and relatively easy to learn. We played a few rounds earlier to refresh our memories on how to play it.
We picked it up in only three to four hands. No prior instruction needed.
You can do it too, though it'll probably be easier if you learn the basics first. We cover that, along with pai gow poker variants and strategy, in our game guide below.
Let's get started.
Where Does Pai Gow Poker Come From?
Pai gow poker got started in the United States. It's inspired by – but not to be confused with – pai gow, the Chinese domino game.
Pai gow poker was created in the USA by Sam Torosian and Fred Wolf.
Sam Torosian is the one who invented the game. But no one really knows who he is. The reason why is sort of sad.
Sam received bad legal advice from both Mike Caro, a poker player and author, and a lawyer. Both said card games were public domain. In other words, Sam couldn't patent his game.
After adding the game to his casino floor, and Fred Wolf doing the same in the casino he managed, pai gow poker took off.
Unfortunately, Torosian later found out he could patent pai gow poker. But he had only one year after introducing the game before it became public domain.
Sam missed his window…and an estimated $70,000+ per month in royalty checks.
And it's probably also because of Torosian's mistake that Fred Wolf patented every other game he's invented. Those include Sweepstakes Blackjack, Fast-Action Hold'em, Lucky Pan-9, and Pai Gow Jokers.
Pai gow poker is a game played against the dealer. As many as seven players can play at once.
It's played with a standard 52-card deck and a single joker. Your object is to take seven cards and turn them into two hands which can beat the dealer.
There are some restrictions on how you can make your hand. We'll cover what these are as we walk you through a sample hand.
The game starts with you making your bet. In some games, like the one you'll find on Bovada, you only have the one option – no additional side bets. Others, however, will have more.
Once everyone makes their bets, cards are shuffled and dealt. Each player receives a pile of seven cards face down.
In live games, betting positions are assigned numbers one through seven. This is done electronically or with dice. Online maths games ks3. This determines where the action starts. The action will continue from the starting point counter-clockwise around the table.
If no one is in a spot, the hand is still assigned and the cards are discarded. However, some casinos will deal the hand to the empty seat. This is called a 'dragon hand.' And after each player has had their turn, the dealer will ask who wants to bet on the dragon hand.
The first player who accepts the bet gets it. They can bet up to their original wager. Ultimately this is like playing two separate hands.
The rules vary, but dragon hands may have to be set the 'house way.' The reason is because the player has already seen their cards, which gives them additional knowledge they could otherwise use to set the dragon hand.
It depends on where you play. And it's unlikely you'll find this option online, anyway. At most online casinos, you'll play only one hand.
Your objective will be to split your seven cards into two hands:
- In Front or On Top – This hand will have two cards in it.
- Bottom or Behind – This hand will have five cards in it.
Your objective is for each hand to beat each of the dealer's hands. But you can't set your hands however you want. There are a few rules you need to follow:
- Your bottom hand needs to be stronger than your top.
- The joker is a semi-wild. It can be used as an ace, or to complete a straight, flush, straight flush, or royal flush.
Once everyone sets their hand, the dealer will set his hand. Most pai gow poker rules say dealers have to set their hands the house way. What the house way is will vary from casino to casino.
Then hands are compared. Normal poker hand rankings are used. Some casinos consider A2345 the second-highest straight, which is something you want to beware of before you play.
Here's what happens next:
- If you have the same hand as the dealer – if you tie – you will lose your bet to the casino. It's not a push.
- If you win both hands, you win even money on your bet minus a 5% commission.
- If you lose one hand and win the other, the bet will push. You'll get your bet back.
Then bets are collected and paid out, which signals the end of a round of pai gow poker.
Then cards are reshuffled and new bets are made for the next round.
In some live games, you'll have the option to bank or co-bank the game.
Most players don't. They pass when it's offered. But they're missing out on a chance to reduce the house edge.
If you want to bank, you'll need a large enough bankroll to pay out players whose hand beats yours. The good news is that if you're the sole banker, you can set your hands however you want. Between that and the fact that 41.48% percent of hands tie, you shouldn't need that large of a bankroll.
Doing so will cut the house edge nearly in half.
The other option is to co-bank. You'll split the winnings and losses in half with the casino. This means you can get by on a smaller bankroll. But co-banking also means you'll need to set your cards the house way.
Either way, banking's the best approach to take in pai gow poker if you want to reduce the house edge as much as possible.
Pai Gow Poker Variants
The following are the most common pai gow poker variants and side bets you'll come across.
- Pai Gow Mania – This offers two side bets based on your first three cards, and then on all seven of your cards.
- Fortune Pai Gow – You make a side bet on a poker hand ranking of trips or better. This is one of the more popular variations.
- Emperors Challenge – This is a side bet on a seven-card pai gow (no hand).
- Pai Gow Progressive – A progressive jackpot you can play for $1.
- Commission-Free – In some games, like those in Washington State, the casino will not charge their 5% commission on banker wins. They only make a profit on the banker's advantage and side bets. This gives the banker a 1.30% advantage (or anyone playing against the banker a 1.30% disadvantage).
- EZ Pai Gow Poker – A commission-free game. If the dealer has exactly a queen high five-card hand, the hand will automatically end in a push. There are usually four side bets to bet on – dynasty bonus, bonus bet, protection bet, and red/black.
- Queen's Dragon – A side bet. It pays if the dealer has exactly a queen high pai gow hand. Payouts range from 45-50 (to 1).
- No Push Pai Gow Poker – Available in Palace Station Casino in Las Vegas. The dealer's always the banker. There's no 5% commission. If you win both hands, you truly get paid even money.
Chinese Poker Online Game
After seven players are dealt, there are four cards left over. Two cards are placed face down – one for the dealer and the other for the player. In the event of a push, these cards are used as a tiebreaker. If the dealer's card is equal or better, the banker wins. Otherwise, the player wins.
- Jokolor – This is a side bet. It pays if you have a joker and/or all cards of the same color. This has a 3.9% house edge.
These are the most popular variants.
Some casinos also offer pai gow poker tournaments. But there's not much information about them online.
Our best guess is that these operate like blackjack tournaments. You buy in for a fixed amount, and the last person or people standing wins a percentage of the prize pool.
Pai gow poker is a low-edge game. Almost 42% of hands are pushes. Between that and the slow rate of play, pai gow poker's house edge is 2.84%.
You can reduce the edge even more by banking. And you can reduce it even more than that by following optimal strategy and/or following the house way.
But some of you want actual tips or strategy you can use the next time you play. So here is some advice on how to play specific hands.
Let's start with some general advice:
- Don't split single pairs. Keep them in your five-card hand.
- Split two pairs. Keep the strongest pair in your five-card hand.
- Three pairs – keep the weaker two pair in your strongest hand. Place the stronger pair in your two-card hand.
- If you're dealt a three-of-a-kind, keep it intact with your five-card hand. The exception is if you're holding three aces. Then you might consider splitting it up and placing an ace in your two-card hand.
- If you're dealt two three-of-a-kind hands, split the highest-ranking one and place the pair in your two-card hand.
Now let's look at hand-specific strategy.
- Keep straights and flushes together unless you also have two pair or three of a kind. Then split them up to make a strong two-card hand.
- If you have two pair, follow the strategy outlined above. Split them, while putting the weaker pair in your two-card hand.
- If you have a three of a kind, split it. Keep the straight or flush intact (if possible), while moving the pair to your two-card hand.
- If you have quad 7s through aces, split them. Put a pair in your two-card hand. The exception is if you also have an ace or king. Then keep your quads intact and set your ace or king-high hand as your two-card hand.
- If you have quad 2s through 6s, always keep them intact.
You can also learn pai gow poker strategy from using a game-specific calculator. You'll find one here.
These calculators will give you advice on how to split your hand in a way that produces the highest long-term expected value.
For example, say you're dealt 8d, 8c, Kc, Js, 6c, 4c, and 2d. The calculator will tell you to split your hand up like this:
Not only can you use this to figure out the best way to set your hand as you play, but you can also set your hand first, then check the calculator to see how close you are.
Keep in mind you may have to adjust if the place where you're playing sets their hands differently.
Other than all the strategy above, you can also gain an advantage by hole carding or edge sorting, which is basically by knowing what the dealer has by using clues, card or dealer errors, or peeking – which you'll use to sort your hand in the most optimal way.
But full disclosure – depending on where you play, how you gain this information, and your own moral compass, this ranges from taking advantage of casino errors to full-blown cheating.
Whatever you choose to do, if anything, know that all actions, responsibility, and (often severe) consequences are yours.
Playing Pai Gow Poker Online
There are a couple things to know about playing pai gow poker online.
- RealTime Gaming rounds their commission on winnings hands up to the nearest 0.25. This can have a significant impact on bets not in an increment of $5. The smaller your bets, the more you'll see the impact of the house edge.
- Bonuses are hit-and-miss for pai gow poker players. Some casinos allow you to play pai gow and earn bonuses. Others don't.
For example, Planet7Casino.com doesn't allow you to play pai gow poker to clear the bonus requirements EXCEPT for when the offer specifically says you can.
Planet 7 also wants you to wager 60x instead of 30x when you receive their cash-back payment.
But at other casinos, you'll have to wager 3x-5x, sometimes as much as 10x, the standard wager requirements.
Quasar gaming fort smith. Not every casino explicitly says what their rules are. So you may need to look for 'poker' terms in their T&C's. It might also be a good idea to reach out to support with any questions you may have.
Other than those two things, online pai gow poker's straightforward. Most, if not all, online casinos offer it, though it will be harder to find a mobile-friendly version unless the casino runs on HTML.
This is especially true for US-facing casinos. They often have a smaller selection of (mobile) table games and prefer to offer more mainstream games, like blackjack.
The best way to know for sure, though, is to read our casino reviews.
Pai gow poker's an easy game to learn. Read our rules and launch a free game, and you'll have it down in no time.
This is one of the better games to learn, too, from the fun behind the poker element to the low house edge to the strategy you can learn to get the house edge down even lower.
On top of that, you have all the different variations, side bets, and different ways each casino sets their hand the house way.
All that to say that you should definitely take the time to learn pai gow poker. You won't regret it.
FAQ
Here are some commonly asked questions we receive about pai gow poker, and our answers.
Here are a couple apps we found:
- Pai Gow Poker – This is a free app for Android.
- Classic Paigow Poker – This is a free app for iOS.
Keep in mind that all gambling apps will be for play money only.
Some people learn better by video. So here are a couple of pai gow poker tutorials available on YouTube:
- Learn how to play Pai Gow Poker by WinStar World Casino
- Pai Gow Poker Tutorial by Michael Shackleford aka the Wizard of Odds
Some people consider hole carding or edge sorting to be cheating.
Hole carding is finding out what the dealer or your opponents have when you're not supposed to know. This can happen by dealer error or when players talk about their hands.
Edge sorting is finding a flaw in the cards the casino is using. This can be a mark or smudge of some kind. Once you find out what the value of this card is, you can use that information to better set your hand. This strategy becomes more effective the more widespread the mark/smudge is throughout the deck.
Other than that, common forms of cheating including marking the cards (like edge sorting) and player/dealer collusion.
What's the best way to practice pai gow poker?
| Players | front winner | middle winner | back winner | North | East | South | West |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North v East | North | North | North | +3 | -3 | ||
| North v South | South | South | North | -1 | +1 | ||
| North v West | North | North | West | +1 | -1 | ||
| East v South | South | South | East | -1 | +1 | ||
| East v West | East | West | West | -1 | +1 | ||
| South v West | South | South | West | +1 | -1 | ||
| Total | +3 | -5 | +3 | -1 |
Notice that although West's back hand is the overall best hand (aces full), West loses on balance because of the weaker middle and front hands. East could have done slightly less badly by putting the sevens in the middle hand, which would then have beaten West. Notice also that it is not legal for East to put the jacks in the front hand, because it would then not be possible to make a middle hand that was better and a back hand that was better still from the remaining ten cards.
Special Hands
It is possible to play using just the payments described above. However, many players add two further features to the stakes: increased payments for certain hands, and some special 13-card hands that win automatically. If you are playing with these it is important to agree in advance exactly which ones are allowed and how much each is worth.
A typical scale of increased payments is as follows:
- If you win the front hand with three of a kind, you receive 3 units instead of 1 for that hand.
- If you win the middle hand with a full house, you receive 2 units instead of 1 for that hand.
- If you win the back (or middle) hand with 4 of a kind, you receive 4 units instead of 1.
- If you win the back (or middle) hand with a royal flush or straight flush you win 5 units instead of 1.
These bonuses only count for you for hands that you win. For example if A and B each have a 3 of a kind in front, but B's is higher, A will pay B 3 units for it. A's 3 of a kind will still count against the other players if it wins.
Example:A has 6-6-6, 4-4-4-9-9, K-K-K-8-8 and B has Q-Q-7, J-J-J-2-2, 5-5-5-5-A. A wins 3 for the front hand, but B wins 2 for the middle and 4 for the back, so altogether A pays 3 units to B.
When special hands are allowed, the following 13-card hands win automatically against any ordinary hand, if declared before the hands are exposed. When two special hands come up against each other, the higher wins the full specified amount and the lower loses its value (though it can still win against the other players). After the special hands have been dealt with, the remaining players expose their cards and settle up among themselves in the normal way. A typical schedule of special hands, in ascending order, is:
- Six pairs: a hand with six pairs and one odd card. When two players have six pair hands, compare the highest pair; if the highest pairs are equal compare the second highest pair, and so on. Win 3 units.
- Three straights: the back and middle hands are five card straights and the front hand is a three card straight (i.e. three cards of consecutive rank). If two players have three straights, compare the highest (back) straights first, then if these are equal the middle straights, and finally, if all else is equal, the front straight. Win 3 units.
- Three flushes: the back and middle hands are flushes, and the front hand is a three-card flush (three cards of one suit). If two players have this, the player with the better back hand wins; if tied the better middle hand; if those are also tied, the better front hand. Win 3 units.
- Complete straight: the hand has one card of each rank: A-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-J-Q-K. Suits can be mixed. If two players have this, they are tied. Win 13 units.
A player who has a special hand can choose not to declare it, but instead to set three hands of 5, 5 and 3 cards in the normal way. This loses the right to an automatic win, but it may occasionally be possible to win more units in the normal settlement, when extra payments can be won.
Chinese Poker Online With Friends
Variations
There seem to be numerous variations in the way the payments are organised. Here are the ones I have so far discovered.
- Three of a kind in the front hand: 2 extra units
- Full house in the middle hand: 1 extra unit
- Four of a kind in the back or middle hand: 3 extra units
- Straight or royal flush in the back or middle hand: 4 extra units
This variation is often combined with the overall point variation above.
Open Face Chinese Poker Online
Chinese Poker Online Game
- Three of a kind in the front hand: 2 extra units
- Full house in the middle hand: 2 extra units
- Four of a kind in the back hand: 4 extra units
- Four of a kind in the middle hand: 6 extra units
- Straight or royal flush in the back hand: 6 extra units
- Straight or royal flush in the middle hand: 8 extra units
The special hands, in ascending order, are:
- Three flushes: 3 units
- Three straights: 4 units
- Six and a half pairs: 4 units
- Five pairs and one three of a kind: 5 units
- Four threes of a kind and an odd card: 6 units
- All cards are the same colour: 10 points
- Small: all cards are 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8: 10 points
- Big: all cards are 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A: 10 points
- Three fours of a kind and one odd card: 16 units
- Three straight flushes: 18 units
- All 12 picture cards plus any 13th card: 18 units
- All thirteen cards of one suit: 26 units
A special hand, if declared before the cards are exposed, beats any normal hand and wins the number of units specified in the table (a player wins from the bank, or the bank wins from all players). If the bank and a player both have special hands, the holder of the higher scoring hand wins the difference between their values.
- Three of a kind in front: 3 units instead of 1
- Full house in the middle: 2 units instead of 1
- Four of a kind at the back: 4 units; in the middle: 8 units
- Straight flush at the back: 5 units; in the middle: 10 units
- Three straights: 3 units
- Three flushes: 3 units
- Six pairs: 3 units
- Five pairs and one triplet: 6 units
- Complete straight A to K with mixed suits: 13 units; if all 13 cards are of one suit: 26 units.
Chinese Poker online, free
- Three of a kind in front: 3 units instead of 1
- Full house in the middle: 2 units instead of 1
- Four of a kind at the back: 4 units; in the middle: 8 units
- Straight flush at the back 7 units; in the middle: 14 units
- Three straights: 4 units
- Three flushes: 4 units
- 12 red cards and 1 black or 12 black and 1 red: 4 units
- All black or all red: 6 units
- Six pairs: 4 units
- Complete straight A to K with mixed suits: 13 units
- All 13 cards of one suit: 39 units
A player wins two out of three hands against an opponent receives 1 unit from that opponent. For winning all three hands the payment is 6 units. A player who wins all three hands against every other player is paid 9 units (instead of 6) by each. For winning with particular hands in particular positions there are additional payments as follows:
- Straight flush: 5 units at the back; 10 units in the middle
- Four of a kind: 4 units at the back; 8 units in the middle
- Full house: 2 units in the middle
- Three of a kind: 3 units at the front
A player who surrenders pays 3 units to each opponent.
Some play with an extra side bet on the number of aces held. One aces is worth 1, two aces 2, three aces 6, four aces 8. Between two players, the player with fewer aces pays the difference in units, in addition to the payments for the Chinese Poker game.
Payments are made in chips and it is not possible to win or lose more chips than you had in front of you at the start of the deal. Settlement is in clockwise order staring with the dealer. Any 13-card special hands are settled first, followed by all other payments. Specifically, if the players in clockwise order are A (dealer), B, C, D then settlements are made in the order A vs B, A vs C, A vs D, B vs C, B vs D, C vs D. Example: A starts with only 8 chips. A wins all three hands against B and loses all three against C. B pays A 6 chips, but A pays only 2 chips to C, because each chip is either doubled or lost, and A's first 6 chips have already been 'used' to justify the win from B. Therefore A ends up with 8+6-2=12 chips. A neither pays to nor receives from D since the transactions with B and C have already accounted for all A's chips. Players can buy additional chips from the house after the settlement and before the next deal.
The casino takes a fixed rake per hand, and part of this is used to build jackpots that are offered for certain unusual events - for example when a player has a straight flush, three of a kind, and a pair and loses all three hands to another player.
Other Chinese Poker web pages
Further information can be found on Don Smolen's Chinese Poker page. From there you can also order his excellent book on the tactics of this game, and obtain his CPOKER computer program.
Rules for a version of Chinese Poker can also be found under the name Pusoy on this archive copy the Bicycle Cards web site.
Rules for Chinese Poker can also be found at the Asian Games Site vinagames.com, where it is possible to play Chinese Poker on line.
Phantasy star online 2 reddit. Open the Steam client and search for 'Phantasy Star Online 2' under the 'Library' section, then click 'Play'. If you opted to create a desktop shortcut, simply double click on the shortcut to launch the game. Windows 10: Open the start menu and search for the 'Phantasy Star Online 2' app shortcut.
Playing Chinese Poker Online
With Phong Le's Chinese Poker Analyser you can compare the power of alternative divisions of 13 cards into three hands, and play Chinese Poker (Xap Xam) against one, two or three computer players.
Have you ever played pai gow?
It's a game played with Chinese dominoes. And it's the inspiration for pai gow poker, the game we're covering in this guide.
You'll find it in both brick-and-mortar and online casinos. It's fun to play and relatively easy to learn. We played a few rounds earlier to refresh our memories on how to play it.
We picked it up in only three to four hands. No prior instruction needed.
You can do it too, though it'll probably be easier if you learn the basics first. We cover that, along with pai gow poker variants and strategy, in our game guide below.
Let's get started.
Where Does Pai Gow Poker Come From?
Pai gow poker got started in the United States. It's inspired by – but not to be confused with – pai gow, the Chinese domino game.
Pai gow poker was created in the USA by Sam Torosian and Fred Wolf.
Sam Torosian is the one who invented the game. But no one really knows who he is. The reason why is sort of sad.
Sam received bad legal advice from both Mike Caro, a poker player and author, and a lawyer. Both said card games were public domain. In other words, Sam couldn't patent his game.
After adding the game to his casino floor, and Fred Wolf doing the same in the casino he managed, pai gow poker took off.
Unfortunately, Torosian later found out he could patent pai gow poker. But he had only one year after introducing the game before it became public domain.
Sam missed his window…and an estimated $70,000+ per month in royalty checks.
And it's probably also because of Torosian's mistake that Fred Wolf patented every other game he's invented. Those include Sweepstakes Blackjack, Fast-Action Hold'em, Lucky Pan-9, and Pai Gow Jokers.
Pai gow poker is a game played against the dealer. As many as seven players can play at once.
It's played with a standard 52-card deck and a single joker. Your object is to take seven cards and turn them into two hands which can beat the dealer.
There are some restrictions on how you can make your hand. We'll cover what these are as we walk you through a sample hand.
The game starts with you making your bet. In some games, like the one you'll find on Bovada, you only have the one option – no additional side bets. Others, however, will have more.
Once everyone makes their bets, cards are shuffled and dealt. Each player receives a pile of seven cards face down.
In live games, betting positions are assigned numbers one through seven. This is done electronically or with dice. Online maths games ks3. This determines where the action starts. The action will continue from the starting point counter-clockwise around the table.
If no one is in a spot, the hand is still assigned and the cards are discarded. However, some casinos will deal the hand to the empty seat. This is called a 'dragon hand.' And after each player has had their turn, the dealer will ask who wants to bet on the dragon hand.
The first player who accepts the bet gets it. They can bet up to their original wager. Ultimately this is like playing two separate hands.
The rules vary, but dragon hands may have to be set the 'house way.' The reason is because the player has already seen their cards, which gives them additional knowledge they could otherwise use to set the dragon hand.
It depends on where you play. And it's unlikely you'll find this option online, anyway. At most online casinos, you'll play only one hand.
Your objective will be to split your seven cards into two hands:
- In Front or On Top – This hand will have two cards in it.
- Bottom or Behind – This hand will have five cards in it.
Your objective is for each hand to beat each of the dealer's hands. But you can't set your hands however you want. There are a few rules you need to follow:
- Your bottom hand needs to be stronger than your top.
- The joker is a semi-wild. It can be used as an ace, or to complete a straight, flush, straight flush, or royal flush.
Once everyone sets their hand, the dealer will set his hand. Most pai gow poker rules say dealers have to set their hands the house way. What the house way is will vary from casino to casino.
Then hands are compared. Normal poker hand rankings are used. Some casinos consider A2345 the second-highest straight, which is something you want to beware of before you play.
Here's what happens next:
- If you have the same hand as the dealer – if you tie – you will lose your bet to the casino. It's not a push.
- If you win both hands, you win even money on your bet minus a 5% commission.
- If you lose one hand and win the other, the bet will push. You'll get your bet back.
Then bets are collected and paid out, which signals the end of a round of pai gow poker.
Then cards are reshuffled and new bets are made for the next round.
In some live games, you'll have the option to bank or co-bank the game.
Most players don't. They pass when it's offered. But they're missing out on a chance to reduce the house edge.
If you want to bank, you'll need a large enough bankroll to pay out players whose hand beats yours. The good news is that if you're the sole banker, you can set your hands however you want. Between that and the fact that 41.48% percent of hands tie, you shouldn't need that large of a bankroll.
Doing so will cut the house edge nearly in half.
The other option is to co-bank. You'll split the winnings and losses in half with the casino. This means you can get by on a smaller bankroll. But co-banking also means you'll need to set your cards the house way.
Either way, banking's the best approach to take in pai gow poker if you want to reduce the house edge as much as possible.
Pai Gow Poker Variants
The following are the most common pai gow poker variants and side bets you'll come across.
- Pai Gow Mania – This offers two side bets based on your first three cards, and then on all seven of your cards.
- Fortune Pai Gow – You make a side bet on a poker hand ranking of trips or better. This is one of the more popular variations.
- Emperors Challenge – This is a side bet on a seven-card pai gow (no hand).
- Pai Gow Progressive – A progressive jackpot you can play for $1.
- Commission-Free – In some games, like those in Washington State, the casino will not charge their 5% commission on banker wins. They only make a profit on the banker's advantage and side bets. This gives the banker a 1.30% advantage (or anyone playing against the banker a 1.30% disadvantage).
- EZ Pai Gow Poker – A commission-free game. If the dealer has exactly a queen high five-card hand, the hand will automatically end in a push. There are usually four side bets to bet on – dynasty bonus, bonus bet, protection bet, and red/black.
- Queen's Dragon – A side bet. It pays if the dealer has exactly a queen high pai gow hand. Payouts range from 45-50 (to 1).
- No Push Pai Gow Poker – Available in Palace Station Casino in Las Vegas. The dealer's always the banker. There's no 5% commission. If you win both hands, you truly get paid even money.
Chinese Poker Online Game
After seven players are dealt, there are four cards left over. Two cards are placed face down – one for the dealer and the other for the player. In the event of a push, these cards are used as a tiebreaker. If the dealer's card is equal or better, the banker wins. Otherwise, the player wins.
- Jokolor – This is a side bet. It pays if you have a joker and/or all cards of the same color. This has a 3.9% house edge.
These are the most popular variants.
Some casinos also offer pai gow poker tournaments. But there's not much information about them online.
Our best guess is that these operate like blackjack tournaments. You buy in for a fixed amount, and the last person or people standing wins a percentage of the prize pool.
Pai gow poker is a low-edge game. Almost 42% of hands are pushes. Between that and the slow rate of play, pai gow poker's house edge is 2.84%.
You can reduce the edge even more by banking. And you can reduce it even more than that by following optimal strategy and/or following the house way.
But some of you want actual tips or strategy you can use the next time you play. So here is some advice on how to play specific hands.
Let's start with some general advice:
- Don't split single pairs. Keep them in your five-card hand.
- Split two pairs. Keep the strongest pair in your five-card hand.
- Three pairs – keep the weaker two pair in your strongest hand. Place the stronger pair in your two-card hand.
- If you're dealt a three-of-a-kind, keep it intact with your five-card hand. The exception is if you're holding three aces. Then you might consider splitting it up and placing an ace in your two-card hand.
- If you're dealt two three-of-a-kind hands, split the highest-ranking one and place the pair in your two-card hand.
Now let's look at hand-specific strategy.
- Keep straights and flushes together unless you also have two pair or three of a kind. Then split them up to make a strong two-card hand.
- If you have two pair, follow the strategy outlined above. Split them, while putting the weaker pair in your two-card hand.
- If you have a three of a kind, split it. Keep the straight or flush intact (if possible), while moving the pair to your two-card hand.
- If you have quad 7s through aces, split them. Put a pair in your two-card hand. The exception is if you also have an ace or king. Then keep your quads intact and set your ace or king-high hand as your two-card hand.
- If you have quad 2s through 6s, always keep them intact.
You can also learn pai gow poker strategy from using a game-specific calculator. You'll find one here.
These calculators will give you advice on how to split your hand in a way that produces the highest long-term expected value.
For example, say you're dealt 8d, 8c, Kc, Js, 6c, 4c, and 2d. The calculator will tell you to split your hand up like this:
Not only can you use this to figure out the best way to set your hand as you play, but you can also set your hand first, then check the calculator to see how close you are.
Keep in mind you may have to adjust if the place where you're playing sets their hands differently.
Other than all the strategy above, you can also gain an advantage by hole carding or edge sorting, which is basically by knowing what the dealer has by using clues, card or dealer errors, or peeking – which you'll use to sort your hand in the most optimal way.
But full disclosure – depending on where you play, how you gain this information, and your own moral compass, this ranges from taking advantage of casino errors to full-blown cheating.
Whatever you choose to do, if anything, know that all actions, responsibility, and (often severe) consequences are yours.
Playing Pai Gow Poker Online
There are a couple things to know about playing pai gow poker online.
- RealTime Gaming rounds their commission on winnings hands up to the nearest 0.25. This can have a significant impact on bets not in an increment of $5. The smaller your bets, the more you'll see the impact of the house edge.
- Bonuses are hit-and-miss for pai gow poker players. Some casinos allow you to play pai gow and earn bonuses. Others don't.
For example, Planet7Casino.com doesn't allow you to play pai gow poker to clear the bonus requirements EXCEPT for when the offer specifically says you can.
Planet 7 also wants you to wager 60x instead of 30x when you receive their cash-back payment.
But at other casinos, you'll have to wager 3x-5x, sometimes as much as 10x, the standard wager requirements.
Quasar gaming fort smith. Not every casino explicitly says what their rules are. So you may need to look for 'poker' terms in their T&C's. It might also be a good idea to reach out to support with any questions you may have.
Other than those two things, online pai gow poker's straightforward. Most, if not all, online casinos offer it, though it will be harder to find a mobile-friendly version unless the casino runs on HTML.
This is especially true for US-facing casinos. They often have a smaller selection of (mobile) table games and prefer to offer more mainstream games, like blackjack.
The best way to know for sure, though, is to read our casino reviews.
Pai gow poker's an easy game to learn. Read our rules and launch a free game, and you'll have it down in no time.
This is one of the better games to learn, too, from the fun behind the poker element to the low house edge to the strategy you can learn to get the house edge down even lower.
On top of that, you have all the different variations, side bets, and different ways each casino sets their hand the house way.
All that to say that you should definitely take the time to learn pai gow poker. You won't regret it.
FAQ
Here are some commonly asked questions we receive about pai gow poker, and our answers.
Here are a couple apps we found:
- Pai Gow Poker – This is a free app for Android.
- Classic Paigow Poker – This is a free app for iOS.
Keep in mind that all gambling apps will be for play money only.
Some people learn better by video. So here are a couple of pai gow poker tutorials available on YouTube:
- Learn how to play Pai Gow Poker by WinStar World Casino
- Pai Gow Poker Tutorial by Michael Shackleford aka the Wizard of Odds
Some people consider hole carding or edge sorting to be cheating.
Hole carding is finding out what the dealer or your opponents have when you're not supposed to know. This can happen by dealer error or when players talk about their hands.
Edge sorting is finding a flaw in the cards the casino is using. This can be a mark or smudge of some kind. Once you find out what the value of this card is, you can use that information to better set your hand. This strategy becomes more effective the more widespread the mark/smudge is throughout the deck.
Other than that, common forms of cheating including marking the cards (like edge sorting) and player/dealer collusion.
What's the best way to practice pai gow poker?
The easiest, cheapest, and least stressful way is to find an online casino that offers a free version of pai gow poker. This way you don't have to spend money learning the game or worry about holding other players up when playing live.
Most casinos let you play for free. We recommend Bovada or Ignition Casino because you can play their free games without creating an account or logging in.
This is also a great way to practice pai gow poker strategy because you'll have all the time you need.
We're sure there is. But between the (free) online casinos, apps, social media platforms, and so on, there's no need to pay for or download any additional programs. You're betting off playing at an online casino, which will mirror the conditions you'll experience playing online. That's what we suggest.
You can (and should) also play with the pai gow poker calculators we mentioned earlier in our strategy section.
What are pai gow tiles?
According to the Wizard of Odds (WOO), this is one of the oldest casino games. It even predates roulette and baccarat.
This game is similar to pai gow poker in that you need to make both high and low hands, then compare them with the banker. However, this game's much harder to learn because the order of hands and tiles are (apparently) random and difficult to memorize.
Play Open Face Chinese Poker
However, the WOO says this game's great for bankroll preservation. Only about thirty hands are played per hour, and like the poker version, around 41% of hands are a push. So this is a great game to learn if you're wanting the most bang for your buck.
Have a question about pai gow poker we didn't answer above? Send us an email and let us know!
