Playing Pai Gow Like a Professional
Pai Gow is a gambling game that originated in ancient China, and has seen a recent surge in popularity across the world, but especially in Chinese casinos, such as the ones found in Macau. The game has also seen growth in the online gaming world, and is a great game for new players looking for a fresh challenge.
The game is made up of 32 Chinese dominoes, which are stacked in certain ways at the start of the game. Players are dealt the dominoes, and must use them to create hands with the highest value possible. The aim of the game, especially the online version, is to gain a hand of higher value than the house.
- Learn The Game and Strategies
The house edge for Pai Gow at most online casinos sits at around 2.5%, which can hit hard for those players that are hit by a few losses in a row, and anyone who’s bet on something like NRL premiership odds will know that the odds make all the difference. The best way to circumvent this house edge is by learning some strategies or by becoming the banker for the game (which is often not possible online.) With the right strategy, the house edge can be reduced to around 1.5%, which is better than most other table games.
- Avoid Side Bets
Side bets are offered by casinos as an enticing way to earn some big payouts or jackpots, but it’s recommended to try and avoid as many side bets as possible. The house edge for a side bet tends to be significantly higher than that of a main bet, but it can depend on the casino and what they set as the edge.
- Look for Deposit Bonuses
Online casinos will offer deposit bonuses for Pai Gow, and jumping on them as quickly as possible, allowing the player to earn bonus points every time they push in the game. Pushing happens many times during a round, meaning that the potential of earning bonus points is extremely high. These points can then be used to play more games, or for other services that the casino offers.
- Practise for Free
Practise makes perfect, and putting in as much time as possible into Pai Gow is a good way of mastering a strategy and learning to whittle the house edge down. International online casinos will allow players to make use of free versions of the game to hone their skills.
- Avoid Playing a Full House
When dealt a full house that consists of 3 of a kind plus any pair, most players will want to use the entire hand to make their play. It’s recommended to rather first play the pair, see how that works in the game, and then move on to the three of a pair. This drastically increases the chances of winning the round.
- Know When to Quit
Like any table game, quitting is a part of the game, and should be utilised whenever a player feels as though their current hand won’t help them progress any further.