Pai Gow Poker is a wickedly innovative game invented in 1985 by Sam Torosian. The idea come about at the Bell Card Club in California and it represents a somewhat modern fusion – taking ancient Chinese gaming principles with traditional poker elements.
The game uses a fairly standard 52-card deck – but, with one joker. Typically, it accommodates up to six players per table. In truth, the original Pai Gow traces back to China’s Song Dynasty (960-1279), where players used domino-like tiles, but the poker variant rapidly spread across American casinos in the late 80s.
The game’s popularity arguably comes from its low-risk nature and one-to-one wagering structure, as this is what makes it appealing to both casual and high-stakes players. For example, aย minimum deposit 20 pesos in online casinosย and a long playtime makes it very popular.
Understanding the House Way
The House Way is a predetermined method for arranging Pai Gow Poker hands that dealers must follow when setting their cards. This systematic approach keeps some level of consistency and fairness in gameplay across casino operations.
The fundamental idea requires players to create two hands from seven cards: a five-card “high” and a two-card “low” – but, the high hand must outrank the low hand. When setting hands according to house rules, dealers must consider specific configs for each card combination, from pairs and three-of-a-kinds to straights, flushes, and four-of-a-kind scenarios.
Mathematics Behind Pai Gow Poker
The mathematical foundation of Pai Gow Poker is a fairly complex probability structure, not helped by its 53rd card, either. The presence of the joker, which can complete straights and flushes or act as an ace, creates 154,143,080 possible unique seven-card combinations. In this sense, the Joker makes things easier.
The probability of receiving specific premium hands certainly varies: four of a kind has a 0.2% probability, while five aces (including a Joker) have odds of 0.0007%, making it incredibly unlikely.
When calculating optimal splitting decisions, players must consider the complex probability distributions – the 53-card deck means that the numbers are totally different to normal poker. The casino maintains a house edge of approximately 2.84% when following standard house way rules. However, by playing optimally, the house edge can beย lowered by 0.21%.
Strategies for Playing the House Way
Optimal house way strategies employ decision trees based on hierarchical hand rankings – and, of course, probability matrices.
When dealing with premium hands, dealers follow specific protocols. For example, low pairs are never split, high pairs are always split, while medium pairs it will depend on whether youโre holding an ace. Another example is that three of a kind aces) should always be played as one in front with the pair played in back, while Kings should always be kept.
When holding a straight or flush, it should always be kept intact (in the five-card), but not if you also have a double pair. Here, the two highest card should be put in the low hand.
In the end, around 41% of all hands end in a push, which occurs when either the player wins one hand and loses the other, or when there is a copy in either hand (as ties go to the banker). Just over a quarter of the time, a player wins both hands.
Final Word
The math underlying Pai Gow Poker’s house way is incredibly complex – far more so than poker, not to mention itโs less familiar than for a lot of people, and a lot of poker protocols no longer apply. However, itโs an interesting rabbit hole to go down, and it is possible to cut down on the house edge when played correctly.
