| Pai Gow is a game that has been popular in Asia for a long time, and is finally developing a real following in the United States. The game is played with 32 various tiles which are very reminiscent of dominoes. The game is very fun to play, and not produces an interesting challenge once you understand the basics.
To begin, the dealer shuffles the tiles into eight stacks of 4, and then rolls three dice. The number rolled designates who will receive the first stack, with the remaining stacks being handed to the dealer, other players and vacant table positions.
After the tiles are distributed, each of the players as well as the dealer will individually “build” two hands of four tiles each. The goal of the game is to produce two hands that are both higher than the banks, or dealers, hand. If the player has one higher and one lower, the game is a draw. If both hands are lower, then of course the player loses.
When playing with friends, each takes the role of the bank, similar to the game of Baccarat. The role of the bank is to collect bets, and pay against them. The odds against the house are almost even in Pai Gow, however, so the house collects a 5% fee or commission on winning bets.
The challenge of Pai Gow is learning all of the various combinations of the tiles. Professionals know hundreds of tile combinations, but people are willing to help beginners as well, so don’t feel intimidated to play a game even if you’ve never tried it before. |
