Pai Gow Tiles Strategy
Mar 29, 2019 How to Play Pai Gow. Pai gow is a Chinese betting game that uses tiles instead of cards, and it's popular in casinos around the world. Pai gow can also be played at home using a set of specially-designed tiles. While the rules of pai gow. Pai Gow Poker, also called Double Hand Poker, is a version of Pai Gow played with cards instead of Chinese dominoes, or pai gows. While a fun game to play, understanding its fundamentals can be a bit tricky in the beginning. How to play Pai Gow Poker. Pai Gow Poker uses a standard deck of 52 cards plus one joker.
Pai gow (Chinese: 牌九; pinyin: pái jiǔ; Jyutping: paai4 gau2) is a Chinesegamblinggame, played with a set of 32 Chinese dominoes. It is played in major casinos in China (including Macau); the United States (including Boston, Massachusetts; Las Vegas, Nevada; Reno, Nevada; Connecticut; Atlantic City, New Jersey; Pennsylvania; Mississippi; and cardrooms in California); Canada (including Edmonton, Alberta and Calgary, Alberta); Australia; and, New Zealand.
The name 'pai gow' is sometimes used to refer to a card game called pai gow poker (or “double-hand poker”), which is loosely based on pai gow.
- 1Rules
Rules[edit]
Starting[edit]
Tiles are shuffled on the table and are arranged into eight face-down stacks of four tiles each in an assembly known as the woodpile. Individual stacks or tiles may then be moved in specific ways to rearrange the woodpile, after which the players place their bets.
Next, each player (including the dealer) is given one stack of tiles and must use them to form two hands of two tiles each. The hand with the lower value is called the front hand, and the hand with the higher value is called the rear hand. If a player's front hand beats the dealer's front hand, and the player's rear hand beats the dealer's rear hand, then that player wins the bet. If a player's front and rear hands both lose to the dealer's respective hands, the player loses the bet. If one hand wins and the other loses, the player is said to push, and gets back only the money he or she bet. Generally seven players will play, and each player's hands are compared only against the dealer's hands; comparisons are always front-front and rear-rear, never one of each.
There are 35,960 possible ways to select 4 of the 32 tiles when the 32 tiles are considered distinguishable. However, there are 3620 distinct sets of 4 tiles when the tiles of a pair are considered indistinguishable. There are 496 ways to select 2 of the 32 tiles when the 32 tiles are considered distinguishable. There are 136 distinct hands (pairs of tiles) when the tiles of a pair are considered indistinguishable.
Basic scoring[edit]
The name 'pai gow' is loosely translated as 'make nine' or 'card nine'. This reflects the fact that, with a few high-scoring exceptions, the maximum score for a hand is nine. If a hand consists of two tiles that do not form a pair, its value is determined by adding up the total number of pips on the tiles and dropping the tens digit (if any). Examples:
- 1-3 with 2-3: value 9 (nine pips altogether)
- 2-3 with 5-6: value 6 (16 pips; drop the 10)
- 5-5 with 4-6: value 0 (20 pips; ones digit is zero)
Gongs and Wongs[edit]
There are special ways in which a hand can score more than nine points. The double-one tiles and double-six tiles are known as the Day and Teen tiles, respectively. The combination of a Day or Teen with an eight results in a Gong, worth 10 points, while putting either of them with a nine creates a Wong, worth 11. However, when a Day or Teen is paired with any other tile, the standard scoring rules apply.
Gee Joon tiles[edit]
The 1-2 and the 2-4 tiles are called Gee Joon tiles and act as limited wild cards. When used as part of a hand, these tiles may be scored as either 3 or 6, whichever results in a higher hand value. For example, a hand of 1-2 and 5-6 scores as seven rather than four.
Pairs[edit]
The 32 tiles in a Chinese dominoes set can be arranged into 16 pairs, as shown in the picture at the top of this article. Eleven of these pairs have identical tiles, and five of these pairs are made up of two tiles that score the same, but look different. (The latter group includes the Gee Joon tiles, which can score the same, whether as three or six.) If a hand is made up of a pair, it always scores higher than a non-pair, no matter what the value of the pips are. (Pairs are often thought of as being worth 12 points each.)
When the player and dealer both have a pair, the higher-ranked pair wins. Ranking is determined not by the sum of the tiles' pips, but rather by aesthetics; the order must be memorized. The highest pairs are the Gee Joon tiles, the Teens, the Days, and the red eights. The lowest pairs are the mismatched nines, eights, sevens, and fives.
Ties[edit]
When the player and dealer display hands with the same score, the one with the highest-valued tile (based on the pair rankings described above) is the winner. For example, a player's hand of 3-4 and 2-2 and a dealer's hand of 5-6 and 5-5 would each score one point. However, since the dealer's 5-5 outranks the other three tiles, he would win the hand.
If the scores are tied, and if the player and dealer each have an identical highest-ranking tile, the hand is ruled a copy and the dealer wins. For example, if the player held 2-2 and 1-6, and the dealer held 2-2 and 3-4, the dealer would win since the scores (1 each) and the higher tiles (2-2) are the same. The lower-ranked tile in each hand is never used to break a tie.
There are two exceptions to the method described above. First, although the Gee Joon tiles form the highest-ranking pair, they are considered to have no value when evaluating ties. Second, any zero-zero tie is won by the dealer, regardless of the tiles in the two hands.
Strategy[edit]
The key element of pai gow strategy is to present the optimal front and rear hands based on the tiles dealt to the player. There are three ways to arrange four tiles into two hands when no two of them form a pair. However, if there is at least one pair among the tiles, there are only two distinct ways to form two hands.
Using the tiles shown at right, the following hands and scores are possible:
- A and B (0), C and D (0)
- A and C (5), B and D (5)
- A and D (3), B and C (7)
The player must decide which combination is most likely to give a set of front/rear hands that can beat the dealer, or at least break a tie in the player's favor. In some cases, a player with weaker tiles may deliberately attempt to attain a push so as to avoid losing the bet outright. Many players rely on superstition or tradition to choose tile pairings.
See also[edit]
External links[edit]
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pai Gow. |
- Pai gow lore at Wizard of Odds website (Michael Shackleford)
I learned how to play tiles a few weeks ago from reading this site. I prepared for the trip by memorizing the Wizard basic strategy and part of the J.B. Advanced Strategy and playing hundreds of hands on the iPhone/iPad app Practice Pai Gow Tiles. The app tracks your accuracy as a percentage of optimal EV. I also watched videos by the Wizard and others, including some on tile delivery that came in handy when I banked.
The first day I tried to play at Harrah’s but their single table ($25 min) had three guys playing two hands a piece, and they were clearly not willing to share. On a later date, the same table was empty but the minimum had been raised to $100, so I passed.
The lone pai gow tiles table at the Bellagio is generally $25 in the morning and $50 in the evening. On my second day, in the morning the minimum was $50. I asked why, and the pit boss lowered it $25.
Bellagio charges $1 commission on a $25 bet and lets you pay commission up front. I generally had the table to myself and banked every other hand. The dealers were game to play out whatever silly delivery I asked for. Whenever a dealer didn’t know a specific delivery, or I didn’t know how to set it up, they would bring in the pit boss, who invariably knew all of the methods and how the banker should set it up so it’s clear to the dealer and camera. I really like this aspect of the game. Like the dice in craps, you the player are directly setting off an otherwise entirely random event, giving you a sense of agency. Few other games allow this.
The dealers were friendly and very experienced. I asked several of them how long they had been dealing tiles and none said less than ten years and one said over twenty.
Most of the dealers and pit bosses were curious about me, a middle-aged white guy, and asked how I learned to play tiles. Whenever I would approach the table with an unfamiliar dealer or pit boss, I invariably got the question, “you play tiles?”. I’m guessing quite a few people drunkenly stumble over to the table and slap their cash down, thinking they’re about to play pai gow poker.
My basic strategy is pretty solid, though I found it much harder when handling the actual tiles and made some stupid mistakes, especially when I felt rushed and didn’t work through all tile combinations. I got more comfortable over several days and my play improved. Because the dealers knew I was a beginner, they often offered advice, one suggesting I stick to the House Way until I got better. Sometimes this advice came into conflict with what I knew to be right (though confidence was often lacking in the moment). For example, I received the tiles: 4(high), 7, 8(high), 10(low). I played 1 - 8 and the dealer corrected me with the house way 4 - 5. I stuck to my original play in this case, but sometimes I waffled or reversed myself. A few times I blundered altogether and missed the higher point play.
My best hand was a teen pair with 9, 8. Which I split to Gong-Wong. Twice I got the dreaded 1-2.
Several of the dealers complimented my play, saying I usually set the tiles correctly and expressing surprise I had only recently learned to play, especially with regards to tile delivery. “You didn’t learn that from a phone app!”, said one.
I spent about seven hours overall playing pai gow. Four out of five sessions were losers, the losses naturally greater when playing at the $50 minimum. Overall I lost about $500 with tips. I think of it like paying for expensive lessons--I truly improved my play over that time, though I attribute most of my losses to bad tiles, not playing mistakes. Despite that, I enjoyed playing at the Bellagio and would happily play there again.
Ironically, three of my four craps sessions were winners, with total winnings of $1300, so I was a net winner this trip.
Thanks to the Wizard and J.B. for their work explaining pai gow tiles and the strategies for it. I would never have attempted it without the resources here.
Could you venture a guess as to how many hours of practice you put in on those apps?
What Is Pai Gow
Administrator
..For example, I received the tiles: 4(high), 7, 8(high), 10(low). I played 1 - 8..a teen pair with 9, 8. Which I split to Gong-Wong..
I think by and large you make 0/9 0/8 0/7 and I guess 0/Gong, 1/9 and 1/8. The idea is if the dealer hasn't got a pair or Hi9+ then they tends to make the best lo hand, so your best chance is to try and win the high hand; 7,8 or 9 will win to make a standoff.One exception is with Hi8 and 9, you play Pair Hi7.
I think the non-obvious plays are making 0/7-9 and similar, and sometimes not making Hi9+ when you can make good 6/7 etc. I found (non Vegas) they didn't mind me using this crib sheet to set my hand (hence why I created the one on the site). Subsequently there's an advanved strategy https://wizardofodds.com/games/pai-gow-tiles/strategy/jb/advanced/ that is probably more accurate.
With your seven hours of Tile play and 4 sessions of Craps play..
Did you accrue any points or credits on your M life Players card?
I'm assuming you played with your card.
I'm very interested in playing Tiles at Bellagio now, hearing that the dealers were so accommodating.
I found (non Vegas) they didn't mind me using this crib sheet to set my hand (hence why I created the one on the site).
I like your chart. I have to admit that I don't understand the middle section with teen and day in yellow and green.
Pai Gow Tile Game
Did you accrue any points or credits on your M life Players card?
I started out Sapphire with zero points, was Pearl by the second day, and just short of Gold on the fourth. I attribute most of that from hotel and restaurant charges though. I was definitely being awarded points for play but I didn't ask how I was being rated.
How To Play Pai Gow
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