Pai Gow Poker
Chinese people have played Pai Gow for centuries, whereas Sam Torosian created the poker variant while he was trying to promote a Californian casino during the 1980s. Before starting to play, you can use this guide to understand the rules of Pai Gow poker online and how it compares to other variants.
UK casinos with Pai Gow poker
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William Hill Editor’s pick- Pai Gow tables
- 200 free spins
- Live dealer tables
- 58 game studios
Play now 18+ · T&Cs apply200 free spins when you deposit & stake £10Minimum deposit £10 · Wagering 10x · Bonus code WHV200What we checked at William Hill
- Licence
- UK Gambling Commission
- Payment methods
- 49 in total, including Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Apple Pay
- Game studios
- 58 in total, including Blueprint Gaming, Evolution Gaming, IGT, Microgaming
- Games on site
- Baccarat, Bingo, Blackjack, Jackpot Games, Keno, live dealer, Poker
- Offer terms
- ⚠️ Прежняя запись (200% до £200, отыгрыш 35x) устарела. Спины по £0.10 на Big Bass Splash, живут 72 часа, выигрыш отыгрывается 10x и ограничен £30. Опт-ин в течение 7 дней. 18+.
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Betway- Pai Gow tables
- Winnings paid as cash
- 150 free spins
- Live dealer tables
Stake £20 & get 150 free spins (50 a day for 3 days)Minimum deposit £20 · No wagering on winnings · No bonus code neededWhat we checked at Betway
- Licence
- UK Gambling Commission
- Payment methods
- 39 in total, including Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Google Pay
- Game studios
- 50 in total, including Big Time Gaming, Blueprint Gaming, Evolution Gaming, IGT
- Games on site
- Baccarat, Bingo, Blackjack, Jackpot Games, Keno, live dealer, Poker
- Offer terms
- Депозит и ставка от £20 дебетовой картой, спины по £0.10, отыгрыша на выигрыш со спинов нет, срок 7 дней. Альтернатива при регистрации — 100% до £50 от £10. 18+.
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Jackpot City- Pai Gow tables
- 100 free spins
- 100% up to £100
- Live dealer tables
100% up to £100 + 100 free spins on JackpotCity Gold BlitzMinimum deposit £20 · Wagering 10x · No bonus code neededWhat we checked at Jackpot City
- Licence
- UK Gambling Commission
- Payment methods
- 45 in total, including Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Apple Pay
- Game studios
- 51 in total, including Big Time Gaming, Evolution Gaming, IGT, Microgaming
- Games on site
- Baccarat, Bingo, Blackjack, Jackpot Games, Keno, live dealer, Poker
- Offer terms
- Группа Betway. Депозит от £20 дебетовой картой, отыгрыш матч-бонуса 10x, на выигрыш со спинов отыгрыша нет, оффер живёт 7 дней. 18+.
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100% first deposit bonus up to £200No bonus code needed
What we checked at Dafabet
- Licence
- UK Gambling Commission
- Payment methods
- 42 in total, including Visa, MasterCard, Skrill, Neteller, Paysafecard
- Game studios
- 93 in total, including Blueprint Gaming, Evolution Gaming, Microgaming, NetEnt
- Games on site
- Baccarat, Bingo, Blackjack, Jackpot Games, Keno, live dealer, Poker
- Offer terms
- ⚠️ Британский домен dafabet.co.uk работает как white label лицензиата SCGO Limited; часть порталов пишет, что отдельного UK-оффера сейчас нет, суммы у разных рынков расходятся (€80/€130/£200). Перед публикацией сверять с живым сайтом. Спортивный вариант — фрибет до £30 при проигрыше первой ставки. 18+.
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VoodooDreams- Pai Gow tables
- 140 free spins
- Live dealer tables
- 91 game studios
Up to 140 free spins (20 a day for 7 days) on £25 depositMinimum deposit £25 · Wagering 10x · No bonus code neededWhat we checked at VoodooDreams
- Licence
- UK Gambling Commission
- Payment methods
- 46 in total, including Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Paysafecard
- Game studios
- 91 in total, including Big Time Gaming, Blueprint Gaming, Evolution Gaming, Microgaming
- Games on site
- Baccarat, Bingo, Blackjack, Jackpot Games, Keno, live dealer, Poker
- Offer terms
- Оператор SuprPlay Limited. Спины по £0.10 забираются вручную каждый день (несобранные сгорают), потолок £100 в день бонусными, отыгрыш 10x за 7 дней (портал обновлён 28.06.2026). 18+.
We earn a commission when you open an account through the links above; it never changes where a casino sits in the list — that is decided by the licence check, the published offer and what the site actually gives UK players. Gambling is 18+. Set your limits before you deposit. Free, confidential help: BeGambleAware, the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, and self-exclusion from every UK-licensed site through GAMSTOP.
Best Pai Gow Poker Casinos
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Understanding Pai Gow Poker
The classic game is played with 32 dominoes, where the poker version uses playing cards. Ultimately, both versions differ greatly from one another, so take the time to understand the rules, strategy, variants, and house edge for greater clarity.
Rules
Pai Gow poker was designed to be played with the standard 52-card deck along with the joker, which is included to serve as a wild symbol. However, it is limited in that players can only use the joker to create a pairs of aces, straights, flushes, and royal flushes.
The simplest thing about learning the game is that intermediate poker players will understand the ranking values of each hand. In fact, the only major divergence is that A2345 is the next most valuable hand after the royal flush.
In each round, players receive seven cards in all. There is no opportunity to switch cards, so players will have to use the cards they have. After receiving cards, a player creates a hand of five cards and one of two. Crucially, it is not permitted for players to use a stronger pair in their two-card selection.
When it comes to deciding the winner, this is the player who wins on both hands, which results in an even-money payout. Alternatively, it will be a push if there is a tie or an outright loss for being defeated in one hand – this is the more likely outcome of the two.
Strategy
At the most basic level, the most important element of Pai Gow poker strategy to consider is the value of each hand. The rules dictate that the higher pair cannot be in the two-card selection, but, at the same time, this needs to be a large enough value to ensure that the dealer does not sneak a tie and deprive you of the win.
In popular poker games, players are delighted when they receive multiple pairs. However, this is actually an instance when you do not use the traditional strategy in Pai Gow poker. Okay, let’s say that you have three pairs. In this case, the best way to play is to use the highest pair in the two-card selection, as the two pairs will still be higher. As a result, you will have a much stronger chance to win.
Variants
In this section, you can compare the main variants of Pai Gow and poker to obtain a deeper understanding of how to play the game. Check out the subsections below for details.
Pai Gow Classic
For players who understand the classic, they do not consider the poker game to be overly similar. For instance, classic players have 32 dominoes and can create up to 16 pairs when trying to secure a best score of nine, with the 1 removed from scored of 10 or higher.
Texas Hold’em
The world’s most popular poker game bears a much greater resemblance, as players can create a hand from seven cards. However, it is different in that players have two of their own cards plus five community cards. That being said, Texas hold’em is different because it features human players instead of a set dealer.
Casino Hold’em
This variant gets closer to Pai Gow poker, given that players can directly challenging the dealer on each round. But that is where the comparison ends, as casino hold’em calls for players to begin with two of their own cards before creating their best hand with three additional cards.
House Edge
There is an abundance of odds associated with table games, so it is more efficient to compare the most common house edge for each. Quite simply, this is to outline the advantage that the dealer has over players. For reference, check out the values below:
Pai Gow poker – 1.46%
Blackjack – 0.28%
Baccarat – 1.06%
Craps – 1.41%
Roulette – 2.70%/5.26%
Three-card poker – 3.37%
Casino hold’em – 5.22%
You should now have the confidence to give Pai Gow poker a try, even if you play with basic strategy. And don’t forget to come back if you need to revisit any section of this guide.
