Pai Gow Poker
AMERICAN CASINO GAME (1985) invented by SAM TORROSIAN at Bell Card Club, California — a hybrid of Chinese PAI GOW (tiles) + POKER. 1-6 players + dealer. Each player receives 7 cards + must arrange them into a HIGH HAND (5 cards) + LOW HAND (2 cards). Win both vs dealer = win; win one lose one = push; lose both = lose. House edge ~2.8%. Slower + more social than blackjack; widely offered in US casinos + Asian markets.
Quick facts
Category
Casino & Gambling
Type
Individual
Players
1–6
Duration
~40 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇺🇸 United States
Estimated origin
1985 Sam Torrosian; commercialized 1986 onward via US casinos
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
Beat dealer's high AND low hand.
Rules
Basic rules
Deal 7 cards to each player + dealer
Standard deal.
Player arranges into a 5-card High Hand + 2-card Low Hand
Signature dual hand.
High Hand MUST outrank Low Hand
Structural rule.
Joker is bug: completes straights/flushes; else counts as ace
Semi-wild.
Win BOTH = win, win 1 = push, lose both = lose
House-edge structure.
5% commission on wins standard
Casino vig.
Scoring
Even-money on wins minus 5% house commission; house edge ~2.8%.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Win both hands vs dealer | 1:1 (minus 5% commission) |
| Win one / lose one (push) | 0 |
| Lose both hands | -1 (lose bet) |
Win condition · Beat dealer's high + low both.
Equipment
Standard 53-card deck (52 + 1 joker)
Joker is limited wild
Casino Pai Gow table
Semi-circular felt table
Chips
Standard casino chips
Terminology
- High Hand
- 5-card poker hand.
- Low Hand
- 2-card hand (best is pair of aces).
- Foul
- Illegal setup (low > high) — automatic loss.
- Push
- Tie — no money changes hands.
- Commission
- 5% house cut from wins.
Where it is played
Frequently asked
Pai Gow Poker vs traditional Pai Gow?+
TRADITIONAL PAI GOW uses 32 CHINESE DOMINO TILES + is centuries old, played in Chinese communities. PAI GOW POKER (1985) uses standard POKER CARDS + adapts the split-hand structure to the American casino market. Poker version is far more widely offered in Western casinos; the tile game remains popular in Asian gaming rooms.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Pai Gow Poker— Wikipedia