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Review of Pai Gow Poker by Microgaming
If you enjoy playing casino table games, then you probably know all about poker and its various formats … Texas Hold’em, Draw, Omaha … even the humble video poker. But what about Pai Gow Poker? Have you ever played that?
Well, here thanks to Microgaming is the perfect rendition of Pai Gow Poker. If you want to learn how to play this game, then here’s your chance. You can also of course play if you are an old-hand at the discipline of Pai Gow Poker!
Despite its name, Pai Gow Poker was invented in the 1980s in the USA. Pai Gow is a traditional Chinese game using dominoes. In the poker version, you are dealt seven cards, which you must then split into two hands. The five-card hand must outrank the two-card hand in poker terms.
Once you have created your hands the dealer does the same with their seven cards. Each five-card hand is compared, then each two-card hand. It is possible to win both hands, just one, or neither!
One more thing – Pai Gow Poker is played with a deck of 53 cards, consisting of a normal deck and a joker.
How to Play Pai Gow Poker by Microgaming
There are two bets to this game – the table bet and the bonus bet. Click on the betting circles on the table to select which bet you are placing, then the ‘-‘ and ‘+’ symbols to choose your bet size. When you are feeling good about your selections hit the ‘deal’ button.
You will be dealt seven cards, face-up, and the dealer will be dealt seven cards, face down. Click on the two cards that will form your two-card hard. Remember that your five-card hand has to be of higher value than your two-card hand. You cannot have a pair of kings as your two-card hand, and a pair of fours as your five-card hand, for example.
The joker is only a wild card if used in a straight flush, flush or straight, otherwise, it is treated as an ace.
If you do not want to work out the best way of splitting your hand then the game can do it for you – click on the ‘house way’ button. This will split your hand as if you were the dealer.
Once you are happy with the bet, click ‘Play’. The dealer will then turn over their hand and split their seven cards in such a way to beat both your hands, if possible.
You are paid your stake for each hand that you win. So if you bet $10 and win both hands you will win $20, less a five percent ‘commission’. If you only win one hand then you are paid $10. These winning bets do not return your stake, so winning only one hand Is equivalent to a push in blackjack.
If you play the ‘bonus bet’ you will be paid out on the following basis, depending on the value of your dealt hand:
| Hand | Pay-out |
| 7-card straight flush | 8,000-1 |
| Royal flush plus AA | 2,000-1 |
| 7-card straight with joker | 1,000-1 |
| Five aces (includes joker) | 400-1 |
| Royal flush | 150-1 |
| Straight flush | 50-1 |
| Four of a kind | 25-1 |
| Flush | 4-1 |
| Three of a kind | 3-1 |
| Straight | 2-1 |
Game Rules
- Game is played with a 53-card deck
- Hands rank as per normal poker rankings
- Five percent commission is paid when both hands win
- The bonus bet is optional
- Joker is a wild card in a straight flush, flush or straight only, else it is an ace
- Expected RTP is approximately 97.53%
Graphics and Sounds
The cards used in this game are standard Microgaming table game cards and they are very easy to see. You will have no problems in working out the value of your hand from the appearance of your cards.
There’s very little audio in the game. You get the shuffling sound of the cards being dealt, and then an electro-fanfare if you’ve pushed or won. There’s also an effective ‘uh’ noise should you happen to lose.
Final Thoughts
Pai Gow Poker is quite a social game at casinos as more than one player is playing at once, and if the dealer is dealt a bad hand, then all the players at the table tend to win at the same time. The game itself involves almost zero skill, and if you use the ‘House Way’ button absolutely no skill at all.
This is an entertaining game that’s very well rendered but if you want to win money playing casino games, then it’s better if you look elsewhere.