Pai Gow Poker Tips and Hints
On this page we’ll cover tips and hints for playing Pai Gow Poker.
This article assumes you’re already familiar with how to play Pai Gow poker and are knowledgeable on setting Pai Gow Poker hands. Here we’ll first cover hints for playing Pai Gow Poker online and then cover Live Pai Gow Poker tips.
Top Online Pai Gow Poker Tips
Tip #1: When possible play only with bonus cash. Many casinos restrict Pai Gow Poker from their list of games eligible for clearing their sign up bonus. There are still a few that don’t. One of the best examples is 888 Online Casino where the house edge is only 0.24% when playing Pai Gow optimally along with their 100% up to $200 sign up bonus.
Tip #2: Avoid paying extra commission. Real Time Gaming powered casinos round commission up to $0.25. This means if you’re not betting in $5 increments you’re paying extra commission thus giving the casino a higher house edge. If you’re a $1.00 per hand better you’re paying 25% commission and would actually be better off playing online keno.
Tip #3: Avoid bonus bets when offered. At Microgaming Casino you’ll find a bonus bet offering some amazing payouts. The concern here is the house edge is nearly 6% making this an overall losing proposition.
Tip #4: Play only at Reputable Casinos. Overcoming house advantage is tough enough as it is. If you need to sweat casino payouts as well, why bother?
Tip #5: Don’t chase losses. No one likes to lose and this is what casinos count on to maximize their profits. Each time you sit at a casino game, sit expecting the most likely scenario is a loss. If that doesn’t occur be happy and enjoy the win. Whatever you do don’t go depositing more and more money trying to get even. We all know this rarely works, and is also why betting limits are in place.
To find out the most profitable places to play Pai Gow poker online then check out this page: Pai Gow Poker at Online Casinos
Tip 5 Tips for Live Pai Gow
Tip #1: Bank as often as possible. When taking the banker button you’re playing with a very low house edge, sometimes even positive expectation for that round. Assuming you can cover the stakes you should take the banker button at every available option.
Tip #2: Take full advantage of comps. Make sure to use a player card. Also at smaller casinos where comps ratings are controlled from the pit consider increasing your wagers when floor is monitoring the table and reducing them when the floor is away. Whatever you can do to increase comps also makes your expectation more favorable.
Tip #3: Reduce commission however possible. Some casinos allow you to pre-bet commission. For example instead of betting $25.00 you can bet $26.25. When this is allowed you should take advantage of this as it reduces the 5% commission to 4.76% commission. Also there are some casinos such as Caesars Palace in Vegas and Borgata in Atlantic City that don’t use quarters (25 cent coins) at their table. Here they’ll round the commission down and you can take advantage of this once you discover how their rounding process works.
Tip #4: Peek when possible: There is nothing illegal about looking at other players hands. It is discouraged and could get you thrown out of the casino, but unless you’ve been warned then attempting subtle glances at other player’s hands is a decent strategy. This won’t do anything earth shattering the casinos house advantage, but can sometimes help when you have a decision between several ways a hand can be set.
Tip #5: Avoid the many variations of Pai Gow Poker live casinos offer. Fortune Bets, Bonus Bets etc are designed to increase the houses expectation, as a player you’ll want to avoid these. Also avoid games such as Mini Pai Gow, and Asia Poker which are variations of Pai Gow with much worst odds.
For more hints on how to make Pai Gow Poker more profitable, navigate the other Pai Gow Poker pages of our website. Our Pai Gow Poker articles page would be a good start.
