The History of Pai Gow Poker
Pai Gow poker is an Americanized version of the traditional Chinese game of Pai Gow, incorporating elements of the original game into the rules of American poker. Pai Gow poker is also known as double-hand poker, referring to the way in which players arrange their cards into two separate hands before playing them against the banker’s.
Chinese Pai Gow is played with a set of specially marked dominoes. Each player is dealt four dominoes with which he or she is to make two “hands” of two dominoes each. Players then take turns comparing their hands with those of the dealer to determine whether they win or lose their bet.
The original Pai Gow is an ancient game, believed to be thousands of years in age. Meanwhile, Pai Gow poker is a relatively recent innovation. Although there is evidence of Pai Gow variations around as early as the mid-1800s, Pai Gow poker as we know it was not introduced into casinos until 1986, when it was first played in California game rooms. The year after it was brought to Las Vegas casinos, and it has since gained popularity in Atlantic City and in other prominent locations.
Nowadays, Pai Gow poker is a favorite among card players for its variety of strategic options and low house advantage. With a house advantage of less than 3%, Pai Gow poker offers players better chances of winning than most other card games. This variation also removes the intensity of standard poker games with multiple contestants, bluffing, etc., and it has a much slower overall pace than games like blackjack or craps. The end result is a calm and thoughtful game where a player can expect a modest buy-in to last a long way.