How to play Pai Gow Tiles

Pai Gow Tiles is an age-old Chinese game that is played with thirty-two individual dominoes that are also called tiles. Together, these tiles make up sixteen probable sets. The main point of Pai Gow Tiles is to win against the two hands laid down by the opposite player. This person is known as the Banker. Any player can be the Banker. You must be able to beat their high and low hands with both your high and low hands. For every hand, the first objective to complete is establishing which player shall take up the responsibility of banking the hand. The player who takes up the duty of banking the game will have to be capable of paying off all and any wagers during their time serving as Banker.

Sometimes, a casino will permit their banker to distribute their responsibility to the house. Every player will be given the option to take up Banker during every round. With the end of each round, turns rotate counterclockwise in direction. None of the players will be obligated to play as Banker. There are many instances in which all of the players decide to decline the banking role, which then leaves the casino to serve as Banker. Whenever the casino is left responsible for banking a game, their hands will always be laid in accordance to the designated house formula for that aspect of the game. Players will never have to use this formula while they play as banker. Players are also given the freedom to lay their hands down in any way they want to.

The game starts when the dealer mixes the tiles and comes up with eight piles of four dominoes. The dealer shakes three dice inside of a cup and slams it on top of the table once all players have laid their bets down. The resulting number determines which players get the first pile of tiles. In order to figure out which player receives the first pile, the dealer adds up the numbers from eight different places around the table in a counterclockwise direction. This ensures that the Banker receives the first pile if the dice has tallied up to a total of nine or seventeen. After that, the dealer will distribute four tiles to every player. The players will then arrange their high and low hands.

Both hands must be won or lost to end a game. Strategically, players do not want to have one overtly strong or large hand with a small and weak one. It is best to have relatively strong hands on both ends. Look for matching pairs or tiles that total up to less than nine so you can play them both. The five basic ranks are the Supreme Pair, the Matched Pairs, the Unmatched Mixed Pairs, the Wongs, and the Gongs. The rank order for the hands in Pai Gow Tiles is complex and hard to follow. The best strategy is to be keenly aware of other players’ moves during game play.