Pai Gow has its origins in ancient China. The game in its original form is significantly different than the one that is played today. It was originally played with dominoes and was modeled on the Chinese military and the political climate of that country. Pai Gow was initially a very complicated and precise game. Its coupling with poker, saw the creation of a game that was much simpler and streamlined.
It would be much later, in the 20th century, when someone would combine Pai Gow with poker. A game much different than the original was the result. The use of the dominoes was dropped and cards and dice were utilized. Today, the game requires a standard card deck of cards and a Joker. Dice are used but only to determine who gets the first hand.
Fred Wolf is credited with creating Pai Gow and bringing it to the public’s attention. The game was first played in California. It became a fairly popular there and would eventually be played in the primary gambling centers of United States, Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Now, it is possible to play Pai Gow in many casinos throughout the country. It can even be played online.
There are some distinct advantages to the online game. Many times the payouts are higher and individuals can play when and were ever they choose.
In the modern version of the game, players are given seven cards. They must make two hands, one consisting of five cards and the other two. If both players’ hands are higher than the dealer’s, they win. In cases where a player has one hand that is higher than the dealer’s but not both, this is considered a push and no money is exchanged. If both of the player’s hands are equal in value with the dealer, the player loses because ties go to the dealer.
In the original game, dominoes were used which differs greatly from the game today. The dominoes were divided into different suits, some military and the others civilian. This is believed to be symbolic of the warring factions within the country. Each player was to take their dominoes and make two separate hands. Each hand was made up of two tiles. The goal was to make one hand higher then the other, which also consisted of two tiles. Both of those hands needed to the higher than the hands of people they were competing against. This is very similar to the competition between the player and the dealer in today’s game.