Pai Gow Moments

Pai Gow is an old Chinese gambling game. It is mainly played with the use of dominos. It should not be confused with its derivative, Pai Gow Poker, which is played with cards. Here are some commonly used terms in Pai Gow.

Banker – the designated person who does not place a bet but all players bet against him. Each participant’s high and low hands are compared against the banker’s high and low hands. The banker collects and benefits from all the bets that he wins, but he is also responsible for playing off the bets to all participants who beat the banker’s high and low hands. Each person around the table can take his turn at being the banker at some point. It is important to note that the banker is not the same as the dealer.

Day – the tile with a double one

Dealer – the person who shuffles and stacks the tiles. Much like the dealer in poker and other card games.

Dice – there are three dice used in Pai Gow. They are not rolled but shaken in a cup. They introduce and additional element of chance as well as avoid cheating.

Gee Joon – the 1-2 or 2-4 tiles. Also known as wildcards.

Gong – a pair that consists of a Day or Teen and an eight. This is worth ten.

Hand – a group of tiles. A hand is composed of two tiles each.

High hand – the hand which has a higher value.

Identical pair – a pair of tiles which are identical in appearance. There are 11 identical pairs in Pai Gow.

Low hand – the hand which has a lower value.

Pair – two tiles grouped together (According to the rules of Pai Gow). Pairs are not necessarily of the same value. There are sixteen pairs in Pai Gow.

Teen – the tile with a double six

Tie – a situation wherein you and the banker have the same exact hands. In the event that a tie happens, the winnings go to the banker.

Tiles – the main material with which you play Pai Gow. They are rectangular in shape, about 1 inch wide and 2 inches tall. They are usually black with white and red dots on one side. The other side is uniformly black so that a tile can be overturned without the other players seeing the number of dots on it.

Wong - a pair that consists of a Day or Teen and a nine. This is worth eleven.