Pai Gow Moments

Here are more details about some of the online pai gow poker rooms which were included in last post’s list.

Golden Casino
A well known name in the world of online casinos, Golden Casino is a relatively new addition.  You can find the standard games but they also offer some new innovative ones, including pai gow poker.  What I like about this online casino is their matching sign up bonus up to $500.  It doesn’t end there, though.  From time to time, you can expect re-deposits and other bonuses.

Spin Palace Casino
With a huge sign up bonus of $1000, who wouldn’t want to play in this online casino?  There is no doubt about it, Spin Palace Casino is one of the most popular online casinos.  They have over 250 games to choose from with perhaps the best selection of video poker games.  More so, they support 4 major currencies and 8 languages.

Casino Las Vegas
Get $400 matching sign up  bonus and 25% of your referral’s first deposit at Casino Las Vegas – one of the most loved online casinos.  Their graphics are really good but they have a small selection of games.

Casino King
If you like the medieval ambiance, then this online casino is for you.  They also offer a pretty good matching bonus of $300.  In addition to that, you can get 25% of your referral’s first deposit.  Not bad, no?  However, if you are from Brazil, Canada, or Denmark, you would be required to wager 25 times the total of your deposit and bonus.  Not cool at all.

With the passing of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, a lot of poker rooms and online casinos have halted their dealings with American players.  Whether this is a welcome turn of events for them or not (I am sure it is more of the former), there are still some poker rooms which allow players from the U.S. to play.

This Act has made it even harder for people who like pai gow poker to find a place online to play for real money.  Here is a list that I hope will help for those who are looking for such online rooms.

1 Golden Casino       $550 (Max Bonus)         100% (Bonus Match)
SCORE: Max Bonus:80%, Graphics:81%, Games:77%, Deposit Methods:94%

2 Casino King       $300                 100%
SCORE: Max Bonus:72%, Graphics:80%, Games:70%, Deposit Methods:75%

3 Golden Palace Casino       $300             300%
SCORE: Max Bonus:77%, Graphics:68%, Games:80%, Deposit Methods:92%

4 Spin Palace Casino   $1000             0%
SCORE: Max Bonus:82%, Graphics:90%, Games:80%, Deposit Methods:80%

5 Swiss Casino   $400             100%
SCORE: Max Bonus:77%, Graphics:82%, Games:88%, Deposit Methods:82%

6 Casino Las Vegas   $400         100%
SCORE: Max Bonus:84%, Graphics:88%, Games:85%, Deposit Methods:74%

7 Casino On Net   $200         100%
SCORE: Max Bonus:79%, Graphics:72%, Games:76%, Deposit Methods:85%

8 Casino Tropez   $350         200%
SCORE: Max Bonus:85%, Graphics:80%, Games:91%, Deposit Methods:80%

This list is lifted off Gambling-Win.com.  In the next posts, let’s take a look at each of the online casinos in detail.

As I promised in the last post, I will pick up exactly where I left off in the House Way description of Dicedealer.com:

Make the low hand as high as possible. This includes playing the high domino in the low hand when given the choice. Exceptions:
 
If the low hand does not have a value of at least long 3 (a total of 3 with the long domino or higher) and a 7 or higher is possible in the high hand then make the high hand as high as possible. This includes playing the high domino in the high hand when given the choice.

If the two hands total 8-9 or more then play the high domino in the high hand.
2, 5, 6, 12: play 7, high 8.
High 8, low 8, high 4, any 7: play 2, high 5.
High 10, low 10, high 6, any 7: play 6, high 7.
High 10, low 10, high 6, low 8: play 6, high 8.
High 10, low 10, high 6, any 9: play 6, high 9.
High 10, high 8, 11, low 7: play 7, high 9.
High 4, low 4, gee (mixed 6), 5: play high 7, 9.
2 or 12, any 6, 5, gee: play 7, 9.
High 6, low 6, 11, gee: play 7, high 9.
High 8, low 8, any 7, 9: play high 5, 7.

At first glance, these combinations may seem to be too many and too complicated for one to understand and remember.  Through practice and use, it is not impossible.

In one of our posts, we talked about the House Way.  This is the means by which the house is expected to play.  The problem is, some casinos have different House Ways.  Here is one common way casinos follow this rule.  It would do you good to know about it.  I have lifted this version of the House Way from Dicedealer.com, where you can actually play pai gow tiles online.

Always keep pairs together except:
Split supreme pair with 6-4, 6-5, or 6-6.
Split 2s or 12s to make 6-8 or better. Also split with 9&11.
Split 9s with any two of 2,10,12.
Split 8s with any two of 2,10,11,12. Also split with 9&11.
Split 7s with any two of 2,10,11,12.
 
Play 2 or 12 with a 7,8, or 9. With both a 2 and 12 play the 12 in the high hand. Play high 9 over wong and gong and gong over wong except:
 
Play wong over gong when fourth tile is 11.
Play wong over high 9 when fourth tile is 11.
Play gong over high 9 when fourth tile is any 4 or when third and fourth tiles are low (mixed) 8 and 5.

Due to space constraints, I would have to spread this topic into two posts.  Don’t worry, I will make sure that the next post will pick up exactly where this one has left off.  In the meantime, do go over these rules and tips again and again until you think that you know them by heart.  Then you can move on to the next half.

I am sure some of you can relate to this guy.  He is a self confessed “snob” when it comes to card games.  Well, it would be better to say he WAS a snob.  In one of his articles, author and card game lover Frank Scobelete tells his readers of how he used to ignore table games that he considered new.  Among these games, he mentioned 3 card poker,  Caribbean Stud, and the like.  The main reason he ignored these is the fact that the house edge is quite high for these games – not at all a bad reason, isn’t it?

Yet today, he finds himself laughing – not at others, not at card games, but at himself.  Why?  Simply because he is now “addicted” to a card game he used to scoff at – Pai Gow Poker.  So what does he love about this game?

First he says that he loves it because of the slow-ness of the game.  With the pace of the game, any player can take his time to make decisions.  More than this, if a player suddenly does not know what to do, he can opt for the house way, which the dealer will show to him.

Another good thing for Scoblete is the fact that when plays, other players rarely bank.  That makes it great for him because he loves doing that.  Though the house edge may be a bit high, banking cuts that a bit.

These are only a few reasons that this guy fell for pai gow poker.  If you are anything like him, you just might find it a surprise as well!