How do you place your bets in Pai Gow Tiles?

The players place their bets in a circle which is the same spot where they will get their tiles. Players often pick a lucky seat number. If another player feels that a different spot is lucky, they can place a sidebet on the spot. The game play on the spot belongs to the owner of the spot, with the sidebetter having no say in the play of the hand. If the hand wins, the casino will pay both bets (minus the 5% commission). If the hand loses, the casino will take both bets, but they can be pooled in the next hand for a player bank.

How is the Pai Gow Tiles deal set-up?

In order to start the deal, the 32 tiles are stacked in eight rows of four. When the stacks are complete, the dealer will shake three dice in a small cup to determine where the deal starts. The sum of the numbers of the three dice dictate where the first hand is delivered. The deal counts in a counter clockwise matter starting with the dealer spot. The dealer is spot 1, 9, and 17. The right furthermost stack of tiles will go to the first spot and the rest of the hands are distributed in order in a counter clockwise manner.

How can a player bank in Pai Gow Tiles?

The dealer has the advantage of winning copy hands and zeroes. Because of this, it’s beneficial to become the bank for this advantage, but the player bank must be able to cover all bets on the table. A player can bank every other hand, typically up to 10% over their previous bet. Some casinos allow players to combine into one player bank, but a player should take into account how the banks and player combinations fare during play.

During a player bank, the player can shuffle and stack the tiles in an accepted format. A couple of the common options are Hong Kong Bank or House Way. The player also shakes the dice cup to determine where the hands start. Two players are also allowed to touch the tiles which makes the game more fun. The camaraderie of ganging up on the house to win is part of the fun of Pai Gow Tiles!