No commission Pai Gow was invented by Dan Lubin of Lubin-Jones, LLC and introduced as Tao Pai Gow and first placed at the Barona Resort & Casino in San Diego, California during the summer of 2009. Distributor DEQ Systems Corp. has since placed the game in several locations under the name EZ Pai Gow, which coincides with DEQ's EZ Baccarat, a similarly commission-free game.
EZ Pai Gow
If you already know the optimal strategy for Pai Gow, the game won't seem much different to you.
It plays the same as any regular Pai Gow game with a refreshing change - no commission.
It does come with an additional cost - a hand you can't beat, a queen-high pai gow. That's right. When the dealer has a queen-high pai gow, all player hands become a push. You don't lose, but you don't win either.
A queen-high pai gow only pops up about one time in 58, so you may play all day and never see one. You'll like it that way. And, you'll probably like the fact that you'll see five or six more hands per hour since the dealer won't be fumbling to make change for each winning hand's commission. An Envy Bet is also available as in standard Pai Gow.
Joker Action
EZ Pai Gow comes in two styles for joker action. The first version has a standard joker used as an ace or for straights and flushes and is currently the style in Nevada and the Mid-West. In California casinos such as Barona, Blue Lake and Pala, the joker is a true bug or wild card, used as any card.
In addition, Cannery Casino Resort Properties (CCR), including The Rampart Casino, Eastside Cannery Casino & Cannery Casino, are offering the game with a Progressive variation of the game at their Las Vegas facilities.
Side Bets
The aggregate house edge is less than 2.5 percent, so the game beefs up the casino win rate with three bonus bets to make, although they are not mandatory. The first one, called the Queen's Dragon, pays 50-1. It wins anytime the dealer makes a queen-high pai gow. The house edge is just over 10 percent on this bet.
Dynasty Bonus
The Dynasty Bonus pays each time a player's best five-card hand is three of a kind or higher. Two styles are in use, one requiring only a $1 bet to quality for an envy payoff, the other a $5 bet. Both pay a bonus if another player gets a four of a kind or higher. Both pay 2-1 for a straight and work their way up the pay scale to 2000-1 for a natural 7-card straight flush or a wheel (Ace-5) straight flush with a natural Ace-Queen suited.
The house edge depends on the number of players (because of the possible envy bonus) and runs from just over 7 percent to over 8 percent, the highest when you are playing alone.
Bonus Bet
The Bonus Bet works like the Dynasty Bonus, a side bet that starts paying at 2-1 for a straight and works up the pay scale to 8000-1 for a natural 7-card straight flush (no joker). This bet is offered from $1 to $25, but because the envy bonus pays the same, the house edge is smallest when the player bets $5. This edge runs from just over 3 percent with six players, to almost 8 percent when playing alone.
EZ Pai Gow is also offered with a progressive wager. This may be made for a single dollar on each hand, which will be collected before the hands are opened. Payoffs include $4 for a full house, $75 for four of a kind, $100 for a straight flush, $500 for a Royal Flush, 10 percent of the jackpot amount for five aces, and the full jackpot for any 7-card straight flush.
EZ Pai Gow
If you already know the optimal strategy for Pai Gow, the game won't seem much different to you.
It plays the same as any regular Pai Gow game with a refreshing change - no commission.
It does come with an additional cost - a hand you can't beat, a queen-high pai gow. That's right. When the dealer has a queen-high pai gow, all player hands become a push. You don't lose, but you don't win either.
A queen-high pai gow only pops up about one time in 58, so you may play all day and never see one. You'll like it that way. And, you'll probably like the fact that you'll see five or six more hands per hour since the dealer won't be fumbling to make change for each winning hand's commission. An Envy Bet is also available as in standard Pai Gow.
Joker Action
EZ Pai Gow comes in two styles for joker action. The first version has a standard joker used as an ace or for straights and flushes and is currently the style in Nevada and the Mid-West. In California casinos such as Barona, Blue Lake and Pala, the joker is a true bug or wild card, used as any card.
In addition, Cannery Casino Resort Properties (CCR), including The Rampart Casino, Eastside Cannery Casino & Cannery Casino, are offering the game with a Progressive variation of the game at their Las Vegas facilities.
Side Bets
The aggregate house edge is less than 2.5 percent, so the game beefs up the casino win rate with three bonus bets to make, although they are not mandatory. The first one, called the Queen's Dragon, pays 50-1. It wins anytime the dealer makes a queen-high pai gow. The house edge is just over 10 percent on this bet.
Dynasty Bonus
The Dynasty Bonus pays each time a player's best five-card hand is three of a kind or higher. Two styles are in use, one requiring only a $1 bet to quality for an envy payoff, the other a $5 bet. Both pay a bonus if another player gets a four of a kind or higher. Both pay 2-1 for a straight and work their way up the pay scale to 2000-1 for a natural 7-card straight flush or a wheel (Ace-5) straight flush with a natural Ace-Queen suited.
The house edge depends on the number of players (because of the possible envy bonus) and runs from just over 7 percent to over 8 percent, the highest when you are playing alone.
Bonus Bet
The Bonus Bet works like the Dynasty Bonus, a side bet that starts paying at 2-1 for a straight and works up the pay scale to 8000-1 for a natural 7-card straight flush (no joker). This bet is offered from $1 to $25, but because the envy bonus pays the same, the house edge is smallest when the player bets $5. This edge runs from just over 3 percent with six players, to almost 8 percent when playing alone.
EZ Pai Gow is also offered with a progressive wager. This may be made for a single dollar on each hand, which will be collected before the hands are opened. Payoffs include $4 for a full house, $75 for four of a kind, $100 for a straight flush, $500 for a Royal Flush, 10 percent of the jackpot amount for five aces, and the full jackpot for any 7-card straight flush.