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- Gambling has taken place, in some form or other, for hundreds if not thousands of years, and is inextricably linked to the history of humanity. From ancient China where indications of rudimentary.
- Go was first played in China more than 3,000 years ago. It’s believed to be the oldest.
A set of Chinese dominoes. The top double-row of tiles lists the eleven matching pairs, in descending value from left to right. Below them are five non-matching pairs, worth less than the matching pairs, and also in descending value from left to right. The Gee Joon tiles, lower right, are the highest pair of all.
Mahjong (often spelled Mah Jong, Mahjongg, and Mah Jongg) is thought to have derived from Chinese card games of the 12th century. The four-person game we know today probably developed in China in the middle of the 19th century. By the early 1900s, Mahjong was a craze in the United States, too. Early Origins – Chinese Games and Ancient Roman Rituals Despite it being one of the most popular and oldest card games across the world, Baccarat’s origin remains unclear. The first written record of the game is from the 19th century, so all other accounts about it prior are mere hearsay.
Pai gow (Chinese: 牌九; pinyin: pái jiǔ; Jyutping: paai4 gau2) is a Chinesegamblinggame, played with a set of 32 Chinese dominoes. It is played in major casinos in China (including Macau); the United States (including Boston, Massachusetts; Las Vegas, Nevada; Reno, Nevada; Connecticut; Atlantic City, New Jersey; Pennsylvania; Mississippi; and cardrooms in California); Canada (including Edmonton, Alberta and Calgary, Alberta); Australia; and, New Zealand.
The name 'pai gow' is sometimes used to refer to a card game called pai gow poker (or “double-hand poker”), which is loosely based on pai gow.
Rules[edit]
Starting[edit]
Tiles are shuffled on the table and are arranged into eight face-down stacks of four tiles each in an assembly known as the woodpile. Individual stacks or tiles may then be moved in specific ways to rearrange the woodpile, after which the players place their bets.
Next, each player (including the dealer) is given one stack of tiles and must use them to form two hands of two tiles each. The hand with the lower value is called the front hand, and the hand with the higher value is called the rear hand. If a player's front hand beats the dealer's front hand, and the player's rear hand beats the dealer's rear hand, then that player wins the bet. If a player's front and rear hands both lose to the dealer's respective hands, the player loses the bet. If one hand wins and the other loses, the player is said to push, and gets back only the money he or she bet. Generally seven players will play, and each player's hands are compared only against the dealer's hands; comparisons are always front-front and rear-rear, never one of each.
There are 35,960 possible ways to select 4 of the 32 tiles when the 32 tiles are considered distinguishable. However, there are 3620 distinct sets of 4 tiles when the tiles of a pair are considered indistinguishable. There are 496 ways to select 2 of the 32 tiles when the 32 tiles are considered distinguishable. There are 136 distinct hands (pairs of tiles) when the tiles of a pair are considered indistinguishable.
Evaluations of three basic hands
Basic scoring[edit]
The name 'pai gow' is loosely translated as 'make nine' or 'card nine'. This reflects the fact that, with a few high-scoring exceptions, the maximum score for a hand is nine. If a hand consists of two tiles that do not form a pair, its value is determined by adding up the total number of pips on the tiles and dropping the tens digit (if any). Examples:
- 1–3 with 2-3: value 9 (nine pips altogether)
- 2–3 with 5-6: value 6 (16 pips; drop the 10)
- 5–5 with 4-6: value 0 (20 pips; ones digit is zero)
A Day tile (left) and a Teen tile (right)
Gongs and Wongs[edit]
There are special ways in which a hand can score more than nine points. The double-one tiles and double-six tiles are known as the Day and Teen tiles, respectively. The combination of a Day or Teen with an eight results in a Gong, worth 10 points, while putting either of them with a nine creates a Wong, worth 11. However, when a Day or Teen is paired with any other tile, the standard scoring rules apply.
Gee Joon tiles[edit]
The 1-2 and the 2-4 tiles are called Gee Joon tiles and act as limited wild cards. When used as part of a hand, these tiles may be scored as either 3 or 6, whichever results in a higher hand value. For example, a hand of 1-2 and 5-6 scores as seven rather than four.
Pairs[edit]
The matching pair of eights (left) is worth more than the non-matching pair of eights (right). If a hand contained one of the tiles on the left and one of the tiles on the right, these would not form a pair at all, since the tiles that make pairs are defined by tradition.
The 32 tiles in a Chinese dominoes set can be arranged into 16 pairs, as shown in the picture at the top of this article. Eleven of these pairs have identical tiles, and five of these pairs are made up of two tiles that score the same, but look different. (The latter group includes the Gee Joon tiles, which can score the same, whether as three or six.) Any hand consisting of a pair outscores a non-pair, regardless of the pip counts. (Pairs are often thought of as being worth 12 points each.)
When the player and dealer both have a pair, the higher-ranked pair wins. Ranking is determined not by the sum of the tiles' pips, but rather by aesthetics; the order must be memorized. The highest pairs are the Gee Joon tiles, the Teens, the Days, and the red eights. The lowest pairs are the mismatched nines, eights, sevens, and fives.
Ties[edit]
When the player and dealer display hands with the same score, the one with the highest-valued tile (based on the pair rankings described above) is the winner. For example, a player's hand of 3-4 and 2-2 and a dealer's hand of 5-6 and 5-5 would each score one point. However, since the dealer's 5-5 outranks the other three tiles, he would win the hand.
If the scores are tied, and if the player and dealer each have an identical highest-ranking tile, the hand is ruled a copy and the dealer wins. For example, if the player held 2-2 and 1–6, and the dealer held 2-2 and 3–4, the dealer would win since the scores (1 each) and the higher tiles (2-2) are the same. The lower-ranked tile in each hand is never used to break a tie.
There are two exceptions to the method described above. Betonline poker scam. First, although the Gee Joon tiles form the highest-ranking pair, they are considered to have no value when evaluating ties. Second, any zero-zero tie is won by the dealer, regardless of the tiles in the two hands.
Strategy[edit]
The key element of pai gow strategy is to present the optimal front and rear hands based on the tiles dealt to the player. There are three ways to arrange four tiles into two hands when no two of them form a pair. However, if there is at least one pair among the tiles, there are only two distinct ways to form two hands.
There are three ways to arrange these tiles into two hands.
Using the tiles shown at right, the following hands and scores are possible:
- A and B (0), C and D (0)
- A and C (5), B and D (5)
- A and D (3), B and C (7)
The player must decide which combination is most likely to give a set of front/rear hands that can beat the dealer, or at least break a tie in the player's favor. In some cases, a player with weaker tiles may deliberately attempt to attain a push so as to avoid losing the bet outright. Many players rely on superstition or tradition to choose tile pairings.
See also[edit]
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pai Gow. |
- Pai gow lore at Wizard of Odds website (Michael Shackleford)
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Pai Gow Chinese Domino Rules
How To Play Pai Gow Dominoes
Pai Gow is a Chinese Gambling game played with the Chinese dominoes tile set.The game is played in underground casinos in most Chinese communities. It is playedopenly in major casinos in Macau, China, Las Vegas, Nevada, Atlantic City, New Jersey, in many California cardrooms, and in some Australian casinos. It is an ancient game, thousands of years old, and steeped in tradition.
The name 'Pai Gow' is sometimes used to refer to a card game called Pai Gow Poker (or Double Hand Poker ), also popular in Nevada and California, and which is loosely based on the Chinese game.
The Set-Up
![Chinese Chinese](https://i2.wp.com/blogs.jccc.edu/campusledger/files/2012/08/DeZamacona-GoClub2.jpg?fit=3583%2C5105&ssl=1)
Tiles are randomized on the table, and are stacked into eight stacks of four tiles each. This assembly is known as thewoodpile. Various ritualistic 'shuffles' are made, rearranging the tiles in the woodpile in standard ways that result in anew woodpile. Bets are then made.
Next, each player (including the dealer) is given four tiles with which to make two hands of two tiles each. The hand with thelower value is called the front hand, and the hand with the higher value is called the rear hand. If a player'sfront hand beats the dealer's front hand, and the player's rear hand beats the dealer's rear hand, then that player wins the bet.If a player's front and rear hands both lose to the dealer's respective hands, the player loses the bet. If one hand wins and theother loses, the player is said to push, and gets back only the money he or she bet. Generally seven players will play,and each player's hands are compared only against the dealer's hands.
Basic ScoringThe name 'Pai Gow' is loosely translated as 'Make Nine' or 'Card Nine'. This reflects the fact that, with a few high-scoringexceptions, the best a hand can score is nine. To find the value of a hand, simply add the total number of pips on the two tiles,and drop the tens place. So for instance, a 1-3 tile (a tilewith one pip on one end and three pips on the other, for a total of four pips) used with a 2-3 tile (with five total pips) willscore nine, since four plus five is nine. A 2-3 tile with a 5-6 tile will score six, and not sixteen, because you drop the 1. Anda 5-5 tile with a 4-6 tile will score zero, since ten plus ten is twenty, and twenty reduces to zero when you drop the tensplace.
Gongs and WongsThere are special ways in which a hand can score more than nine points. The double-one tiles and double-six tiles are known asthe Day and Teen tiles, respectively. If a Day or Teen tile is used with an eight, the pair is worth ten instead ofthe usual zero. (This is called a Gong.) If a Day or Teen tile is used with a nine, the hand is worth eleven instead ofone. (This is called a Wong.) But a Day or Teen tile used with a ten is only worth two, not twelve; this is because onlyeights and nines can be combined with Days or Teens for higher values. (In other words, when Day or Teen tiles are combined withtiles other than an eight or nine, follow the normal scoring rules.)
The Gee June tilesThe 1-2 and the 2-4 tiles are called Gee June tiles (or sometimes called wildcards). Either tile can count as 3 or 6, whichever scores more. So a 1-2 tile can be used with a 5-6 tile to make a hand worth seven points, rather than four.
PairsThe 32 tiles in a Chinese Dominoes set can be arranged into 16 pairs, as shown in the picture at the top of this article.Eleven of these pairs have identical tiles, and five of these pairs are made up of two tiles that score the same, but lookdifferent. (The latter group includes the Gee June tiles, which can score the same, whether as three or six.) If a hand is madeup of a pair, it always scores higher than a non-pair, no matter what the value of the pips are. (Pairs are often thought of asbeing worth 14 points each.)
When two pairs are compared, the higher-valued pair wins. This is not determined by the sum of their pips, but by aesthetics.It must be memorized which pairs score more than other pairs. The highest pairs are the Gee June tiles, the Teens, the Days, andthe red eights. The lowest scoring pairs are the mismatched nines, eights, sevens, and fives. But even the lowest-scoring pairwill beat any non-pair.
Ties![Chinese Chinese](https://sgamingzionm.gamblingzion.com/uploads/2017/10/chinese_cards.jpg)
When one of a player's hands is compared to one of the dealer's hands, it sometimes happens that both will have the samescore. For instance, a player may have a front hand worth one point, consisting of a 3-4 tile and a 2-2 tile, and the dealer mayhave a front hand also worth one point, made up of a 5-6 tile and a 5-5 tile. In these cases, determine which tile in each handhas a higher value, as determined by the pair rankings mentioned above. In this case, the 2-2 tile is in a higher-ranking pairthan the 3-4 tile, and the 5-5 tile is in a higher-ranking pair than the 5-6 tile. (Again, the rankings of the pairs follows noobvious pattern and must be memorized.) Since the 5-5 pair outranks the 2-2 pair, the dealer would win this front hand. In theunusual case of a true tie, where the dealer's high tile would be in the same pair as the player's high tile, the dealer wins thetie.
There are two exceptions to the method described above. First, although the Gee June tiles form the highest-ranking pair, theyare considered to have no value when evaluating ties. Second, any zero-zero tie is won by the dealer, regardless of the tiles inthe hand.
StrategyThe basic decision to be made in Pai Gow is how to arrange one's hands. Given any four tiles, there are always three ways toarrange them into two hands (although some arrangements may be functionally identical to others). Sometimes one way will beclearly superior to another, but at other times it is difficult to determine the best strategy.
For instance, consider the four tiles at right. It would clearly be unwise to combine tile A with tile B, since each handwould be worth zero. It would make more sense to combine tile A with tile C, in which case both hands would be worth 5. Or youcould pair tile A with tile D, in which case your front hand would be worth 3 and your rear hand would be worth 7. Which is abetter choice?
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If you think the dealer will have poor hands, such as a front of 1 and a rear of 6, you would want to pair tile A with tile Din order to maximize your chance of winning. If you are afraid the dealer may have a better hand, such as a front of 4 and a rearof 9, then you will want to pair tile A with tile C in order to maximize your chance of pushing. You might also consider thatpairing tile A with tile D will make it more likely that a tie would break in your favor.
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Experience will help a player get a feel for which hand combinations will work well in which situations. Many players usevarious superstitions as well, believing that one should (for instance) never pair a 6-4 tile with a nine.
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