Pai Gow Poker is an American version of the Chinese game of chance Pai Gow, which differs from the original in that it is played with poker cards instead of Chinese dominoes. The game was invented by Sam Thorozian and Fred Wolff to attract players to casinos in order to beat the competition in the Los Angeles area. The game quickly became popular, and today is one of the favorite games among online gamblers.
Pai Gow Poker casino can play up to six players plus the dealer. The goal of the game is to beat the dealer’s hand with a combination of five or two cards. In the online version of the game, the same rules apply, with the only difference being that the dealer in this case is the casino. The rules of the game are a combination of Chinese Pai Gow and American poker rules. Online Pai Gow poker is played against the casino, so the chances of winning do not depend on the number of players. Compared to many other online casino games, Pai Gow Poker online is a fairly leisurely game. Nevertheless, it is quite popular due to the fact that it can be played for small amounts.
The successful idea to adapt this ancient Chinese game in an American way came to the casino owner Fred Wolf in the late 70s of the last century, when it became necessary to offer his visitors something new in order not to lose to competitors. When Torozian and Wolf first heard about Pai Gow, they found the game too complicated, slow, and exotic, so they decided to make some changes to it. They took the rules of poker as a basis, and also replaced the Chinese dominoes with a standard poker deck.
When it first appeared in the casino, the game did not immediately gain popularity – most casino owners initially considered it too slow and unprofitable due to the small winnings of the casino. However, over time, it nevertheless became popular, appearing in Las Vegas casinos in the early 80s of the last century. Today, Internet Pai Gow Poker exists in several variations and different designs. Read in this section the latest news related to Pai Gow Poker.