The standard house edge for a game of Pai Gow poker is 2.84%. However, Pai Gow odds change slightly if you play as a banker. In this case, the house edge reduces to about 1.42%. At the start of each Pai Gow Poker round, the dealer asks around the table if any of the players would prefer to act as the banker. While players can choose to decline, accepting to be the banker can boost your chances of winning.
That’s because the banker always wins if the game ends in a tie. Accepting to be the banker increases your chances of winning by 1.27%, which is why you should always take that option if it’s available because the Pai Gow house edge is lower.
In Pai Gow Poker, the house edge is the mathematical advantage that the casino has over the player. This means for a house edge of 2.84%, the casino will win about 2.84% of all bets placed at the table.
Pai Gow Poker is mostly a game of chance, but there’s an element of skill as well. While the odds of winning depend on the distribution of the cards, how a player arranges these cards may also influence their chances of winning.
The game is played with a 52-card deck and a joker. The odds of receiving any card over the other are always equal, meaning there’s no way to determine or influence the cards you’ll get. Despite this, knowing how to arrange your cards correctly to get the best poker hands can increase your odds of winning or getting a tie significantly.
