Dealer Open Pai Gow

I saw a new game at Binion's on Friday called Dealer Open Pai Gow. It's pretty much the same thing as Face Up Pai Gow Poker, except the takeback is the dealer automatically wins if he has two or more jacks.

For all the rules and analysis, please see my new page on Dealer Open Pai Gow.

The question for the poll is would you play Dealer Open Pai Gow?

Quote: Wizard

I saw a new game at Binion's on Friday called Dealer Open Pai Gow. It's pretty much the same thing as Face Up Pai Gow Poker, except the takeback is the dealer automatically wins if he has two or more jacks.

For all the rules and analysis, please see my new page on Dealer Open Pai Gow.

The question for the poll is would you play Dealer Open Pai Gow?
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At least you still have to think to play this new variant. As opposed to Face Up which requires no decision making which is not patently obvious. But the bad feeling of only tying the dealer who has an ace high Pai Gow will only be half as bad as having your 4 queens with a pair of aces LOSE to the dealers Jacks with a 9-10 up top!

Quote: SOOPOO

At least you still have to think to play this new variant. As opposed to Face Up which requires no decision making which is not patently obvious.
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You don't have to think in this variant either.

Quote: Wizard

Quote: SOOPOO

At least you still have to think to play this new variant. As opposed to Face Up which requires no decision making which is not patently obvious.
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You don't have to think in this variant either.
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Oh. Then I’d like it less. I’m glad my local casino still has ‘regular’ Pai Gow.

I’d play it, but I think I’d prefer Face Up.

I imagine having a monster hand and LOSING to a pair of jacks would be more frustrating than pushing on an Ace high.

They had this version at Circus Circus LV as well earlier this year.

Quote: ams288

I’d play it, but I think I’d prefer Face Up.

I imagine having a monster hand and LOSING to a pair of jacks would be more frustrating than pushing on an Ace high.

The dealer motions for the players to just throw their cards away without looking at them if she has two or more jacks. However, if the player made the side bets, he would still check them.

Quote:

They had this version at Circus Circus LV as well earlier this year.
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I guess Gaming is no longer updating their list of field trial games, unless this didn't need one, being so similar to Face Up.

In the archives there's pdf rules for both a version 1 and a version 2

So it must have run the field trial gauntlet years ago. Note that version 1 has many optional payables.

Ah yes, this is the game I saw on my previous trip.

https://wizardofvegas.com/forum/gambling/trip-reports/37205-las-vegas-2022/#post852447

Looks like the house edge is pretty reasonable. Coincidentally I’m in Vegas now. Walked over to Binion’s and sat down. $10 table. I spent about 3 hours there. About 60% of that time other people were at the table. I feel like with a $100 and a full table, you could play that game until the sun ran out of energy and collapsed into itself. It was very leisurely and lots of pushes. I prefer the JJ mechanism to the A high mechanism for the house edge.

At one point, dealer miss-set her hand. I forget the exact cards but she had a Joker and could have gone some like Flush + AJ. Instead she went with something like pair + A7. I pushed a hand I should have lost.

Another time I had a losing hand but if I fouled my hand it would look like a push. I wanted to see if the dealer would identify the foul. Sadly, she did.

When I got up they closed the table. It was pretty fun and cheap at $10. I’d play again if I wanted to do something leisurely without the big swings of something like craps.

I don’t get how the side bet for the jacks, with a 7.98% rate of occurrence generates a 1.82% edge for the main game.

That said, assuming the edges are correct, the difference in edges between this game and face up are insignificant.

Therefore, since this can turn winners into losers, I think I’d rather play face up with its ability to turn losers and winners into pushes. I mean, turning a loser into a push happens less than turning a winner into a push, but I’d hate it if a winner lost.

It does look as if the best strategy is not to look at your hand until the Dealer has acted. This would also suggest it's best not to play any sidebets which might force you/Dealer to look at your hand.

Personally I also don't look at a 3CP hand, or similar games, until the Dealer has confirmed the dealing is finished and correct - I once saw someone not win the sidebet-only AKQs becuase the Dealer only had two cards.

I guess it's similar to the Push 22 rule; would you prefer that or the Dealer automatically wins with (say) 8 or Spades (I have no idea of the maths, but you get the idea).

Mike,
Your page mentions a "Push Ace High" rule--number four. However, I see no other reference to this bet on the page. I assume this is an error and that the Ace High isn't a push as well?

As to the original question, I would never play this game. Ever. Its like Double Exposure BJ, but worse.