Pai Gow - Poker & Tiles House Way
How much flack will I get if I ask for the house way on every hand? As a craps player, I understand how superstitious people can be and don't want to ruin the experience for a table as a ploppie. I can see myself learning PGP by then, but tiles I'm not entirely sure about.
Quote: ahiromuI'm headed back to Vegas for my ReVegas Trip (It's gonna be a thing) in a week. I have been thinking of playing Pai Gow, probably poker and potentially tiles. My question is simple:
How much flack will I get if I ask for the house way on every hand? As a craps player, I understand how superstitious people can be and don't want to ruin the experience for a table as a ploppie. I can see myself learning PGP by then, but tiles I'm not entirely sure about.
They do it often enough they have carved placards that say "House Way" on them. The dealer will place one on your spot and automatically set your hand in either until you tell them to stop doing it. You're also allowed to ask questions of the dealer about the set on every hand, but that does tend to slow the game down a lot unless you're playing with other beginners. Still, better to ask if you're confused or unsure, and definitely worth never mucking your hand in Fortune even if other players are doing it, assuming you're playing a bonus bet. It's very easy to miss a straight or flush with the Joker in play.
You really should take a look, though, at the Wiz's PG tiles strategy page. Playing the house way against the house is giving up a lot. It's like always hitting to 17 in BJ.
Quote: AxiomOfChoiceIn fact, isn't it is a rule that if you want to play 2 hands, you must have the dealer set one of them house way? I've never played the game but I've watched, and every time someone was using one of those "house way" placards, that was the reason.
I think that used to be a rule if you wanted to assume the "dragon hand."
But everywhere, at least, on the East Coast, you can play two hands however you like.
Quote: sodawaterI think that used to be a rule if you wanted to assume the "dragon hand."
But everywhere, at least, on the East Coast, you can play two hands however you like.
Oh, maybe that's what was going on.
Despite my attempts to learn, Pai Gow tiles remains the only game at the casino where I have absolutely no clue what's going one.
Quote: sodawaterI think that used to be a rule if you wanted to assume the "dragon hand."
But everywhere, at least, on the East Coast, you can play two hands however you like.
In Vegas, Harrah's let me set both hands. In Biloxi, the Grand and Boomtown both set the 2nd one House Way.
Edit: I might have to stick with poker for now, as mentioned, you really do give away about .5% by setting the house way on tiles.
Quote: AxiomOfChoiceIn fact, isn't it is a rule that if you want to play 2 hands, you must have the dealer set one of them house way? I've never played the game but I've watched, and every time someone was using one of those "house way" placards, that was the reason.
This is not true at the Rio where I play. I can always set both my hands my way.
Quote: AxiomOfChoiceOh, maybe that's what was going on.
Despite my attempts to learn, Pai Gow tiles remains the only game at the casino where I have absolutely no clue what's going one.
Study the wizard's page for a few hours and you should get it easily. Just play his practice game until you are familiar. The key to remember is that there will always be exactly three ways to set the hand: A with B, A with C, and A with D. Consider all three options and pick the best one. Most of the time it will be obvious.
Quick example from the practice game.
You get dealt a 2, a 4, a 5, and a 6.
You have three options:
You can play 0 in the low hand and 7 in the high hand:
You can play 8 in the low hand and 9 in the high hand:
or you can play 1 in the low hand and 6 in the high hand:
Even if you don't know anything else about the game, it should be obvious that 8/9 is your best option. A lot of hands will be this easy.
Quote: sodawaterStudy the wizard's page for a few hours and you should get it easily. Just play his practice game until you are familiar. The key to remember is that there will always be exactly three ways to set the hand: A with B, A with C, and A with D. Consider all three options and pick the best one. Most of the time it will be obvious.
I understand that. I can't remember the rankings of the hands. They are seemingly random, with lots of special cases.
In order for me to remember something, I usually need to understand why it's true. When I am learning a video poker strategy, I just don't memorize which high cards to hold; I understand why JQ is worth ore than AQ or AJ. If I didn't understand this I would never remember it.
There is no rhyme or reason to pai gow; you just need to remember it. This is not something that I'm good at.
Quote: AxiomOfChoiceI understand that. I can't remember the rankings of the hands. They are seemingly random, with lots of special cases.
In order for me to remember something, I usually need to understand why it's true. When I am learning a video poker strategy, I just don't memorize which high cards to hold; I understand why JQ is worth ore than AQ or AJ. If I didn't understand this I would never remember it.
There is no rhyme or reason to pai gow; you just need to remember it. This is not something that I'm good at.
There is, apparently, a Chinese legend behind the ranks of the hands:
https://wizardofodds.com/games/pai-gow-tiles/story/
HOWEVER, you must set the hand with the bigger bet first.
Quote: DJTeddyBearIt's been my experience that you can play, and set, both hands when playing two hands at a time.
HOWEVER, you must set the hand with the bigger bet first.
CET casinos (in AC at least) have a rule that if you have 2 hands with equal bets, the one on your left must be set first. The rule is completely pointless but they will enforce it.
