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Reason #3 why the Wizard likes Bovada: Excellent Odds In my opinion many online casinos are too stingy when setting the odds on their games. They think they will make more money that way but I believe they are misguided, because when players lose too quickly it’s not fun, and those players might not come back. Bovada is one of the few casinos that understands this. They offer generous odds to let you play longer and get you a better chance of winning. Among their generous offerings are Full-Pay Jacks or Better returning 99.54%, six other video poker games paying over 99%, single-zero roulette, and my favorite, Pick ’em Poker, returning 99.95%! Kudos to Bovada for not being afraid to give their players a good gamble. |
Pai Gow TilesLast Update: Jan. 7, 2012
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Following the Wongs are other special combinations known as Gongs. These combinations include either the 2 or 12 point domino and any 8 point domino.
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Finally, if a pair, Wong, or Gong can not be formed then the hand is ranked according to the terminal digit of the total pip value of dots on the dominos. For example a hand consisting of a 12 and 7 dominos would have a total of 19spots for the highest possible value of 9.
In the event the player and banker have the same point total, or there is a wong/wong or gong/gong tie, then the highest ranking domino in each will will be used to break the tie, the high domino wins. The order of the tiles is the same as the order of the pairs, with the exception that the "gee joon" tiles are not highest, but lowest. There is another exception that a 0-0 tie always goes to the banker.
In the event that the high dominos are equal then the tie shall go to the banker. Note that the second highest dominos are not used to break the tie.
My pai gow calculator will tell you the expected value and/or strategy for any hand, with lots of other features including the effect of tiles known to be held by other players or your opponent.
My assistant and I have spent lots of time developing pai gow strategy. Here are the strategies we have come up with so far:
The next table shows the possible outcomes and house edge under various strategies, banking or not banking, and whether prepaying the commission. The table assumes the player is playing against the Foxwoods house way and a 5% commission. If the player prepays the commission, which is sometimes allowed, the house edge is reduced by 0.07%.
| Pai Gow House Edge | |||||
| Your Strategy |
Banking? | Prob. Win | Prob. Loss | Prob. Push | House Edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| House Way | No | 29.21% | 30.18% | 40.61% | 2.44% |
| House Way | Yes | 30.18% | 29.21% | 40.61% | 0.53% |
| Wizard Way | No | 29.07% | 29.5% | 41.43% | 1.88% |
| Wizard Way | Yes | 30.03% | 28.55% | 41.42% | 0.02% |
| J.B. Simple | No | 29.29% | 29.72% | 41% | 1.90% |
| J.B. Simple | Yes | 30.18% | 28.76% | 41.06% | 0.10% |
| J.B. Intermediate Strategy | No | 29.38% | 29.72% | 40.89% | 1.81% |
| J.B. Intermediate Strategy | Yes | 30.26% | 28.73% | 41.01% | -0.02% |
| J.B. Advanced Strategy without exceptions | No | 29.20% | 29.68% | 41.12% | 1.93% |
| J.B. Advanced Strategy without exceptions | Yes | 30.12% | 28.66% | 41.22% | 0.04% |
| J.B. Advanced Strategy with exceptions | No | 29.33% | 29.64% | 41.03% | 1.78% |
| J.B. Advanced Strategy with exceptions | Yes | 30.24% | 28.65% | 41.11% | -0.08% |
| Optimal | No | 29.27% | 29.48% | 41.26% | 1.67% |
| Optimal | Yes | 30.17% | 28.46% | 41.37% | -0.2% |
Inefficiencies in the standard casino house way cost the casino about 0.75%, compared to optimal strategy. If both player and dealer played optimal strategy, the house edge to the player when banking would be 0.54%, and when not banking 2.38%. For more on this topic see J.B.'s optimal strategy table (24K). To see an enormous document on the actual optimal strategy see J.B.'s optimal strategy (735K). I'm quite sure this the first time it has ever been put in writing.
The following table shows the power ratings for each hand. There are four columns of power ratings, according to whether the hand is high or low, and whether the player is acting as banker or not. The power ratings are on a 0 to 100 scale, which represents the probability an opponent playing the Foxwoods house way will beat that hand.
A practical application of this table is to add the two power ratings for the three ways to set a hand, and set it the way with the highest power rating sum.
| Power Ratings in Pai Gow | ||||
| Hand | Low Hand Not Banking | High Hand Not Banking | Low Hand Banking | High Hand Banking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gee joon | 100 | 99 | 100 | 100 |
| 6/6 pair | 100 | 98 | 100 | 99 |
| 1/1 pair | 100 | 97 | 100 | 98 |
| 4/4 pair | 100 | 96 | 100 | 97 |
| 1/3 pair | 100 | 95 | 100 | 96 |
| 5/5 pair | 100 | 94 | 100 | 95 |
| 3/3 pair | 100 | 93 | 100 | 94 |
| 2/2 pair | 100 | 92 | 100 | 93 |
| 5/6 pair | 100 | 90 | 100 | 92 |
| 4/6 pair | 100 | 89 | 100 | 90 |
| 1/6 pair | 100 | 88 | 100 | 89 |
| 1/5 pair | 100 | 87 | 100 | 88 |
| Mixed 9 pair | 100 | 86 | 100 | 87 |
| Mixed 8 pair | 100 | 85 | 100 | 86 |
| Mixed 7 pair | 100 | 84 | 100 | 85 |
| Mixed 5 pair | 100 | 83 | 100 | 84 |
| Wong with 6/6 | 100 | 80 | 100 | 83 |
| Wong with 1/1 | 99 | 78 | 100 | 80 |
| Gong with 6/6 | 99 | 73 | 99 | 78 |
| Gong with 1/1 | 99 | 67 | 99 | 73 |
| 9 with 6/6 | 98 | 61 | 99 | 67 |
| 9 with 1/1 | 97 | 54 | 98 | 61 |
| 9 with 4/4 | 97 | 53 | 97 | 54 |
| 9 with 1/3 | 96 | 50 | 97 | 53 |
| 9 with 5/5 | 96 | 49 | 96 | 50 |
| 9 with 3/3 | 95 | 47 | 96 | 49 |
| 9 with 2/2 | 94 | 45 | 95 | 47 |
| 9 with 5/6 | 94 | 44 | 94 | 45 |
| 9 with 4/6 | 93 | 43 | 94 | 44 |
| 9 with 1/5 | 92 | 42 | 93 | 43 |
| 8 with 6/6 | 90 | 40 | 92 | 42 |
| 8 with 1/1 | 89 | 39 | 90 | 40 |
| 8 with 4/4 | 88 | 38 | 89 | 39 |
| 8 with 1/3 | 87 | 35 | 88 | 38 |
| 8 with 5/5 | 86 | 35 | 87 | 35 |
| 8 with 5/6 | 84 | 33 | 86 | 35 |
| 8 with 4/6 | 84 | 32 | 84 | 33 |
| 8 with 2/3 | 82 | 31 | 84 | 32 |
| 7 with 6/6 | 82 | 31 | 82 | 31 |
| 7 with 1/1 | 81 | 30 | 82 | 31 |
| 7 with 4/4 | 81 | 29 | 81 | 30 |
| 7 with 1/2 | 79 | 28 | 81 | 29 |
| 7 with 5/5 | 78 | 26 | 79 | 28 |
| 7 with 3/3 | 76 | 25 | 78 | 26 |
| 7 with 2/2 | 75 | 24 | 76 | 25 |
| 7 with 5/6 | 72 | 22 | 75 | 24 |
| 7 with 4/6 | 71 | 21 | 72 | 22 |
| 7 with 3/6 | 69 | 20 | 71 | 21 |
| 6 with 6/6 | 68 | 19 | 69 | 20 |
| 6 with 1/1 | 67 | 18 | 68 | 19 |
| 6 with 4/4 | 66 | 17 | 67 | 18 |
| 6 with 5/5 | 61 | 15 | 66 | 17 |
| 6 with 3/3 | 60 | 15 | 61 | 15 |
| 6 with 5/6 | 59 | 14 | 60 | 15 |
| 6 with 4/6 | 56 | 13 | 59 | 14 |
| 6 with 1/6 | 55 | 12 | 56 | 13 |
| 6 with 3/6 | 54 | 12 | 55 | 12 |
| 5 with 4/4 | 52 | 11 | 54 | 12 |
| 5 with 1/3 | 51 | 10 | 52 | 11 |
| 5 with 5/5 | 49 | 10 | 51 | 10 |
| 5 with 3/3 | 48 | 9 | 49 | 10 |
| 5 with 2/2 | 47 | 8 | 48 | 9 |
| 5 with 4/6 | 45 | 8 | 47 | 8 |
| 5 with 1/6 | 44 | 7 | 45 | 8 |
| 5 with 1/5 | 43 | 7 | 44 | 7 |
| 5 with 3/6 | 42 | 7 | 43 | 7 |
| 5 with 2/6 | 40 | 6 | 42 | 7 |
| 4 with 6/6 | 40 | 6 | 40 | 6 |
| 4 with 4/4 | 37 | 5 | 40 | 6 |
| 4 with 1/3 | 33 | 5 | 37 | 5 |
| 4 with 5/5 | 31 | 4 | 33 | 5 |
| 4 with 3/3 | 30 | 4 | 31 | 4 |
| 4 with 2/2 | 29 | 4 | 30 | 4 |
| 4 with 1/6 | 27 | 3 | 29 | 4 |
| 4 with 1/5 | 26 | 3 | 27 | 3 |
| 4 with 3/6 | 25 | 3 | 26 | 3 |
| 4 with 2/6 | 24 | 3 | 25 | 3 |
| 3 with 6/6 | 24 | 3 | 24 | 3 |
| 3 with 1/1 | 23 | 2 | 24 | 3 |
| 3 with 4/4 | 22 | 2 | 23 | 2 |
| 3 with 1/3 | 21 | 2 | 22 | 2 |
| 3 with 3/3 | 20 | 1 | 21 | 2 |
| 3 with 2/2 | 19 | 1 | 20 | 1 |
| 3 with 1/6 | 18 | 1 | 19 | 1 |
| 3 with 1/5 | 18 | 1 | 18 | 1 |
| 3 with 2/6 | 17 | 1 | 18 | 1 |
| 3 with 3/4 | 17 | 1 | 17 | 1 |
| 2 with 6/6 | 16 | 0 | 17 | 1 |
| 2 with 1/1 | 16 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| 2 with 4/4 | 14 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| 2 with 1/3 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| 2 with 3/3 | 12 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| 2 with 2/2 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| 2 with 1/6 | 11 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| 2 with 3/4 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 1 with 1/3 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 1 with 5/5 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| 1 with 3/3 | 8 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 1 with 2/2 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 1 with 5/6 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 1 with 1/5 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Zero | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
I also offer the unrounded power ratings, on a 0 to 35960 scale.
The following graph shows how often the House Way will make each type of hand out of all 35960 combinations.

I'm proud to have written up two house ways. It is not easy getting house way rules, and putting the into HTML is tedious and time consuming. The house ways I have are for Foxwoods and the Taj Mahal.
The following is a list of games I am aware of in the U.S.. I'm sure there are some I don't know about. Feel free to tell me if you are aware of others.
.Pai gow is a game that cries out for a way to practice before making a fool of yourself and blowing your money in a casino. For this reason please try my paigow Java game.
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