Pai Gow Poker’s Popularity

The explosion of poker engulfed the entire world at the turn of the new millennium. When ESPN aired their annual coverage of the World Series of Poker, a virtual unknown online poker player, Chris Moneymaker (yes, his real name!), won the tournament and forever legitimized the rookie’s place in this once-thought too-dangerous-for-beginners world. And the tidal wave didn’t stop with Texas Hold’em; other games like pai gow poker and 5 and 7-card stud poker have exploded onto the scene as well.

Also known as double-hand poker, today’s pai gow – a take on the classic Chinese game – is played with a standard 52-card deck and a single joker. The table consists of six players, including the dealer, and each player attempts to beat the dealer, known as a banker, similar to blackjack in that respect. A player is dealt 7 cards and is charged with the task of making two poker hands: A 5-card hand and a 2-card hand. The value of the 5-card hand must be higher than that of the 2-card, and the player presenting a hand better than the dealer wins the bet.

Pai gow has been referred to as a sleeper hit. Although it’s not experiencing the vast popularity that many other poker games are, pai gow still has a millions-strong niche that consistently show up online to test their skills. There are also land-based tournaments happening all over the world, including Las Vegas and other huge gambling cities. And though the mainstream television networks aren’t carrying coverage yet, it only seems like a matter or time before someone televises an event and a new legend is born.

But why such popularity for this once-obscure poker game? The answer has to do with what the game has become. Today’s pai gow can be played in many different ways. For example, at Mandalay Bay in Sin City, dominoes and dice are used instead of the standard deck of playing cards. This hybrid version of the game merges poker, craps and dominoes in one; to many, this updated take on the classic is a gambler’s dream.

Keeping with the gambling theme, pai gow is experiencing the increased popularity due to the public’s proclivity for participating in games of chance. The truth be told, there’s nothing overly special about Texas Hold’em. But once it became evident that anyone could win, Hold’em and its cousins had a stronghold on the gambling world. Pai gow follows this same “everyman” line, and it essentially becomes another way to press your luck. Long live the world’s many gambles. For without them, games like pai gow would wither up and die.