Where to Play Pai Gow Poker in Las Vegas in 2026

Four types of pai gow poker are dealt in Las Vegas. Face Up Pai Gow Poker is the most popular. It entered the market in 2018. Today, over 90 percent of pai gow poker games in our Las Vegas Table Game Survey are this version. The other options are Dealer Open, Emperor’s Challenge, and Fortune Pai Gow Poker.

Fortune Pai Gow Poker tables charge a 5% commission on wins. One casino still permits players to bank the game. However, this usually requires reservations. No commission games cannot be banked by players.

Face Up Pai Gow Poker is faster and has a lower house edge than the other versions. The other two common variants are Dealer Open Pai Gow Poker and Emperor’s Challenge. In Dealer Open Pai Gow Poker, the dealer automatically wins when dealt two or more jacks. Emperor’s Challenge is now exclusively dealt as Emperor’s Exposed, giving it the same house edge as Face Up. Only one casino still deals a traditional Fortune Pai Gow Poker game.

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Las Vegas casinos with pai gow poker

Vegas Advantage found 56 Las Vegas casinos with at least one type of pai gow poker, as of May 2026. Some casinos deal multiple versions. The game is dealt at 24 Strip casinos, nine downtown, and 23 properties in the locals market. Paid members have access to more detailed information, including table game minimums and types of pai gow poker dealt.

The most common minimum bets are $15 or $25. It is $25 or $50 at most Las Vegas Strip casinos. There is only one $5 game left in Las Vegas. However, it is now regularly $10 or $15 at most locals properties. Minimum bets tend to increase when progressive jackpots are large.

Electronic table game versions

Video versions of the game can be found on VIP Casino Wizard machines. These electronic versions can be found inside nine Las Vegas casinos, mostly in the locals market. Players can wager on one or two hands. Alternatively, players can wager on just the side bet.

How to play pai gow poker

A pai gow poker game uses a 53-card deck that includes a joker. This card may be used to complete a straight, flush, or straight flush. If it cannot be used for that purpose, it is an ace.

Players receive seven cards after making a bet that may include multiple optional side bets. The cards are split into a five-card low and a two-card high hand. The five-card hand must beat the two-card hand.

In traditional games, once players have set hands, the house hand is exposed. In face-up games, the dealer sets the house hand first. Players can see the hand they must beat before setting their cards.

The house has a set of rules it uses to set its hand. This varies by casino based on how aggressively management wants to play. Once set, it is compared to each player’s hand.

If the player’s five-card and two-card hands both beat the banker, the player is paid even money at face-up games. There is a 5% commission in Emperor’s Challenge and Fortune Pai Gow Poker. If the banker’s two hands beat both player hands, the house wins. If the banker wins one, and the player wins the other, it is a push.

The banker wins all ties, called a copy. This is usually the house. However, players may bank at Emperor’s Challenge and Fortune Pai Gow Poker. The casino’s dealer becomes a player hand. The player banker is up against each player at the table. The house takes 5% of net winnings when a player banks. The player banker wins all copies just like the house usually does.

How Face Up Pai Gow is different from the traditional game

Face Up Pai Gow Poker turns a poker game with skill into one of luck. It is best suited for players who do not want to worry about strategy and want to go after the progressive jackpot and other side bets.

There is no skill involved in Face Up Pai Gow Poker. The house sets its hand first. If it is an ace-high pai gow, meaning a hand with an ace but no pair or better, the house pushes all player hands. If the dealer does not push, the hand is set. The player’s hand is set by the dealer as he or she helps the player find the best hand.

Players may not bank in Face Up Pai Gow Poker. The house does this every hand.

5 Card Pai Gow is no more

Harrah’s introduced 5 Card Pai Gow in April 2025 and removed it in October 2025. As the name suggests, players receive five cards. The dealer also gets five cards and sets the house hand first. A three-card high hand and a two-card low hand are set. This game does not have a joker. If the dealer has a 10 or less in the two-card low hand, all hands push. Otherwise, it plays the same as the other games. All wins pay even money. There is no commission.

Las Vegas Pai Gow Poker FAQ

Last Updated on May 15, 2026 by John Mehaffey