Pai Gow Poker Envy Bonus Payouts
That’s called a push. Pushes do not result in Pai Gow Poker payouts. Keep in mind that pushes happen in 41.48% of the hands you’ll play. If you’re waiting for a payout after winning a single hand, you’re going to feel frustrated. How The Commission Affects Pai Gow Poker Payouts. Let’s suppose you bet $20 and win both hands. A 'pai gow' in pai gow poker is a hand with seven singletons, where no straight or flush is possible. This side bet wins if the player had a pai gow, the lower the highest card, the more it pays. The following return table shows the details. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 7.35%.
The Dragon Hand
The Dragon Hand is a side bet that allows you to play an additional hand, but only one player can play at a time. The button for the Dragon Hand rotates around the table so that way everyone has the option of having a turn. The wager for the Dragon Hand must be exactly the same amount as the player’s original Pai-Gow Poker bet. When the cards are dealt out to the players, the first available hand that is sitting on an empty spot will be the Dragon Hand. The dealer will identify this as the Dragon Hand by placing a dragon button on top of the cards.
After all the cards have been distributed, the dealer will pick up the hands from any unoccupied spots, except the Dragon Hand, and place them in the discard rack. The Dragon Hand and the button will then be picked up by the dealer and offered to the next player sitting counter-clockwise to the last person who played the Dragon Hand. If the player refuses to play the Dragon Hand then it will be offered to the next player on the left until all players have been given the choice to play the hand. When moving the Dragon Hand, make sure to lift the cards no more than an inch off the table.
If no players accept the Dragon Hand, then it will be placed in the discard rack. The Dragon Hand rotation will continue until a player decides to play it. When that happens, the dealer will wait for the player to finish setting their original hand and then they will place the dragon button on top of the player’s original cards before placing the Dragon Hand to the left of the player’s original hand. Some casinos will want you to wait until all of the players have finished setting their hands before giving the dragon hand to the appropriate player. Make sure you know your house rules.
When the player is done setting their hand, they will lay it to the right of their original bet, in the same manner that they laid their first hand. The reason why is because, when the dealer completes the take-and-pay procedure they will start from the dealer’s right hand side and go left. This makes it possible for the dealer to check the player’s original hand first and the Dragon hand second. The dealer must not reveal the dragon hand before the original hand.
If the player is banking, then they’re not allowed to play the Dragon Hand or any additional side bets. If the dealer forgets to offer the Dragon Hand and instead places it in the discard rack, then it will automatically become a dead hand. A Dead Hand is a hand that no longer qualifies as a playable hand.
On This Page
Introduction
'Fortune' is a side bet in Pai Gow Poker that pays based on the value of the player's seven cards. It doesn't not matter how the player sets his hand. In addition, if another player has a four of a kind or better the player making the Fortune bet will get an 'Envy Bonus.' At every table I have seen there is a $5 minimum and the Envy Bonus is a fixed amount.
Following are pay tables that I am aware of, based on the player's own hand. Wins are on a 'to one' basis.
Fortune Pay TablesExpand
| Hand | Pay Table | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
| Natural 7 Card S/F | 5,000 to 1 | 8,000 to 1 | 5,000 to 1 | 2,500 to 1 | 5,000 to 1 | 5,000 to 1 | 8000 to 1 | 1000 to 1 |
| Royal Flush + R/M | 1,000 to 1 | 2,000 to 1 | 2,000 to 1 | 1,000 to 1 | 2,000 to 1 | 1,000 to 1 | 2000 to 1 | 750 to 1 |
| Wild 7 Card S/F | 750 to 1 | 1,000 to 1 | 1,000 to 1 | 750 to 1 | 1,000 to 1 | 500 to 1 | 1000 to 1 | 500 to 1 |
| 5 Aces | 250 to 1 | 400 to 1 | 400 to 1 | 250 to 1 | 400 to 1 | 300 to 1 | 400 to 1 | 250 to 1 |
| Royal Flush | 100 to 1 | 150 to 1 | 150 to 1 | 125 to 1 | 150 to 1 | 110 to 1 | 100 to 1 | 150 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 50 to 1 | 50 to 1 | 50 to 1 | 50 to 1 | 50 to 1 | 45 to 1 | 30 to 1 | 50 to 1 |
| 4 of a Kind | 20 to 1 | 25 to 1 | 25 to 1 | 25 to 1 | 25 to 1 | 25 to 1 | 20 to 1 | 25 to 1 |
| Full House | 5 to 1 | 5 to 1 | 5 to 1 | 5 to 1 | 5 to 1 | 5 to 1 | 5 to 1 | 5 to 1 |
| Flush | 4 to 1 | 4 to 1 | 4 to 1 | 4 to 1 | 4 to 1 | 4 to 1 | 4 to 1 | 4 to 1 |
| 3 of a Kind | 3 to 1 | 3 to 1 | 3 to 1 | 3 to 1 | 3 to 1 | 3 to 1 | 3 to 1 | 3 to 1 |
| Straight | 2 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 2 to 1 |
| Three Pair | Push | Loss | Loss | Loss | Loss | Loss | Loss | 1 to 1 |
The next table shows the Envy Bonus for each paytable.
Fortune Envy BonusesExpand
| Hand | Pay Table | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
| Natural 7 Card S/F | $1000 | $5000 | $3000 | $1000 | $2500 | $2500 | $5000 | $500 |
| Royal Flush + R/M | $250 | $1000 | $1000 | $750 | $500 | $500 | $1000 | $250 |
| Wild 7 Card S/F | $100 | $500 | $500 | $250 | $250 | $250 | $500 | $150 |
| 5 Aces | $50 | $250 | $250 | $100 | $150 | $150 | $250 | $100 |
| Royal Flush | $25 | $50 | $50 | $50 | $55 | $55 | $50 | $50 |
| Straight Flush | $10 | $20 | $20 | $20 | $25 | $25 | $20 | $20 |
| 4 of a Kind | $5 | $5 | $5 | $5 | $6 | $6 | $5 | $5 |
The next table shows the number of combinations, probability, and contribution to the return for each hand, under pay table 2, which I believe to be the most popular. The lower left cell shows a house edge of 7.77% before considering the Envy Bonus.
Pay Table 2 -- Return Table
| Hand | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural seven-card straight flush | 8,000 | 32 | 0.00000021 | 0.00166079 |
| Royal Flush + R/M | 2,000 | 72 | 0.00000047 | 0.00093420 |
| Wild seven-card straight flush | 1,000 | 196 | 0.00000127 | 0.00127155 |
| Five Aces | 400 | 1,128 | 0.00000732 | 0.00292715 |
| Royal Flush | 150 | 26,020 | 0.00016880 | 0.02532063 |
| Straight flush | 50 | 184,644 | 0.00119787 | 0.05989370 |
| Four of a Kind | 25 | 307,472 | 0.00199472 | 0.04986795 |
| Full house | 5 | 4,188,528 | 0.02717299 | 0.13586494 |
| Flush | 4 | 6,172,088 | 0.04004129 | 0.16016517 |
| Three of a kind | 3 | 7,672,500 | 0.04977518 | 0.14932555 |
| Straight | 2 | 11,034,204 | 0.07158417 | 0.14316833 |
| Three pair | -1 | 2,862,000 | 0.01856717 | -0.01856717 |
| All other | -1 | 121,694,196 | 0.78948855 | -0.78948855 |
| Total | 0 | 154,143,080 | 1.00000000 | -0.07765575 |
The next table shows the return table for the Envy Bonus under pay table 2, based on a $5 bet. The lower right cell shows that each additional player at the table is worth 0.93%, based on a $5 bet. If the player bets more than $5 the value of the Envy Bonus equals 0.04634162/b, where b is the amount bet.
Envy Return Table -- Paytable 2
| Hand | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural seven-card straight flush | $5,000 | 32 | 0.00000021 | 0.00020760 |
| Royal Flush + R/M | $1,000 | 72 | 0.00000047 | 0.00009342 |
| Wild seven-card straight flush | $500 | 196 | 0.00000127 | 0.00012715 |
| Five Aces | $250 | 1,128 | 0.00000732 | 0.00036589 |
| Royal Flush | $50 | 26,020 | 0.00016880 | 0.00168804 |
| Straight flush | $20 | 184,644 | 0.00119787 | 0.00479150 |
| Four of a Kind | $5 | 307,472 | 0.00199472 | 0.00199472 |
| Total | 519,564 | 0.00337066 | 0.00926832 |
The next table shows the contribution for each hand under all seven pay tables, before considering the Envy Bonus.
Fortune Pai Gow Poker Return — Expected ReturnsExpand
| Hand | Pay Table | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
| 7 Card Straight Flush | 0.001038 | 0.001661 | 0.001038 | 0.000519 | 0.001038 | 0.001038 | 0.001661 | 0.000208 |
| Royal Flush + Royal Match | 0.000467 | 0.000934 | 0.000934 | 0.000467 | 0.000934 | 0.000467 | 0.000934 | 0.00035 |
| 7 Card Straight Flush with Joker | 0.000954 | 0.001272 | 0.001272 | 0.000954 | 0.001272 | 0.000636 | 0.001272 | 0.000636 |
| 5 Aces | 0.001829 | 0.002927 | 0.002927 | 0.001829 | 0.002927 | 0.002195 | 0.002927 | 0.001829 |
| Royal Flush | 0.01688 | 0.025321 | 0.025321 | 0.021101 | 0.025321 | 0.018568 | 0.01688 | 0.025321 |
| Straight Flush | 0.059894 | 0.059894 | 0.059894 | 0.059894 | 0.059894 | 0.053904 | 0.035936 | 0.059894 |
| 4 of a Kind | 0.039894 | 0.049868 | 0.049868 | 0.049868 | 0.049868 | 0.049868 | 0.039894 | 0.049868 |
| Full House | 0.135865 | 0.135865 | 0.135865 | 0.135865 | 0.135865 | 0.135865 | 0.135865 | 0.135865 |
| Flush | 0.160165 | 0.160165 | 0.160165 | 0.160165 | 0.160165 | 0.160165 | 0.160165 | 0.160165 |
| 3 of a Kind | 0.149326 | 0.149326 | 0.149326 | 0.149326 | 0.149326 | 0.149326 | 0.149326 | 0.149326 |
| Straight | 0.143168 | 0.143168 | 0.143168 | 0.143168 | 0.143168 | 0.143168 | 0.143168 | 0.143168 |
| Three Pair | 0 | -0.018567 | -0.018567 | -0.018567 | -0.018567 | -0.018567 | -0.018567 | 0.018567 |
| All Other | -0.789489 | -0.789489 | -0.789489 | -0.789489 | -0.789489 | -0.789489 | -0.789489 | -0.789489 |
| Total | -0.080008 | -0.077656 | -0.078279 | -0.0849 | -0.078279 | -0.092855 | -0.120027 | -0.044292 |
The next table shows the return table for the Envy Bonus, based on a $5 bet. The bottom row shows how much the house edge is reduced for each other player at the table.
Fortune Pai Gow Poker Envy Bonus — Expected ReturnsExpand
| Hand | Pay Table | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
| 7 Card Straight Flush | 0.000042 | 0.000208 | 0.000125 | 0.000042 | 0.000104 | 0.000104 | 0.000208 | 0.000021 |
| Royal Flush + Royal Match | 0.000023 | 0.000093 | 0.000093 | 0.00007 | 0.000047 | 0.000047 | 0.000093 | 0.000023 |
| 7 Card Straight Flush with Joker | 0.000025 | 0.000127 | 0.000127 | 0.000064 | 0.000064 | 0.000064 | 0.000127 | 0.000038 |
| 5 Aces | 0.000073 | 0.000366 | 0.000366 | 0.000146 | 0.00022 | 0.00022 | 0.000366 | 0.000146 |
| Royal Flush | 0.000844 | 0.001688 | 0.001688 | 0.001688 | 0.001857 | 0.001857 | 0.001688 | 0.001688 |
| Straight Flush | 0.002396 | 0.004791 | 0.004791 | 0.004791 | 0.005989 | 0.005989 | 0.004791 | 0.004791 |
| 4 of a Kind | 0.001995 | 0.001995 | 0.001995 | 0.001995 | 0.002394 | 0.002394 | 0.001995 | 0.001995 |
| Total | 0.005398 | 0.009268 | 0.009185 | 0.008796 | 0.010674 | 0.010674 | 0.009268 | 0.008703 |
The next table shows the house edge for each pay table by total players (including yourself).
Fortune Bet Overall House EdgeExpand
| Total Players | Pay Table | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
| 6 | 5.30% | 3.13% | 3.24% | 4.09% | 2.49% | 3.95% | 7.37% | 0.08% |
| 5 | 5.84% | 4.06% | 4.15% | 4.97% | 3.56% | 5.02% | 8.30% | 0.95% |
| 4 | 6.38% | 4.99% | 5.07% | 5.85% | 4.63% | 6.08% | 9.22% | 1.82% |
| 3 | 6.92% | 5.91% | 5.99% | 6.73% | 5.69% | 7.15% | 10.15% | 2.69% |
| 2 | 7.46% | 6.84% | 6.91% | 7.61% | 6.76% | 8.22% | 11.08% | 3.56% |
| 1 | 8.00% | 7.77% | 7.83% | 8.49% | 7.83% | 9.29% | 12.00% | 4.43% |
Fortune Pai Gow Poker Progressive -- Version 1
I have an unconfirmed report that the following pay table is offered in Washington State. The bet amount is $1, nd there is no Envy Bonus. The following return table shows the return from the fixed wins only is 48.45%. For every $10,000 in the meter, the return will go up by 0.76%. The break-even meter (when there is no house edge) is $679,171.90
Fortune Pai Gow Poker House Edge
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Card Straight Flush | 100% of meter | 32 | 0.00000021 | 0 |
| Royal Flush + Royal Match | 50% of meter | 72 | 0.00000047 | 0 |
| 7 Card Straight Flush with Joker | 25% of meter | 196 | 0.00000127 | 0 |
| 5 Aces | 2500 | 1128 | 0.00000732 | 0.01829469 |
| Royal Flush | 200 | 26020 | 0.0001688 | 0.03376084 |
| Straight Flush | 100 | 184644 | 0.00119787 | 0.11978741 |
| 4 of a Kind | 75 | 307472 | 0.00199472 | 0.14960386 |
| Full House | 6 | 4188528 | 0.02717299 | 0.16303793 |
| All Other | 0 | 149434988 | 0.96945635 | 0 |
| Total | 154143080 | 1 | 0.48448473 |
Fortune Pai Gow Poker Progressive - Version 2
This is a $1 progressive jackpot bet I have seen at the Wynn, Rampart, Golden Nugget, and Suncoast casinos. Wins are paid on a 'for one' basis, in other words the player doesn't get his bet back if he wins. The return column shows the return for only fixed wins. In other words, not including the top two awards, the player can expect to get back 46.27% of his money back.
Fortune Pai Gow Poker House Edge
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seven-card straight flush | Jackpot | 228 | 0.000001 | ? |
| Five aces | 10% of jackpot | 1,128 | 0.000007 | ? |
| Royal flush | $500 | 26,092 | 0.000169 | 0.084636 |
| Straight flush | $100 | 184,644 | 0.001198 | 0.119787 |
| Four of a kind | $75 | 307,472 | 0.001995 | 0.149604 |
| Full house | $4 | 4,188,528 | 0.027173 | 0.108692 |
| Loser | $0 | 149,434,988 | 0.969456 | 0.000000 |
| Total | 154,143,080 | 1.000000 | 0.462719 |
The value of the jackpot is 2.21% for each $10,000 in the meter. The break-even meter (where there house edge is exactly zero) is $243,011.06. I have yet to see a jackpot get anywhere near this high.
Internal Links
- Pai gow poker — main page.
- Side bets — Lots of other side bets seen in pai gow poker.
My Pai Gow Poker Offerings
Pai Gow Poker Coverage
| House Way for... |