Question 1

What is Pai Gow played with Chinese dominoes?

Accepted Answer

Pai Gow (排九) is a classical Chinese strategy game played with a set of 32 Chinese bone dominoes (Gwat Pai). Each player is dealt four tiles and divides them into two hands: a Front (Low) hand and a Rear (High) hand. To win, both player hands must outrank the dealer's corresponding hands.

Question 2

What are the hand rankings in Pai Gow?

Accepted Answer

Pai Gow hands are ranked from highest to lowest: 1) Supreme Pair (Gee Joon [1-2] and [2-4]), 2) Matched Pairs (Civil and Military pairs), 3) Wongs (Heaven or Earth tile with a 9), 4) Gongs (Heaven or Earth tile with an 8), and 5) Point hands determined by the sum of pips modulo 10 (9 points being the best).

Question 3

What is the Golden Rule of setting Pai Gow hands?

Accepted Answer

The Rear hand must always be stronger than or equal to the Front hand. If your Front hand is set stronger than your Rear hand, it is an illegal foul (known as Oolong / 烏龍) and your hand automatically loses.

Question 4

Can I play Pai Gow online for free without real-money gambling?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Mulberry Box is a 100% free educational cultural archive. You can learn in the Courtyard tutorial, play against 20 historical AI archetypes, and analyze optimal splits with the Macau House Way solver with zero financial risk.