Gambling terms, explained straight

Odds, Probability & Bankroll

Pai gow poker payouts

The payout rules for pai gow poker set how much a player receives when their hand beats the dealer's or a side bet hits.

Standard main-game payout
1 to 1 on a winning hand, often with a 5% commission on winnings47
House edge (standard)
About 2.84% to 2.85%65
House edge (commission-free)
2.51%4

Key points

  • Payouts vary by game variant and side bet; there is no single universal schedule.12
  • Face Up Pai Gow Poker has the lowest house edge at 1.81%, while No Push Pai Gow Poker has the highest at about 3.90%.35
  • Side bets like Fortune or jackpot bonuses use separate paytables tied to specific hand outcomes.2

Where this term is used

Not the same as

  • Pai gow payout chart — a general chart of payouts for pai gow variants, not specifically for pai gow poker
  • Pai gow progressive payouts — payouts tied to a progressive jackpot meter, not the ordinary fixed payout structure
  • 5 card poker payouts — payout schedules for five-card poker games, not the two-hand structure used in pai gow poker
Odds & probability Roulette payouts Explains the payout rules for roulette bets. Odds & probability Pai gow odds vs blackjack Compares the odds and house edges of pai gow poker and blackjack. Poker Pai gow poker Covers the rules and gameplay of pai gow poker. Odds & probability Pai gow house way chart Shows the dealer's strategy for setting hands in pai gow poker. Odds & probability Keno payout chart Lists the payouts for matching numbers in keno. Odds & probability Odds payout chart Provides a general reference for betting odds and their corresponding payouts.

Sources

  1. Pai Gow Poker - Games wizardofodds.com Defines pai gow poker payouts as the winning payment rules and notes variation by version.
  2. Pai Gow Mania - Wizard of Odds wizardofodds.com Confirms payouts vary by version and side bet, and supports side bet paytables.
  3. Face Up Pai Gow Poker Progressive Jackpot at $3.8 Million. wizardofodds.com Provides the house edge for Face Up Pai Gow Poker.
  4. Commission Free Pai Gow Poker wizardofodds.com Gives the standard 1:1 payout with 5% commission and the commission-free house edge.
  5. No Push Pai Gow Poker wizardofodds.com Provides the house edge for No Push Pai Gow Poker.
  6. Online Pai Gow Poker for Real Money or Free wizardofodds.com Gives the house edge for standard pai gow poker.
  7. Pai Gow Poker wizardofodds.com Confirms the standard 1:1 payout on winning hands.

Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.

Written and maintained by Ellis Warrender, writer and maintainer.

Last updated 28 July 2026. Spotted an error? Tell me and it gets fixed and logged on the corrections page.