Pai Gow is a form of poker adopted from the traditional Chinese domino game of the same name. Pai Gow is a low-risk game with a slow rate of play. Legal online Indian Pai Gow games can be found through licensed offshore online casino brands as part of the larger Indian online casino market. These licensed operators are legal for India based players to use, despite the federal Indian gambling laws in place. This card game is not as common as other poker variations or casino games but is popular enough to warrant coverage on our website. This page was developed specifically for players from India interested in legally playing Pai Gow online and has information on where to find it, how to play, what bonuses are available and more.
Is Online Pai Gow Legal In India?
Yes. India residents must pay attention to 3 gambling laws in place, but these laws are targeted at brick-and-mortar gambling. These Indian gambling laws are:
- Public Gambling Act of 1867
- Prize Competition Act (1955)
- The Information Technology Act of 2000
There is no specific mention of online gambling anywhere in the language of all 3 laws, so players are free to gamble with online brands as long as they are legally sanctioned. Indian-based online casinos or only legal in 2 states, but India residents can use licensed offshore brands without breaking any laws.
Legally Licensed Online Pai Gow Casinos For Indian Players
The Highest Rated Online Pai Gow Options
Indian gamblers have legal access to playing Pai Gow online via offshore casinos. The brands we recommend in this guide come with a wide selection of games, a strong security profile, reliable customer support, bonus incentives and live dealer games. They are also legally sanctioned and possess legitimate licensing and compliance certifications and are subject to strict regulatory oversight. Millions of players access these sites legally from India. Interested players can look through each website for themselves by clicking on the links provided in the table. These Pai Gow casinos have mobile capabilities. There is no requirement to make an account or gamble with these operators upon browsing them.
| Site Name | Bonus Offer | Accepts India | Visit Site |
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How To Play Pai Gow Poker
Pai Gow is a relatively straightforward game. It is played with a standard 52-card deck, plus a Joker. Once you place your bet, 7 cards are dealt. Split your cards into 2 separate hands, with the 5-card hand being higher in value than the 2-card hand. Players win when both of their hands beat the dealers.
Pai Gow Basic Rules:
- 5-card hand must be higher in value than 2-card hand
- Standard poker rules apply in terms of value rankings
- A Joker can only be used to finish straights or flushes, otherwise, it counts as an ace
- A player wins if both hands beat the dealer’s
- If both the player and dealer have a winning hand, the game results in a push
Most standard online Pai Gow lobbies allow players access to 3 action buttons in games. These buttons are as follows:
- Bet: Players place a bet and select the corresponding chip value
- Deal: Begins the game once the bet is placed; hands are dealt
- Split: Splits the 7 cards into 2 hands; players must select 2 cards to split prior to pressing a button
Are There Any Variations Of Pai Gow Poker?
Most online gambling operators offer Pai Gow Poker straight up. Finding variations of the game is difficult, and most players are suited to the original format. All of our recommended brands include this game amongst their other card/table games, but only one version of the game.
Hands To Look Out For
The key element of Pai Gow poker is the strategy. The 5-card hand allows for card groupings like a Flush or Straight, while the 2-card hand is best suited for a pair. As previously mentioned, the standard poker card value rankings apply, however, we have included some hands to look out for as you are playing Pai Gow in a legal Indian online casino. These hands are in descending order in terms of winning value.
- Five Of A Kind – 4 Aces plus the Joker (could also work with other cards)
- Royal Flush – 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace of the same suit
- Straight Flush – 5 cards of the same suit in sequence
- Four Of A Kind – 4 cards of the same rank
- Full House – 3 of a kind, plus a pair
- Flush – 5 cards of the same suit
- Straight – 5 cards in sequential order
- Three Of A Kind – 3 cards of the same rank
- Two Pair – 2 pairs of a different rank
- One Pair – 1 pair (2 cards) of the same rank
- High Card – 5 cards of different ranks and suits
Are There Any Pai Gow Bonuses For Indian Players?
Yes. Players from India have access to generous bonus incentives in the form of New Player and Casino bonuses. Game-specific bonuses are rare, but can be found with bonuses containing language like “All games” or “Other games”. Also, players are granted a Welcome Bonus once they have made their first deposit that can be applied to Pai Gow in the casino sector. Bonuses are essentially free money given to players to bet with. There are also often promotions that award a bonus for using a designated India online casino payment method such as Bitcoin or Neteller.
Each online gambling operator has their rules in place, but the industry standard regarding bonus withdrawals is that one cannot be made until the bonus playthrough requirement has been reached. This means that the bonus amount must be multiplied by a certain number of times before eligible for withdrawal. For example, a $100 USD bonus with a 15x playthrough requirement is not eligible for withdrawal until the player’s bet balance reaches $1,500 USD. This policy serves as insurance for the online gambling operators. No deposit bonuses can return cashable or non-cashable items, like free plays, etc. Bonuses are offered annually and keep players coming back for more. More and more casinos have begun offering cryptocurrency bonuses at India friendly Bitcoin casinos, and other India online casinos accepting Litecoin, Dash, and India Ethereum casinos.
Can Players In India Play Pai Gow For Free?
Yes. Players can access Free Play Pai Gow once they have registered for an account on the website. Free Play allows users to get familiar with the game(s) before gambling with real money. They also offer a way to get back into the rhythm of things after a bad beat, without the risk of losing more money. Players can utilize Free Play as many times as they want while logged into their account.
Are Online Pai Gow Games Considered Fair?
Yes. Our recommended online Pai Gow casino brands incorporate Random Number Generator (RNG) technology into their casino interface. This technology works to create randomized card drawings via mathematic algorithms. The technology is subject to inspection from licensed gambling technology issuers and reputable sites will have their RNG certifications listed.