For regular online casino players who are focused exclusively on pokies, or even those who play occasionally but still prefer to concentrate on slots, it is perhaps useful to know that there is a wide range of less well-known, but no less engaging, online casino games to be enjoyed. This includes not only traditional table games such as blackjack and baccarat, but also a number of popular Asian games.Having their origins in ancient games but updated for contemporary online casino play, these games are an interesting mixture of luck and skill, and are played with cards, dice and tiles.
You can jump in and play straight away or read more below the table:
As a casino game, Pai Gow Poker is relatively modern, having begun in the 1980s in the US, although its origins lie in a much older Chinese domino game. Based around poker hands, it’s a game of some skill, although it is not difficult to master a consistent strategy. In a land-based casino, this is a multi-player game; online it is played just against the dealer.
Many Pai Gow Poker hands are straightforward to play, as the simple strategy is to maximise the potential of both your high and low hands. Beginners will sometimes neglect the importance of the low hand, particularly when dealt a flush or straight, but both are of equal importance in terms of winning or losing, and so sometimes what would be a good hand in 5-card poker is not necessarily an optimum hand in Pai Gow Poker.
For example, if you are dealt 10,10, A, J, 7, 3, 2 then you would play 10,10, 7, 3, 2 as your high hand and A, J as the low hand; when you have no pairs, then your aim should be simply to make the best low hand possible.
However, the strategy becomes more complex, and more skill is required, when you are dealt two or more pairs, or three of a kind, or a straight or flush. For instance, is it better to play a two-pair high hand, or to split your pairs so that both the high and low hand have one? Is it wise to split up four of a kind? Is playing a flush as the high hand always the best strategy? The answer depends very much on the individual hand. Two pairs, for instance, will be played very differently depending on what those pairs are and what kickers are available.
It’s not possible to list every available option, but the scenarios here give some idea as to an effective Pai Gow Poker strategy:
| Cards dealt | Strategy | Explanation |
| A♣ A♥ A♦ K♠ 10♣ 7♥ 3♠ | High hand: A♣ A♥ 10♣ 7♥ 3♠ Low hand: A♦ K♠ |
In order to ensure the strongest possible low hand, the three A are split |
| 10♣ 10♥ 10♦ K♠ J♣ 6♥ 3♦ | High hand: 10♣ 10♥ 10♦ 6♥ 3♦ Low hand: K♠ J♣ |
With a strong K kicker, the three 10 don’t need to be split |
| A♣ Q♥ 10♦ 7♠ 6♣ 2♥ 2♦ | High hand: 2♥ 2♦ 10♦ 7♠ 6♣ Low hand: A♣ Q♥ |
With a small pair, it’s important to make the strongest possible low hand |
| 6♥ 6♠ 4♣ 4♥ K♥ Q♥ 10♥ | High hand: 6♥ 6♠ 4♥ 4♣ 10♥ Low hand: K♥ Q♥ |
The flush here is split up, otherwise the low hand would only be a weak 6, 4 |
| 6♥ 6♠ 4♣ 4♥ 9♥ 5♥ 7♥ | High hand: 6♥ 6♠ 9♥ 5♥ 7♥ Low hand: 4♣ 4♥ |
The flush here is split up and, because of a weak 9 kicker, the two pairs are also split |
| J♥ J♣ J♠ 8♠ 10♠ 6♠ 4♠ | High hand: J♠ 8♠ 10♠ 6♠ 4♠ Low hand: J♥ J♣ |
The flush here is played, because the pair of J represents a very strong low hand |
Although an ancient Chinese game, Sic Bo is still extremely popular today, and has been successfully adapted for play in online casinos. Colloquially known as Big Small, it’s played with three dice and is not dissimilar to roulette or craps in that you are betting on the outcome of each roll.
There are 49 different bets that can be made on each roll of the dice, from an even money bet that a particular number will come up on one of the three dice, to more exotic bets that pay 180-1, such as all three dice coming up 6 for instance, and many other combinations in between. The House edge ranges from around 2% – 30%, depending on the bet.
The game is played on a table where each separate area represents a different bet, and you simply place chips on the specific bet you want to make. You can vary your chip size from wager to wager, as well as the number and size of the bets you make on each separate roll of the dice.
The bets available in Sic Bo include:
Because of the multitude of bets on offer, there can be more than one winning bet on each roll of the dice. Likewise, players can spread their bets in any way they choose, and so each roll of the dice can result in both winning and losing wagers.
Sic Bo is a game of chance—that is, players can have no influence on the roll of the dice and, while patterns may be seem to be apparent, it must be remembered that the probability of a combination coming up is the same for each and every roll, and the outcomes of previous rolls have no impact on those that follow.
Therefore, a player’s strategy is
largely limited to bankroll management. How you bet and play depends on the length of time you want to play for and the outcomes you want to achieve. This is why it’s important to understand the payouts and House edge on each different bet, so you can manage your wagering strategy accordingly.
| Bet | Payout | House Edge |
| Big or Small | 1-1 | 2.78% |
| 4, 17 | 60-1 | 15.28% |
| 10, 11 | 6-1 | 12.50% |
| 5, 16 | 20-1 | 13.89% |
| 6, 15 | 18-1 | 16.67% |
| 7, 14 | 12-1 | 9.72% |
| 8, 13 | 8-1 | 12.50% |
| 9, 12 | 6-1 | 18.98% |
| 10, 11 | 6-1 | 12.50% |
| Specific triple | 180-1 | 16.20% |
| Any triple | 30-1 | 13.89% |
| Double | 11-1 | 18.52% |
| Any two-dice combination | 6-1 | 16.67% |
| Any number | 1-1 | 7.87% |
The much-revered Chinese game of MahJong can now be played in online casinos in a Live Dealer version, or in an adapted virtual game to be played by one player, generally known as MahJong Solitaire.
The game is played with tiles that contain numbers and images, and are something of a cross between dominoes and western playing cards. Like cards, they are also divided into suits, and the traditional form of the game—which is complex and sophisticated—essentially requires a player to find matching sets of tiles before the other players in order to create a winning hand. Matching tiles are removed by players from a specially constructed wall of tiles (there are limitations as to when and how tiles can be played), and a winner is ultimately declared when a player completes four sets of tiles and a matching pair.
MahJong Solitaire similarly involves grouping tiles together in sets. Sets of tiles have point values, and players accumulate points every time they are able to complete a set.
When the game begins, the player has a hand that is one tile short of being a ready (or winning) hand. Like the traditional version, players select tiles from the wall (made up of 24 tiles) to try and complete their hand. They have three attempts to select a suitable tile, while a tile that doesn’t complete a set is discarded. If a tile that completes a set isn’t chosen within three attempts, that round is over.
However, when a tile that successfully completes a set is selected, players are taken to the win screen which displays the sets that make up the winning hand, each of which awards the player points. The number of points accumulated during a game eventually determine the size of the player’s win.
For the online player who is looking to expand their gaming repertoire, these Asian games present a fascinating challenge. Whether it be formulating an effective Pai Gow Poker strategy, working out which Sic Bo bets represent the best value, or learning the many winning combinations of hands in MahJong, most online players should enjoy these games for their gameplay, strategy and their sheer entertainment value.
