- BGG rank
- BGG #170
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Magic: The Gathering
- 2–6 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 1993
- BGG rank
- BGG #24,601
- BGG rating
- 5.8
Pai Gow
Rules assistance for Pai Gow
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–8 players
- 10 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Pai Gow
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Pai Gow is a board game for 2–8 players and 10 minutes per game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Betting and Bluffing.
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About the game
Pai Gow is a traditional Chinese gambling game played with a special set of 32 dominoes (see Chinese Dominoes). Everyone plays against a banker. Each player gets dealt four dominoes and makes two pairs. A player wins (loses) if each matching pair is better (worse) than the dealers. If they split, it's a draw. The only decision made in the game is how to split the original four tiles. Because of the rules, the game is often a draw. The ranking of hands is traditional and not obvious. For example, the best pair is (4/2)(2/1).
Questions and answers
Pai Gow supports 2–8 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Pai Gow is 10 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
Pai Gow has a complexity rating of 1.8 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Pai Gow belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Betting and Bluffing. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The catalogue lists Pai Gow as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.