Other than Resorts World Genting, there are no brick-and-mortar casinos in Malaysia where you can play Pai Gow poker for real money. Luckily, players can use online casinos to enjoy this classic card game. Finding the best site is essential when playing Pai Gow Online.
In this article, we break down the online casinos that provide a top-notch Pai Gow poker gaming experience. We also discuss all the essentials of playing the game, including rules, odds and game variety.
100% Welcome Offer up to $100
100% Welcome Offer up to $100
After analysing many Pow Gai online casinos accessible to Malaysian players, we have concluded that these are the best sites when it comes to rewards, games and special features.
Although there are quite a few online gambling sites in Malaysia, not all of them can be considered the best specifically for this game. To give you an idea about why we believe 1xBet and Megarich are the top Pay Gow online sites, we’ve provided more information about each below.
1xBet is a popular global gambling site founded in 2007. The website is available in over 60 languages, including Malay. You can rest assured that you get a safe and fair gaming experience here as the site holds a Curacao eGaming license. For those wanting to play on mobiles, you can download the native iOS or Android app straight from the 1xBet website.
The site has three Pai Gow online poker tables supplied by three major casino software companies: Nucleus, Betsoft, and Rival Games. Betting limits range from MYR 1 to MYR 200 across the tables. The site also offers Pai Gow poker for free online as all the tables have a free demo mode. In addition to Pai Gow, more than 8,000 other casino games are available, plus a top-quality sportsbook.
Users have no worries about payments at 1xBet as there are over 45 banking options, including TouchnGo, AirTM, Bank Transfer, Visa, Mastercard, and several other cryptocurrencies. MInimmum deposits start from just MYR 5. Withdrawals are lightning fast, with the average time for most methods being under 15 minutes. The limits for payouts are suitable for all players as the minimum is just MYR 10, and some methods have no maximum limits.
A welcome bonus of up to MYR 7,700 awaits newcomers. When you make your first deposit, this Pai Gow online poker platform will match 100% of your deposit up to MYR 1,500, and you will also get further deposit matches on your second, third and fourth deposits. You can continue getting free bonus cash with 50% reload every Tuesday and Friday, plus you can claim many other loyalty rewards.
What We Like:
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Megarich is a fairly new Pai Gow online casino that launched in 2021. It’s regulated by the CGB, one of the most well-respected and trusted gaming control boards in the world. The site doesn’t have a downloadable app, but it is fully mobile optimized, meaning you can play all of the games from your mobile device browser.
There is only one Pai Gow online table at Megarich, but it is supplied by Betsoft, so it looks great and runs smoothly whether you are on a PC or mobile. The betting limits per hand range from €1-100. Should you want a break from the Pai Gow table, you can play one of the 9,0000+ other games, including slots, blackjack, poker, roulette and baccarat.
The casino supports Visa, Mastercard, Skrill, Neteller, and Flexpin payments. Deposit limits using these methods start at €20 for the minimum and up to €10,000 for the maximum. In addition to these fiat methods, Megarich also accepts seven cryptocurrencies. Minimum limits for these start at €10, the upper limit being €200,000. Whatever method you choose for deposit or withdrawal, no commission is charged.
Two weekly 50% cashback worth up to €450 await all users, plus there’s a special monthly 75% reload bonus worth up to €750. In addition to adding bonus money to your bankroll, you can retrieve a percentage of any losses you might have here with up to 15% cashback on offer.
What We Like:
What We Don’t:
When determining the best Pai Gow online sites, we use a systematic approach and analyze a set of rating criteria which are important to the majority of players. This means that our reviews remain unbiased and reliable.
Some key factors we analyse and rate specifically for Pai Gow casinos are the tables available, betting limits and bonuses. We also consider available banking methods, customer support and overall site security.
Before you decide to start playing Pai Gow at an online casino in Malaysia, be sure to consider points such as welcome bonuses and mobile access. To help you out, we’ve put together an overview of what to expect from our top sites.
Casino | Welcome Bonus | No. of Pai Gow Games | Pai Gow Poker Variants | Live Pai Gow Poker | Mobile Pai Gow | Pai Gow Promos |
1xBet | 200% up to MYR7,700 + 150 Free spins over first 4 deposits | 3 | 3 | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Megarich | 100% up €1,000 + 100 free spins | 1 | 1 | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Pai Gow poker is a fairly straightforward game to understand, especially if you have experience with other forms of online poker in Malaysia. While the normal game is played with Pai Gow tiles, the poker variant is played with one 53-card deck, the normal 52-card deck, plus the Joker, which in Pai Gow is a Wild.
Players are dealt seven cards face-up, and the dealer is dealt seven cards face-down. You must arrange your cards into a five-card hand and a two-card hand. The five-card hand always has to be stronger than the two-card one. Once your hand is set the dealer reveals their cards and makes two hands. If you win both hands against the dealer, your bet is paid out at 1:1. If you only win one hand, the bet is a push. If the dealer beats you in both hands, you lose your stake.
Hand rankings are the same as other poker games like Texas Hold’em and Omaha, except their being a five-of-a-kind with the Joker card which is the highest hand possible in Pai Gow. It’s also important to remember that if you and the dealer have the same hand ranking, the dealer wins all ties.
Aside from regular Pai Gow poker, you can play a few variations of the game. The different types offer up something a little bit different and some come with side bets that could see you walk away with some serious wins.
Fortune Pai Gow is played the same way as standard Pai Gow poker but with an added side bet in the mix. The fortune side bet pays out based on the hand value, with the highest payout being a natural 7-card straight flush. In live games with other players at the table, you are eligible to win an envy bonus whenever you place a fortune side bet. This is paid out if any other player (not you) has a hand of four of a kind or better.
In progressive jackpot Pai Gow poker, you stand to win a chance at winning part or all of an incrementing jackpot. As the game is played, the jackpot continues to rise, and when a player gets 5 Aces, they win a portion of the jackpot. A seven-card straight flush means you take 100% of the jackpot. If you are lucky enough to win the jackpot, the amounts can be staggering, like the man in the USA who won $1.39 million in 2024.
Face-up Pai Gow is played with a fully exposed dealer hand. This means you can see exactly what the dealer has before playing your hand. However, there is a catch: If the best hand the dealer can make is Ace High, then the hand is an automatic push no matter what cards the player has.
Pai Gow no push is typically found in live games and doesn’t feature online much. In this variation, the rules are the same as normal with a few exceptions. Firstly, there is no commission taken, so winning a MYR100 hand will net you MYR100 in profit rather than the MYR95 in most other Pai Gow games.
However, the main difference is that after the dealer has dealt out all the 7 card hands he will place one face-down card for all players and one face-down card for themselves. In the result of any tied hands that would usually be a push, the player card and the dealer card will be revealed and whoever has the higher card wins.
Having a good understanding of Pai Gow odds is essential if you want to become an expert and increase your chances of making money from the game.
In standard games, a winning hand pays out even odds, usually with a 5% commission. This means if you bet MYR 100 and win, you would receive MYR 95 in profit plus your original stake of MYR 100. When you tie with the dealer i.e. you win one hand and the dealer the other the bet is a push and your stake is returned.
There are variants of Pai Gow poker like Fortune Pai Gow that offer side bets which offer odds much higher than even depending on the hand you get. In the table below you can see the odds of making the different hands and also the side bet payout odds.
Poker Hand | Odds of Getting a Hand | Side Bet Payout Odds |
7 Card Straight Flush | 5,000,000:1 | 8,000:1 |
Royal Flush + 2 2’s | 2,000,000:1 | 2,000:1 |
7 Card Flush | 800,000:1 | 1,000:1 |
Five Aces | 140,000:1 | 400:1 |
Royal Flush | 6,000:1 | 150:1 |
Straight Flush | 750:1 | 50:1 |
Four of a Kind | 500:1 | 25:1 |
Full House | 36:1 | 5:1 |
Flush | 25:1 | 4:1 |
Three-of-a-Kind | 20:1 | 3:1 |
Straight | 14:1 | 2:1 |
Two Pair | 9:2 | N/A |
Pair | 5:2 | N/A |
If you’ve decided you want to play Pai Gow poker online, then the first thing you’ll need to do is create an account. This step-by-step guide will walk you through the whole process at our number one recommended casino, 1xBet.
Over 60% of online traffic comes from mobile phones and that number is even higher for gambling sites in most countries. This is because it’s the most convenient way to play as you can do it from pretty much anywhere.
Almost all casinos now offer either downloadable apps or mobile-optimised sites so you can play Pai Gow poker online on your mobile phone. The game will function the same as it would on a desktop computer and in many cases looks even better on a mobile screen. The only issue you might have is if you are on a mobile data network and you go into an area with no signal mid-hand you might lose your stake.
Some casinos allow you to play Pai Gow poker for free online. “Demo” or “Just for Fun” versions of Pai Gow allow you to play the game exactly as you would play it for real money but with demo cash instead. To play, you will usually need to create an account with the casino, but there’s no need to make a deposit.
Newcomers to the game can take advantage of free Pai Gow to get to grips with the rules and mechanics of the game and develop a strategy without risking any money. The one important thing to remember, though, is that whatever money you win in free or demo mode has no real monetary value.
Most online casinos offer live variants of modern and classic casino games like blackjack, baccarat and roulette. Online roulette, in particular, attracts many players with its dynamic and engaging format. However, live Pai Gow isn’t typically found at most casinos online. This is because of the game format. In Pai Gow, players have to create their hands, so it’s not easily implemented, and the game doesn’t really lend itself to a live virtual format.
One of the best things about playing Pai Gow poker online is the exciting bonuses that online casinos offer. We run through some of the best bonuses you can get your hands on below.
Pai Gow online casinos’ biggest and most generous bonuses are almost always welcome bonuses. These bonuses to attract new players can often be worth hundreds or even thousands of Ringgit.
Cashback bonuses are essentially refunds from online Pai Gow poker sites. With cashback, casinos will return a percentage of any losses you’ve made over a period of time, usually a week. The percentage is usually below 5%, which isn’t that high, but it lessens the pain if you have an unlucky run.
Reload bonuses are rewards given to users for depositing. They work like welcome bonuses in that a casino will match a certain percentage of your deposit amount. Unlike welcome bonuses, though, these are not a one-time offer and are usually available at least once a week. Some even have daily reloads.
Loyalty or VIP programs are pretty common at online casinos, and at most sites, you are automatically entered upon creating an account. They may work slightly differently depending on the site, but usually, whenever you make deposits or bet, you earn points. You are awarded bonuses when you get a certain number of points.
These systems are usually tiered, and as you move into higher tiers, the bonuses get bigger, and sometimes, you gain additional perks, such as increased banking limits.
No deposit bonuses are one of the best-value bonuses around. This is because with other bonuses, you have to make a deposit to claim them, but no deposit bonuses don’t require you to part with a single penny. Because these are great value, they are a bit rarer. They are usually offered to new customers, to try out new features, or to existing players as a loyalty reward.
Pai Gow online is a convenient way to enjoy the popular card game. The best sites we’ve reviewed in this article provide a first-class gaming experience and offer superb bonuses. We found that our top site, 1xBet, is the best place to try your luck in the game whether you’re an experienced gamer or just starting out.
You can claim a huge welcome bonus, and there also are several ongoing bonuses and promotions to keep your bankroll topped up. All of the Pai Gow tables can be played in demo mode and with native iOS and Android apps, you can play the game wherever you are.
Pai Gow poker is also commonly referred to as double-hand poker.
Yes. Despite online gambling being illegal in Malaysia, Pai Gow poker can be played online in the country but only through offshore-based online casinos. The best sites to play for real money are 1xBet and Megarich.
The house edge in a standard Pai Gow poker game is 2.84% which means that on average for every MYR 100 bet at the table, MYR 97.26 is returned to the players. This is just an average though so some players will win more and others less.
The best hand in Pai Gow online poker is five Aces (made up of four Aces plus the joker).
Based in Penang, Malaysia, Lokman See is a seasoned writer known for his experience in crafting iGaming articles that are both informative and engaging. Whether he’s reviewing casinos or putting together useful game guides, he strives to provide readers with well-researched content that offers valuable insight into the world of online gambling in Malaysia.
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