Part I: Games & Gaming · Card Games — Asian Games

Copy Hand (Pai Gow Tiles)

Asian Card Games

In Pai Gow Tiles, when both the player and banker have hands of identical numeric value and identical highest-ranked tile, the result is a “copy hand.” By rule, the banker wins all copy hands — this is a fundamental component of the house edge in Pai Gow Tiles. When both hands total zero, the banker also wins regardless of tile composition.

In practice

Copy hands occur relatively frequently in Pai Gow Tiles. The “banker wins copies” rule adds approximately 1.5% to the house edge. Dealers must be trained to correctly identify copy situations, as incorrect resolutions favor either the house or the player.

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