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Fortune Pai Gow Poker Review. Stroll through any brick-and-mortar casino in Las Vegas and you’re sure to find lots of Pai Gow Poker tables. But did you know that there are many variations on the traditional card game that was created in the United States back in 1985 as an answer to the Chinese game played with a set of 32 dominoes? Poker Tournaments. The Fortune Poker Room also hosts a daily tournament at 8:30 or 9:00 a.m. That has a guarantee between $1000 and $2500 depending on the day. This tournament is the perfect way to start a session before grinding at the cash game tables all night. A full poker tournament schedule can be found on Poker Atlas. Fly from Seattle to Friday Harbor on a 6-passenger seaplane, and enjoy spectacular aerial views of the San Juan Islands. Flying over the San Jan Islands is a great way to take in the scale of the hundreds of islands, coves, and remote beaches that line the Washington coast, and you’ll touch down in the charming island town of Friday Harbor, which is linked to the mainland by ferry.
Fortune Poker constantly updated information on live games, wait lists, Monte Carlo board and current promotions.
Introduction
'Fortune' is a side bet in Pai Gow Poker that pays based on the value of the player's seven cards. It doesn't not matter how the player sets his hand. In addition, if another player has a four of a kind or better the player making the Fortune bet will get an 'Envy Bonus.' At every table I have seen there is a $5 minimum and the Envy Bonus is a fixed amount.
Following are pay tables that I am aware of, based on the player's own hand. Wins are on a 'to one' basis.
Fortune Pay TablesExpand
| Hand | Pay Table | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
| Natural 7 Card S/F | 5,000 to 1 | 8,000 to 1 | 5,000 to 1 | 2,500 to 1 | 5,000 to 1 | 5,000 to 1 | 8000 to 1 | 1000 to 1 |
| Royal Flush + R/M | 1,000 to 1 | 2,000 to 1 | 2,000 to 1 | 1,000 to 1 | 2,000 to 1 | 1,000 to 1 | 2000 to 1 | 750 to 1 |
| Wild 7 Card S/F | 750 to 1 | 1,000 to 1 | 1,000 to 1 | 750 to 1 | 1,000 to 1 | 500 to 1 | 1000 to 1 | 500 to 1 |
| 5 Aces | 250 to 1 | 400 to 1 | 400 to 1 | 250 to 1 | 400 to 1 | 300 to 1 | 400 to 1 | 250 to 1 |
| Royal Flush | 100 to 1 | 150 to 1 | 150 to 1 | 125 to 1 | 150 to 1 | 110 to 1 | 100 to 1 | 150 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 50 to 1 | 50 to 1 | 50 to 1 | 50 to 1 | 50 to 1 | 45 to 1 | 30 to 1 | 50 to 1 |
| 4 of a Kind | 20 to 1 | 25 to 1 | 25 to 1 | 25 to 1 | 25 to 1 | 25 to 1 | 20 to 1 | 25 to 1 |
| Full House | 5 to 1 | 5 to 1 | 5 to 1 | 5 to 1 | 5 to 1 | 5 to 1 | 5 to 1 | 5 to 1 |
| Flush | 4 to 1 | 4 to 1 | 4 to 1 | 4 to 1 | 4 to 1 | 4 to 1 | 4 to 1 | 4 to 1 |
| 3 of a Kind | 3 to 1 | 3 to 1 | 3 to 1 | 3 to 1 | 3 to 1 | 3 to 1 | 3 to 1 | 3 to 1 |
| Straight | 2 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 2 to 1 |
| Three Pair | Push | Loss | Loss | Loss | Loss | Loss | Loss | 1 to 1 |
The next table shows the Envy Bonus for each paytable.
Fortune Envy BonusesExpand
| Hand | Pay Table | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
| Natural 7 Card S/F | $1000 | $5000 | $3000 | $1000 | $2500 | $2500 | $5000 | $500 |
| Royal Flush + R/M | $250 | $1000 | $1000 | $750 | $500 | $500 | $1000 | $250 |
| Wild 7 Card S/F | $100 | $500 | $500 | $250 | $250 | $250 | $500 | $150 |
| 5 Aces | $50 | $250 | $250 | $100 | $150 | $150 | $250 | $100 |
| Royal Flush | $25 | $50 | $50 | $50 | $55 | $55 | $50 | $50 |
| Straight Flush | $10 | $20 | $20 | $20 | $25 | $25 | $20 | $20 |
| 4 of a Kind | $5 | $5 | $5 | $5 | $6 | $6 | $5 | $5 |
The next table shows the number of combinations, probability, and contribution to the return for each hand, under pay table 2, which I believe to be the most popular. The lower left cell shows a house edge of 7.77% before considering the Envy Bonus.
Pay Table 2 -- Return Table
| Hand | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural seven-card straight flush | 8,000 | 32 | 0.00000021 | 0.00166079 |
| Royal Flush + R/M | 2,000 | 72 | 0.00000047 | 0.00093420 |
| Wild seven-card straight flush | 1,000 | 196 | 0.00000127 | 0.00127155 |
| Five Aces | 400 | 1,128 | 0.00000732 | 0.00292715 |
| Royal Flush | 150 | 26,020 | 0.00016880 | 0.02532063 |
| Straight flush | 50 | 184,644 | 0.00119787 | 0.05989370 |
| Four of a Kind | 25 | 307,472 | 0.00199472 | 0.04986795 |
| Full house | 5 | 4,188,528 | 0.02717299 | 0.13586494 |
| Flush | 4 | 6,172,088 | 0.04004129 | 0.16016517 |
| Three of a kind | 3 | 7,672,500 | 0.04977518 | 0.14932555 |
| Straight | 2 | 11,034,204 | 0.07158417 | 0.14316833 |
| Three pair | -1 | 2,862,000 | 0.01856717 | -0.01856717 |
| All other | -1 | 121,694,196 | 0.78948855 | -0.78948855 |
| Total | 0 | 154,143,080 | 1.00000000 | -0.07765575 |
The next table shows the return table for the Envy Bonus under pay table 2, based on a $5 bet. The lower right cell shows that each additional player at the table is worth 0.93%, based on a $5 bet. If the player bets more than $5 the value of the Envy Bonus equals 0.04634162/b, where b is the amount bet.
Envy Return Table -- Paytable 2
| Hand | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural seven-card straight flush | $5,000 | 32 | 0.00000021 | 0.00020760 |
| Royal Flush + R/M | $1,000 | 72 | 0.00000047 | 0.00009342 |
| Wild seven-card straight flush | $500 | 196 | 0.00000127 | 0.00012715 |
| Five Aces | $250 | 1,128 | 0.00000732 | 0.00036589 |
| Royal Flush | $50 | 26,020 | 0.00016880 | 0.00168804 |
| Straight flush | $20 | 184,644 | 0.00119787 | 0.00479150 |
| Four of a Kind | $5 | 307,472 | 0.00199472 | 0.00199472 |
| Total | 519,564 | 0.00337066 | 0.00926832 |
The next table shows the contribution for each hand under all seven pay tables, before considering the Envy Bonus.
Fortune Pai Gow Poker Return — Expected ReturnsExpand
| Hand | Pay Table | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
| 7 Card Straight Flush | 0.001038 | 0.001661 | 0.001038 | 0.000519 | 0.001038 | 0.001038 | 0.001661 | 0.000208 |
| Royal Flush + Royal Match | 0.000467 | 0.000934 | 0.000934 | 0.000467 | 0.000934 | 0.000467 | 0.000934 | 0.00035 |
| 7 Card Straight Flush with Joker | 0.000954 | 0.001272 | 0.001272 | 0.000954 | 0.001272 | 0.000636 | 0.001272 | 0.000636 |
| 5 Aces | 0.001829 | 0.002927 | 0.002927 | 0.001829 | 0.002927 | 0.002195 | 0.002927 | 0.001829 |
| Royal Flush | 0.01688 | 0.025321 | 0.025321 | 0.021101 | 0.025321 | 0.018568 | 0.01688 | 0.025321 |
| Straight Flush | 0.059894 | 0.059894 | 0.059894 | 0.059894 | 0.059894 | 0.053904 | 0.035936 | 0.059894 |
| 4 of a Kind | 0.039894 | 0.049868 | 0.049868 | 0.049868 | 0.049868 | 0.049868 | 0.039894 | 0.049868 |
| Full House | 0.135865 | 0.135865 | 0.135865 | 0.135865 | 0.135865 | 0.135865 | 0.135865 | 0.135865 |
| Flush | 0.160165 | 0.160165 | 0.160165 | 0.160165 | 0.160165 | 0.160165 | 0.160165 | 0.160165 |
| 3 of a Kind | 0.149326 | 0.149326 | 0.149326 | 0.149326 | 0.149326 | 0.149326 | 0.149326 | 0.149326 |
| Straight | 0.143168 | 0.143168 | 0.143168 | 0.143168 | 0.143168 | 0.143168 | 0.143168 | 0.143168 |
| Three Pair | 0 | -0.018567 | -0.018567 | -0.018567 | -0.018567 | -0.018567 | -0.018567 | 0.018567 |
| All Other | -0.789489 | -0.789489 | -0.789489 | -0.789489 | -0.789489 | -0.789489 | -0.789489 | -0.789489 |
| Total | -0.080008 | -0.077656 | -0.078279 | -0.0849 | -0.078279 | -0.092855 | -0.120027 | -0.044292 |
The next table shows the return table for the Envy Bonus, based on a $5 bet. The bottom row shows how much the house edge is reduced for each other player at the table.
Fortune Poker Casino
Fortune Pai Gow Poker Envy Bonus — Expected ReturnsExpand
| Hand | Pay Table | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
| 7 Card Straight Flush | 0.000042 | 0.000208 | 0.000125 | 0.000042 | 0.000104 | 0.000104 | 0.000208 | 0.000021 |
| Royal Flush + Royal Match | 0.000023 | 0.000093 | 0.000093 | 0.00007 | 0.000047 | 0.000047 | 0.000093 | 0.000023 |
| 7 Card Straight Flush with Joker | 0.000025 | 0.000127 | 0.000127 | 0.000064 | 0.000064 | 0.000064 | 0.000127 | 0.000038 |
| 5 Aces | 0.000073 | 0.000366 | 0.000366 | 0.000146 | 0.00022 | 0.00022 | 0.000366 | 0.000146 |
| Royal Flush | 0.000844 | 0.001688 | 0.001688 | 0.001688 | 0.001857 | 0.001857 | 0.001688 | 0.001688 |
| Straight Flush | 0.002396 | 0.004791 | 0.004791 | 0.004791 | 0.005989 | 0.005989 | 0.004791 | 0.004791 |
| 4 of a Kind | 0.001995 | 0.001995 | 0.001995 | 0.001995 | 0.002394 | 0.002394 | 0.001995 | 0.001995 |
| Total | 0.005398 | 0.009268 | 0.009185 | 0.008796 | 0.010674 | 0.010674 | 0.009268 | 0.008703 |
The next table shows the house edge for each pay table by total players (including yourself).
Fortune Bet Overall House EdgeExpand
| Total Players | Pay Table | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
| 6 | 5.30% | 3.13% | 3.24% | 4.09% | 2.49% | 3.95% | 7.37% | 0.08% |
| 5 | 5.84% | 4.06% | 4.15% | 4.97% | 3.56% | 5.02% | 8.30% | 0.95% |
| 4 | 6.38% | 4.99% | 5.07% | 5.85% | 4.63% | 6.08% | 9.22% | 1.82% |
| 3 | 6.92% | 5.91% | 5.99% | 6.73% | 5.69% | 7.15% | 10.15% | 2.69% |
| 2 | 7.46% | 6.84% | 6.91% | 7.61% | 6.76% | 8.22% | 11.08% | 3.56% |
| 1 | 8.00% | 7.77% | 7.83% | 8.49% | 7.83% | 9.29% | 12.00% | 4.43% |
Fortune Pai Gow Poker Progressive -- Version 1
I have an unconfirmed report that the following pay table is offered in Washington State. The bet amount is $1, nd there is no Envy Bonus. The following return table shows the return from the fixed wins only is 48.45%. For every $10,000 in the meter, the return will go up by 0.76%. The break-even meter (when there is no house edge) is $679,171.90
Fortune Pai Gow Poker House Edge
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Card Straight Flush | 100% of meter | 32 | 0.00000021 | 0 |
| Royal Flush + Royal Match | 50% of meter | 72 | 0.00000047 | 0 |
| 7 Card Straight Flush with Joker | 25% of meter | 196 | 0.00000127 | 0 |
| 5 Aces | 2500 | 1128 | 0.00000732 | 0.01829469 |
| Royal Flush | 200 | 26020 | 0.0001688 | 0.03376084 |
| Straight Flush | 100 | 184644 | 0.00119787 | 0.11978741 |
| 4 of a Kind | 75 | 307472 | 0.00199472 | 0.14960386 |
| Full House | 6 | 4188528 | 0.02717299 | 0.16303793 |
| All Other | 0 | 149434988 | 0.96945635 | 0 |
| Total | 154143080 | 1 | 0.48448473 |
Fortune Pai Gow Poker Progressive - Version 2
This is a $1 progressive jackpot bet I have seen at the Wynn, Rampart, Golden Nugget, and Suncoast casinos. Wins are paid on a 'for one' basis, in other words the player doesn't get his bet back if he wins. The return column shows the return for only fixed wins. In other words, not including the top two awards, the player can expect to get back 46.27% of his money back.
Fortune Pai Gow Poker House Edge
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seven-card straight flush | Jackpot | 228 | 0.000001 | ? |
| Five aces | 10% of jackpot | 1,128 | 0.000007 | ? |
| Royal flush | $500 | 26,092 | 0.000169 | 0.084636 |
| Straight flush | $100 | 184,644 | 0.001198 | 0.119787 |
| Four of a kind | $75 | 307,472 | 0.001995 | 0.149604 |
| Full house | $4 | 4,188,528 | 0.027173 | 0.108692 |
| Loser | $0 | 149,434,988 | 0.969456 | 0.000000 |
| Total | 154,143,080 | 1.000000 | 0.462719 |
The value of the jackpot is 2.21% for each $10,000 in the meter. The break-even meter (where there house edge is exactly zero) is $243,011.06. I have yet to see a jackpot get anywhere near this high.
Internal Links
Fortune Poker Room
- Pai gow poker — main page.
- Side bets — Lots of other side bets seen in pai gow poker.
Fortune Poker Club
My Pai Gow Poker Offerings
Pai Gow Poker Coverage
| House Way for... |
Written by:Michael Shackleford