CHAPTER 645c. PAI GOW POKER SIDE WAGERS AND VARIATIONS Sec.
645c.1. Commission-free Pai Gow Poker.
645c.2. Player-activated Pai Gow Poker; wagers based on the outcome of the dice.
645c.3. Must-Hit-By Mystery bonus.Authority The provisions of this Chapter 645c added under 4 Pa.C.S. § § 1202(b)(30) and 13A02(1) and (2), unless otherwise noted.
Source The provisions of this Chapter 645c added May 24, 2024, effective May 25, 2024, 54 Pa.B. 2923, unless otherwise noted.
§ 645c.1. Commission-free Pai Gow Poker.
(a) In addition to the provisions in Chapter 645a (relating to Pai Gow Poker), an operator may offer a variation of Pai Gow Poker in which no vigorish is collected as provided in this section.
(b) In addition to the requirements in § 645a.2(b) (relating to Pai Gow Poker table; Pai Gow Poker shaker; physical characteristics), if a certificate holder offers commission-free Pai Gow Poker, the layout shall contain:
(1) Separate areas designated for the Tiger 9 wager, if offered by the certificate holder.
(2) Inscriptions that advise patrons that if the dealer’s hand contains a Tiger 9, all Pai Gow Poker wagers shall push and be returned to the player.
(c) If commission-free Pai Gow Poker is being played, the certificate holder may offer the following additional wagers:
(1) The Fortune bonus wager as provided in § 645a.7(e)(1) (relating to wagers) and the progressive payout wager as provided in § 645a.7(e)(4).
(2) The Tiger 9 wager which shall win if the dealer’s low hand is a 9-high.
(d) The dealer shall deal the cards in accordance with § 645a.8—645a.10 (relating to procedures for dealing the cards from a manual dealing shoe; procedures for dealing the cards from the hand; and procedures for dealing the cards from an automated dealing shoe). After the dealing procedures have been completed, each player shall examine and set his hand in accordance with § 645a.11(a) and (b) (relating to procedures for completion of each round of play). The cards of the dealer shall then be revealed and set in accordance with § 645a.11(c).
(e) The dealer shall then reveal the player’s cards and complete the dealing procedures in § 645a.11(e) and (f) provided that if commission-free Pai Gow is being offered and the dealer:
(1) Has a Tiger 9, the player’s Pai Gow Poker wager shall push and be returned to the player. If the player placed a Tiger 9 wager, the dealer shall pay the winning wager in accordance with subsection (g).
(2) Does not have a Tiger 9, the player Pai Gow Poker wager shall be settled in accordance with § 645a.11(f). If the player placed a Tiger 9 wager, the dealer shall collect the player’s losing Tiger 9 wager.
(f) If a player placed a Fortune bonus or progressive payout wager, after settling the player’s Tiger 9 wager and Pai Gow Poker wager, the dealer shall complete the procedures in § 645a.11(h).
(g) The certificate holder shall pay out winning Tiger 9 wagers at odds of 30 to 1.
(h) As used in this chapter, the following words and terms shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
Commission-free Pai Gow Poker—A variation of Pai Gow Poker in which vigorish is not collected.
Tiger 9—The dealer’s two-card low hand which contains a 9-high.
§ 645c.2. Player-activated Pai Gow Poker; wagers based on the outcome of the dice.
(a) If specified in its Rules Submission under § 601a.2 (relating to table games Rules Submissions), a certificate holder may use a player-activated shaker to determine the starting position for the dealing of the cards in Pai Gow Poker.
(b) The player-activated shaker shall be submitted to the Bureau of Gaming Laboratory Operations for approval in accordance with § 461a.4 (relating to submission for testing and approval) prior to its use and must:
(1) Have the capability of being sealed or locked to ensure the integrity of the three dice contained inside the shaker.
(2) Shake the dice for at least 5 seconds to cause a random mixture of the dice.
(c) If the certificate holder is offering the Beat It wager in accordance with subsection (e)(3)(i), the one red and two blue dice shall be used in the shaker. Dice used in the shaker shall comply with the requirements in:
(1) Section 603a.12(a) and (c) (relating to dice; physical characteristics) if the certificate holder is utilizing an electronic shaker.
(2) Section 603a.12(b) if a manual shaker is being utilized and the certificate holder shall comply with the requirements in § 621a.2(d) (relating to Pai Gow table; Pai Gow shaker; physical characteristics).
(d) If the certificate holder offers optional wagers based on the outcome of the dice in the manual or player-activated automated shaker, the layout shall comply with the requirements in § 645a.2(b) (relating to Pai Gow Poker table; Pai Gow Poker shaker; physical characteristics) and shall contain:
(1) A separate betting area for each player designated for the placement of the Sum wager if offered by the certificate holder.
(2) Six separate betting areas for each player inscribed with a one through six designated for the placement of the Match wager if offered by the certificate holder.
(3) A separate betting area for each player designated for the placement of the Beat It wager if offered by the certificate holder.
(e) The certificate holder may offer the following optional wagers based on the outcome of the dice contained in the shaker:
(1) A Sum wager, which shall win, depending on the payout table selected by the certificate holder in its Rules Submission under § 601a.2, if:
(i) The total of the three dice is equal to an 8, 16 or 17.
(ii) The total of the three dice is equal to a 3, 8 or 9.
(iii) At least two of the dice are matching.
(iv) The three dice form a series, such as a 1, 2 and 3 or 3, 4 and 5.
(2) A Match wager which shall win if at least two of the dice match the value selected by the player. For example, a player’s Match wager on the one shall win if two or three of the dice rolled is a 1.
(3) A Beat It wager which shall win, depending on the payout table selected by the certificate holder in its Rules Submission, if:
(i) The red dice is equal in value to or greater than the sum of the two blue dice. For example, a player’s Beat It wager shall win if the red dice is a 6 and the two blue dice are a 2 and a 1 for a total of 3.
(ii) A single dice beats the sum of the two other dice by one to four points. For example, a player’s Beat It wager shall win if the dice rolled are a five, a one and a one (5-(1+1)=3).
(f) A wager must be placed before the electronic shaker is activated or the manual shaker is utilized. After all wagers have been placed, the dealer shall announce ‘‘no more bets’’ and:
(1) If a player-activated electronic shaker is utilized, a selected player shall then activate the electronic shaker by pressing an activation button at the player’s wagering position.
(2) If a manual shaker is utilized, the dealer shall shake the Pai Gow shaker at least three times to cause a random mixture of the dice. The dealer shall then remove the lid covering the Pai Gow shaker and place the uncovered Pai Gow shaker on the designated area of the table layout.
(g) After the dice come to rest, the dealer shall announce the numeric value of each die and settle the player’s Sum wager, Match wager and Beat It wager by collecting losing wagers and paying out winning wagers as follows:
(1) A winning Sum wager shall be paid out in accordance with one of the following payout tables selected by the certificate holder:
Sum of Dice Paytable A Sum of Dice Paytable B 17 25 to 1 3 25 to 1 16 6 to 1 8 4 to 1 8 3 to 1 9 2 to 1
Paytable C Paytable D A three match 3 to 1 A series of three 15 to 2 A two match 1 to 1 (2) A winning Match wager shall be paid out at following odds:
Payout Triple Match 100 to 1 Double Match 6 to 1 (3) A winning Beat It wager shall be paid out in accordance with one of the following payout tables selected by the certificate holder:
Red Die Beats Sum of Blue Dice by: Paytable A Paytable B 4 points 50 to 1 60 to 1 2 or 3 points 10 to 1 10 to 1 Tie or 1 point 1 to 1 1 to 1
Paytable C A die beats sum of other two by one or more points 5 to 2 (h) After settling the Sum wager, Match wager and Beat It wager, the dealer shall deal the cards in accordance with § § 645a.8—645a.10 (relating to procedures for dealing the cards from a manual dealing shoe; procedures for dealing the cards from the hand; and procedures for dealing the cards from an automated dealing shoe) and complete the round of play in accordance with § § 645a.11 and 645a.13 (relating to procedures for completion of each round of play; and payout odds; envy bonus; rate of progression; payout limitation).
§ 645c.3. Must-Hit-By Mystery bonus.
(a) If the certificate holder offers Pai Gow Poker as described in Chapter 645a (relating to Pai Gow Poker) and the optional progressive payout wager under § 645a.7(e)(4) (relating to wagers), the certificate holder may, if specified in its Rules Submission under § 601a.2 (relating to table games Rules Submissions), offer to each player who has placed a Pai Gow Poker wager in accordance with § 645a.7(d) and an optional progressive payout wager the opportunity to win the Must-Hit-By Mystery bonus.
(b) The layout and signage for the Pai Gow Poker table shall be submitted to the Bureau of Gaming Operations for approval in accordance with § 601a.10(a) (relating to approval of table game layouts, signage and equipment), and the progressive table game system display shall indicate that the certificate holder offers the Must-Hit-By Mystery bonus.
(c) If the certificate holder offers the Must-Hit-By Mystery bonus:
(1) A player shall qualify for the Must-Hit-By Mystery bonus by placing a Pai Gow Poker wager and a progressive payout wager, as indicated by the certificate holder in its Rules Submission filed in accordance with § 601a.2.
(2) A percentage of a player’s qualifying progressive payout wager shall be allocated as an incremental contribution to the Must-Hit-By Mystery bonus progressive meter.
(3) The certificate holder shall pay out the Must-Hit-By Mystery bonus when a qualifying player’s contribution increases the Must-Hit-By Mystery bonus progressive meter’s jackpot amount in excess of a random dollar value preselected by an electronic random number generator, between a set minimum and maximum dollar value.
(4) The incremental contribution of each player’s qualifying progressive payout wager and the minimum and maximum dollar values for the Must-Hit-By Mystery bonus meter shall be set in one of the following configurations, as indicated by the certificate holder in its Rules Submission filed in accordance with § 601a.2:
Paytable A—$1 Configuration
Configuration A
Minimum progressive wager amount—$1 Minimum dollar value $100 Maximum dollar value $200 Incremental contribution rate 2%
Paytable A—$2 Configuration
Configuration A
Minimum progressive wager amount—$2 Minimum dollar value $100 Maximum dollar value $200 Incremental contribution rate 1.5%
Paytable A—$5 Configuration
Configuration A
Minimum progressive wager amount—$5 Minimum dollar value $100 Maximum dollar value $250 Incremental contribution rate 1%
Paytable B—$1 Configuration
Configuration B
Minimum progressive wager amount—$1 Minimum dollar value $100 Maximum dollar value $500 Incremental contribution rate 5%
Paytable B—$2 Configuration
Configuration B
Minimum progressive wager amount—$2 Minimum dollar value $100 Maximum dollar value $500 Incremental contribution rate 3.5%
Paytable B—$5 Configuration
Configuration B
Minimum progressive wager amount—$5 Minimum dollar value $100 Maximum dollar value $500 Incremental contribution rate 2%
Paytable C—$1 Configuration
Configuration C
Minimum progressive wager amount—$1 Minimum dollar value $250 Maximum dollar value $500 Incremental contribution rate 2%
Paytable C—$2 Configuration
Configuration C
Minimum progressive wager amount—$2 Minimum dollar value $250 Maximum dollar value $500 Incremental contribution rate 1.5%
Paytable C—$5 Configuration
Configuration C
Minimum progressive wager amount—$5 Minimum dollar value $250 Maximum dollar value $500 Incremental contribution rate 0.5%
Paytable D—$1 Configuration
Configuration D
Minimum progressive wager amount—$1 Minimum dollar value $250 Maximum dollar value $1,000 Incremental contribution rate 5%
Paytable D—$2 Configuration
Configuration D
Minimum progressive wager amount—$2 Minimum dollar value $250 Maximum dollar value $1,000 Incremental contribution rate 3%
Paytable D—$5 Configuration
Configuration D
Minimum progressive wager amount—$5 Minimum dollar value $250 Maximum dollar value $1,000 Incremental contribution rate 2%
(5) If a player has won the Must-Hit-By Mystery bonus, the dealer shall, in accordance with the certificate holder’s approved internal controls:
(i) Verify that the appropriate light on the progressive table game system has been illuminated.
(ii) Have a floorperson or above validate the progressive payout.
(iii) Pay the Must-Hit-By Mystery bonus.
(iv) Reset the progressive meter to the minimum dollar value specified in the certificate holder’s Rules Submission filed in accordance with § 601a.2.
(6) A Must-Hit-By Mystery bonus payout may be paid from the table inventory or through a progressive jackpot slip as indicated by the certificate holder in its Rules Submission filed in accordance with § 601a.2.
(7) A player who wins the Must-Hit-By Mystery bonus shall be paid 100% of the bonus jackpot amount on the progressive meter.
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