EZ Pai Gow Poker—A variation of Pai Gow Poker in which vigorish is not collected. Envy bonus- shall mean an additional fixed sum payoff made to a player who placed a bonus wager of at least $5.00 when another player at the pai gow poker table is the holder of a premium qualifying poker hand.

1. Fins, Envy is an arbitrary rule - it can be 'declared' to pay on any hand, including the dealer's, possibly with submitting a rule change to gaming. This change WILL reduce the HA of the bonus bet by about 0.8%, because of the additional envy payout possibility. Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes - Henry David Thoreau.
2. This is an important Pai Fow tip because it increases the odds you’ll hit an envy bonus. Second, the payouts for them aren’t huge, so don’t bet more than the minimum. Finally, when you’re betting an envy bonus, try to bet hands that someone is more likely to get (a four of a kind or a straight flush).

I have not played there, but at least one casino in NE Iowa pays the envy on the dealer's hand.

Thank you!! I knew I'd been somewhere this year that paid based on the dealer's hand.

While I'm on the subject of making table games better, maybe Paigowdan can answer this question for me...
Why can't the envy bonus just apply to the dealer's hand as well? The envy part of the bonus cuts the house edge of the bet so little that I think letting the dealer's hand count toward the envy bonus would be a nice little benefit.
It'd be great to have the dealer get a royal flush with no top and everyone at the table be delighted.
Dan, make this happen!

Fins, Envy is an arbitrary rule - it can be 'declared' to pay on any hand, including the dealer's, possibly with submitting a rule change to gaming. This change WILL reduce the HA of the bonus bet by about 0.8%, because of the additional envy payout possibility.

Fins, Envy is an arbitrary rule - it can be 'declared' to pay on any hand, including the dealer's, possibly with submitting a rule change to gaming. This change WILL reduce the HA of the bonus bet by about 0.8%, because of the additional envy payout possibility.

So you're saying, that you as the game designer cannot make that part of your bonus rules?

So you're saying, that you as the game designer cannot make that part of your bonus rules?

No, not at all. I certainly could have, - but simply chose not to. Why? Well for two reasons:
1. The concept of Envy was to envy the other players, not the dealer, as a semantic decision.

Pai Gow Poker Envy Bonus Payouts

2. It would reduce the house edge with no offsetting 'dealer type bet.'
If there is enough demand to include the dealer's hand for Envy payouts, it will be considered (and probably be dismissed, in all honesty) by casino operators and my distributor.

Thanks for the feedback.
On a side note, I'm always more envious of dealer's hands than I am of other players' hands.

Agreed... funny story on EZ Pai Gow from my last Council Bluffs trip...
I was playing both sides of the bonus (Insurance and High Hand). I turn over a Jack-high Pai Gow, which pays a respectable 15-1 on the bonus. I was pretty happy, as I was going to make $50 on the hand.... dealer turns over, a 9-high Pai Gow... sure I won the hand, but I'd rather get $500 and lose, rather than the $70 win!

Pai Gow Poker Envy Bonus

You still get the same bonus payouts regardless of main hand win-or-lose result.
A nine-high?? I once caught one with $7 on insurance - $700 big ones. My wife took five black chips, and left me two, to play craps after PGP. She explained to me that 'it's not your money - it's OUR money....that's different!' Oh....
By the way, insurance is a great bet, IMO. ANYTIME you make money on your losers you're a genius. I disagree with some pundits on this.
Actually, we have noticed that games with PG Insurance actually have lower holds, as it diverts a lot of money back to the players on hands otherwise fully lost, because both the bonus table and insurance tables are somewhat bottom-heavy, or biased to overpay on lower hits than higher wins. This causes a 'canceling' effect (similar to simultaneous play of pass line and don't pass bets) - as many players' losers are effectively winners.
When a deck is 'out of norm,' with a lot of 'outside hands' (bonus hands occuring along with a lot of pai gows), the money comes out of the rack. Tables with both bets have a negative effect on table hold, as few player sessions have hands that are strictly limited to one and two pairs only. A lot of casino operators order the game's layout felt with no Pai Gow insurance bets on them, for a reason. It is a trend.

Fortune Pai Gow Poker® is an optional bonus bet that considers
the best hand possible among the player’s seven cards.

Pai Gow Poker Envy Bonus Payouts

Players may bet any amount within table limits; however, in order to qualify for the Envy Bonus payouts, a Fortune bet of at least $5 must be made. Players win the Envy Bonus when someone else at the table receives a four of a kind or higher.

How To Play

To begin each round, players make their standard Pai Gow wagers and, if they like, the Fortune bonus wager. If a player wagers at least $5 on the Fortune bonus, the dealer must place an “Envy” button next to it.
The dealer then follows house procedures for Pai Gow Poker; Players will create two (2) hands, a low ranked hand consisting of two (2) cards which will be placed face down in the designated area of the table layout and a higher ranked hand consisting of five (5) cards which is also placed face down in the designated area of the table layout.
Players may request the assistance of the dealer to set his or her hand. The dealer will suggest the House Rules, as provided in Section 22.9, but the dealer takes no responsibility for any winning or losing hands. Assistance may only be provided prior to the dealer viewing his/her own cards.
The dealer will arrange and set the house hand after all players have set their hands. The house hand will be placed in front of the chip rack, face up, in full view before exposing the players’ hands. After the house hand has been displayed, players are not allowed to touch their cards.
While reconciling the standard Pai Gow wagers, the dealer also reconciles Fortune Bonus bets:
• If the player’s hand qualifies for payouts, the dealer pays him according to the posted paytable.
• If the player’s hand does not qualify for payouts, the dealer takes his Fortune wager.
The dealer pays any Envy Bonuses at the end of the round. If at least one player has four of a kind or higher, all players with envy buttons win-see pay table. In the event more than one player has at least four of a kind, then all players with the envy buttons win multiple payouts.
Note: A player cannot win Envy Bonuses for his own hand.
FORTUNE BONUS WAGER PAYTABLE
7-Card Straight Flush (no Joker) pays 2,500 to 1
Royal Flush Plus Royal Match pays 1,000 to 1
7-Card Straight Flush with Joker pays 750 to 1
Five Aces pays 250 to 1
Royal Flush pays 125 to 1
Straight Flush pays 50 to 1
Four of a Kind pays 25 to 1
Full House pays 5 to 1
Flush pays 4 to 1
Three of a Kind pays 3 to 1
Straight pays 2 to 1
ENVY BONUS PAYTALBE
7-Card Straight Flush (no Joker) pays $1,000 Envy Bonus
Royal Flush Plus Royal Match pays $750 Envy Bonus
7-Card Straight Flush with Joker pays $250 Envy Bonus
Five Aces pays $100 Envy Bonus
Royal Flush pays $50 Envy Bonus
Straight Flush pays $20 Envy Bonus
Four of a Kind pays $5 Envy Bonus