Pai Gow is a popular, centuries-old, Chinese domino game that is now played in various gambling establishments all around the world. In India, the game is known as 'Teen Do Paanch'--the literal translation of '3-2-5' in Hindi.
The game is played with a standard set of 32 Chinese dominoes, which are divided into 16 pairs. Each pair consists of tiles whose values together add up to nine. The aim is to create two hands out of the 7 tiles dealt, with one comprising 5 tiles and the other consisting of 2 tiles; each hand is required to be higher in value than the other. A Chinese banker running the game also participates in each round. The players compete against the banker's hands. Consequently, players need to both create two stronger hands than the banker and make sure that the five-tile hand is stronger than the two-tile hand.
There are various intricacies in Pai Gow which further deepen the complexity of the game. Special combinations such as ‘Gong’ and ‘Nine Gates’ rank higher than regular winning hands. To make up for the fact that the banker takes part in every round, the players are given a 5% commission based on their winnings.