I usually don't play Pai Gow. Not beatable even if hole-card, but great for sitting at a table and getting drunk. Some dealers you can get under 30 hands an hour.
Maybe you can get an edge on the side bet if you see other players' cards?
Something seems wrong about not having to place a side bet until after you have seen your cards. When you have an unbeatable or very strong hand you would bet table max. What fraction of your initial wager can you bet? 1:1?
I could see that game allowing you to play against the house OR the dragon, but both??.
Sounds like something we need to sit down and calculate. The house edge is somewhat large to begin with (1 1/2 percent I believe). Can you bet more than your normal bet on the side bet? Do they care if you look at each other's hands? Whats the initial advantage of the side bet, vs the new advantage?