Pai Gow poker rules can be explained with a few words:
You have to beat the dealer's five-card (big or high) and two-card (small or low) hands by dividing your cards (the high hand should be higher in rank.)
However, the strategy for forming hands requires a detailed examination.
Let's discuss step by step how to play Pai Gow poker correctly.
Pai Gow Poker Optimal Strategy
You can find a very detailed basic strategy table on the specialized websites devoted to Pai Gow poker and forums where fans of this game communicate with each other. Even tiny details of possible actions are described there. We want to provide our readers with simplified rules. Following them, gamblers will be able to reduce the house edge significantly.
The whole strategy for Pai Gow poker can be reduced to one rule:
You have to collect the highest-ranking two-card hand that is possible if you have a higher five-card hand.
It will look like the following: a pretty high pair in the five-card hand and one or two high cards in the two-card hand. It may seem that such hands are not very favorable. Nevertheless, you will often win two hands in this case.
You get over with the fact that the high-ranking hands (four of a kind, royal flush, straight flush) do not bring additional payouts, so they should be split.
Let's analyze various typical situations.
No pair
You should select the second-ranking and third-ranking cards in the small hand and hold the highest-ranking card in the big hand. There are exceptions to this rule, but they are rarely observed and don't affect the house edge.
One pair
A pair can be left in the big hand, and the two left highest-ranking cards should form the low hand. There are no exceptions.
The two above examples will be observed in over sixty percent of hands while playing Pai Gow poker. So, these rules should be memorized.
Two pairs
Perhaps this is the most complicated case in which it is necessary to make decisions depending on the circumstances. After all, the player can keep two pairs in the five-card hand or split pairs between two hands. The higher the rank of one of the pairs, the more often you have to form a small hand from it.
Here are two basic recommendations for two pairs.
- Always use two aces to form a two-card hand, regardless of the cards that are involved in the formation of the five-card hand.
- A pair of kings should form the small hand if the second pair is composed of sevens or better.
- If you have an ace with a low-ranking card, split kings with a pair of threes and better; queens with a pair of fives and better; jacks and tens with a pair of nines and eights.
- Always hold two pairs in the big hand if an ace and any face card can be used to form the small hand. Split two face pairs if the small hand does not have an ace-king.
- Never split low pairs (sixes and lower).
- In all other cases, you should always hold pairs with an ace and any other card. If there is no ace, split pairs.
Three pairs
Everything is clear and uncontestedly: a higher pair should form the small hand.
One or two threes of a kind
Three of a kind is played in different ways:
- Three queens and lower-ranking threes of a kind should be held in the big hand.
- Three aces should always be split, holding a pair in the five-card hand and forming the two-card from one ace and high card.
- Three kings should be split in the same way if the high card is a jack or lower.
- If there are two threes of a kind, it is necessary to take a pair from a higher three of a kind and form the small hand from it.
Straight and/or flush (straight flush and royal flush)
Straights, flushes, and straight flushes should be used in different ways:
- If there is either a flush or a straight, hold a hand, and the remainder should form the small hand.
- If the cards have two such hands (flushes, straights, or flush or straight), you need to save one of them, forming the low hand from the highest-ranking cards. For example, if you have seven cards in sequence, you must select the two highest-ranking cards to create the small hand. You should sacrifice a flush in favor of a straight if it will increase the small hand's rank.
- If you have a straight or flush with one pair whose card takes part in forming a hand, it is necessary to act according to the situation. If you can hold a face pair and create the small hand from an ace and face card, do this, ignoring a straight or flush, from which you can only donate a queen or lower.
- If a straight or flush is collected with two pairs, it is necessary to act following the recommendations for two pairs and ignore your straight and flush.
- A straight or flush with three pairs is played according to the recommendations relating to three pairs, without paying attention to the five-card hands.
- A straight or flush with three of a kind is not split. You can select a pair or even an ace.
- In all cases, straight flushes and royal flushes are played as straights or flushes.
Full house
In the case of a full house, three of a kind should be present in the big hand, and a pair should form the small hand. However, if the pair is very low and other cards are high (an ace with any face card), a full house can be held.
Four of a kind
Four of a kind almost always should be split into two pairs if the other cards do not have a pair or high cards (e.g., an ace). We will not pay attention to rare cases of fours of a kind.
Where to Play Pai Gow Poker?
In some countries, pai gow poker is in high demand among customers, and nearly all local casinos offer it. However, this situation is not typical for all regions. Most Casinoz readers will find it easier to play Pai Gow online. Several well-known software providers have released their own versions of this game, making it easy to find in online casinos.
You can try Pai Gow for free in the reviews on our website. If you want to risk real money, you will be welcome at the establishments listed below.
Conclusion
As you can see, even the simplified strategy for Pai Gow poker does not seem to be easy. You can find the recommendations that may differ from our tips. The differences can usually be observed concerning advice on two pairs or straights with flushes.
Numerous attempts have been made to simplify the complex Pai Gow poker optimal strategy. The rules may consider unusual nuances (side bets, and so on). Discussions of some details are still common. Anyway, the differences in the efficiency of various versions are insignificant.
If you follow the essential tips, the house edge will be reduced to approximately 2.7%.
