Pai Gow Poker Strategy

Pai Gow poker is a seven-card, two-hand poker game. Like fellow casino table games based on poker, Caribbean stud poker and let it ride poker, pai gow poker quickly won the approval of casino gamblers and poker players of longer-running games like Texas hold'em, 7-card stud, and Omaha poker.

Most major land-based and online casinos, especially Las Vegas casinos, have at least a few tables allotted for this casino game. Having an estimated 50 million players in the United States alone, poker itself is deemed America's most popular card game.

How to Play Pai Gow Poker

A game of Pai Gow poker begins when the dealer deals seven cards to each player and to himself, using a standard deck of 52 cards. You must use your seven cards to make two hands: one a five-card hand and the other a two-card hand. Typically, you hold the two hands in two rows in your hand: the five-card hand in the back row and the two-card hand in the front row.

Based on conventional poker hand rankings, your five-card hand must be stronger than your two-card hand. For example. you are dealt a 3, 5, 6, 10, Jack, King, King. Standard rankings dictate that you have a pair as your highest possible hand, and the rest are all singles. You must place your pair of Kings in the five-card hand. Out of the remaining cards, the highest are Jack and 10 so they form your best possible two-card hand. The others go back to your five-card hand. Ergo: (back) K-K-6-5-3 (front) J-10.

Once all participants have made their two hands, the showdown begins, in which all players expose their hands. A five-card hand competes only with all other five-card hands; a two-card hand competes only with all other two-card hands. If both your five-card hand and two-card hand are higher than the dealer's hands, respectively, you win. If both your five-card and two-card hands are lower than the dealer's respective hands, you lose. If one of your two hands beats the dealer's hand, either the two-card or the five-card hand, it is a tie. In a tie, no money is exchanged. You neither win nor lose.

Optimal Pai Gow Poker Strategy

Typically, you hold the two hands in two rows: the five-card hand in the back row and the two-card hand in the front row. Thus, "back" refers to your five-card hand and "front" refers to your two-card hand.

Non-pair
Play the highest card in the back. Play the second and third highest cards in the front.

Pair
Play the pair in the back. From the remaining five cards, play the two highest in the front.

Two Pair
The higher pair is known as the big pair, and the lower pair is known as the small pair.
If the big pair is A, K, Q, or J, play the big pair in the back. Play the small pair in the front.
If the big pair is 10, 9, 8, or 7, play both the big and small pairs in the back, provided you have an Ace. Play the Ace in the front. If there is no Ace, play the big pair in the back and the small pair in the front.
If the big pair is 6, 5, 4, 3, or 2, play both the big and small pairs in the back, provided you have a King. Play the King in the front. If there is no King, play the big pair in the back and the small pair in the front.

Three Pair
Play the big pair in the front. Play the two small pairs in the back.

Three of a Kind
If there are three Aces, form a pair of Aces and play it in the back. Play the third Ace and the next highest card in the front.
If there are three Kings or lower, play three of a kind in the back. From the remaining four cards, play the two highest in the front.

Two Sets
Play the pair from higher set in the front, leaving at least three of a kind to play in the back.

Straight Flush
If there is no pair, play the two highest possible cards in the front that still leave you a complete hand in the back.
If there is a pair, play the two highest possible cards in the front, whether a pair or non-pair, that still leave you a complete hand in the back.
If there is a two pair, follow the two pair strategy above.
If there is a three of a kind, play a complete hand in the back. Play a pair in the front.

Full House
Play a pair in the front, leaving at least three of a kind to play in the back.

Four of a Kind
If there are four Aces, Kings, Queens, or Jacks, always split into two pairs. Play one pair in the back, and the other pair in the front.
If there are four 10's, 9's, 8's, or 7's, play four of a kind in the back, provided you have an Ace or King to play in the front. If there is no Ace or King, split into two pairs. Play one pair in the back, and the other pair in the front.
If there are four 6's or lower, never split into two pairs. Play four of a kind in the back. From the remaining three cards, play the two highest in the front.
If there is a third pair, on top of your four of a kind, play four of a kind in the back. Play the other pair in the front.
If there is a three of a kind, on top of your four of a kind, play the highest possible pair in the front that leave you a full house in the back.

Five Aces
Play a pair of Aces in the front, leaving at least three of a kind Aces to play in the back.

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Pai Gow Poker Strategy

How to Play Pai Gow Poker

Optimal Pai Gow Poker Strategy