PAI-GOW POKER QUICK TIPS

This article serves as a mini-education offering strategies, rules and a brief outline of the game delivered in quick informational bites.

1) Cards in Pai-Gow Poker are ranked like standard poker hands except that one joker is found in the deck and can be played as an ace or the high card to finish a straight, flush, straight flush or royal flush.

2) You must win both hands to win your bet and the house receives a commission on all winning hands. All players play against the banker.

3) Each player receives seven cards and must make two poker hands, the high hand made up of five cards and the low hand containing two cards.

4) The most important rule to remember is that the rank of the five-card high hand must be higher than the two-card low hand.

5) Once all hands are set, the dealer will compare the player’s hand rank with banker’s hand for payouts.

6) If one of your hands is higher in rank than the dealer and the other is lower, this is a tie and your bet remains on the layout.

7) If the banker bests both of your hands, then you lose your wager.
If both hands are identical (copy), the banker also wins.

Strategy Tips:

8) No pairs: Play the second and third highest-ranked cards as the low hand and the remaining five cards as high hand.

9) One Pair: The pair is set in the high hand and your next two highest-ranked cards as low hand.

10) Two Pair: Depends on the rank of the pairs. If one of your pairs is aces, kings or queens, then split the pairs putting one of the A’s, K’s or Q’s in high hand, and the other pair as low hand.

11) For all other pairs, play them as two pair in the high hand, and a king or ace in your low hand. If you were not dealt a king or an ace for a low hand, then it’s better to split the pairs with the high pair in high hand and low pair in low hand.

12) Three Pair: Highest-ranking pair should be your low hand.

13) Three of a Kind: Three aces or kings, split, placing ace or king in low hand and the pair in high hand. All other three of a kind should be played in high hand and two highest cards as the low hand.

14) Straights and Flushes: This should be high hand, and remaining two cards as low hand.

15) Full House: Three of a kind in high hand, and high pair as low hand--easy split and decision here.

16) Four of a Kind: Always split your four aces, kings and queens-play one pair as low hand and the other in high hand.

17) With four J’s-7’s, play them as a four of a kind in high hand only if you have at least a queen that you can use in low hand. If you do not have the latter, then split the four of a kind (two in low hand, two in high hand).

18) With four 2’s-6’s, never split, always play them in high hand.

19) Five Aces: Split the aces and play a pair of aces in low hand, and three aces in high hand.

20) The casino’s advantage is about 2.8%, lowered to 2.5% with perfect strategy.

21) A skillful banker can play an even game against the casino; therefore, try for the banker position as often as the casino allows.
A final Quick Tip: I suggest you print out this Pai-Gow mini-education for future use.

Gayle Mitchell is the author of Casino Gambling Made Easier books, Ebooks, booklets & the Slots Trilogy.

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