Pai Gow Poker Top Ten Guide

Pai Gow poker is an interesting variation with a good amount of strategy and player options. Study these top ten tips for some helpful advice!

If you have absolutely nothing to work with, set your second- and third-highest cards in front. (In very few cases this is not the best strategy – but the margin of error is not much to worry about.)

The first piece of advice – as with any gambling venture – is to decide on what you’re willing to risk. Fortunately in the case of Pai Gow poker, a fair buy-in can generally allow for a long playtime, so there’s no need to go off the edge.
Take the time to learn the rules before playing. Pai Gow poker has a few peculiar things to keep in mind – the ranking of the straights and the use of the joker, to name a couple.
Don’t lose a hand because of carelessness. Your five-card hand must rank higher than your two-card hand. If you break this rule, you lose immediately!
Unlike most other poker games, in Pai Gow poker your only opponent is the banker. Also unlike many other poker games, you don’t get to see any of anybody’s cards until the very end of the round. Therefore, you have nothing to worry about except for what’s in your own hand.
Don’t be discouraged by bad hands – chances are the banker’s hands aren’t so impressive, either. About 90% of the time any hand dealt will contain nothing better than a single pair. But in Pai Gow poker, the payoffs are proportional to the size of your bet, not to the value of your winning hand. You could win just as much with two pair as you could with a royal flush.
There is a lot of strategy involved in Pai Gow poker. If you have the time to spend on it, memorize the technique outlined in our Strategy section. This technique closely approximates the optimal play strategy, and will ensure you the best possible outcome.
If you don’t have the time to learn the technique, then just remember the bottom line: do whatever it takes to make the strongest hand in front.
Remember that both of your hands count in the final showdown, and that each counts just as much as the other. Playing a very strong hand behind and a very weak hand in front will probably only get you to break even. If you can manage it, playing two hands of average strength stands a better chance of winning you the bet.
If you can, play Pai Gow poker in a casino where players have the option to take on the role of banker. This transfers the house advantage over to the player – that could mean you!
As with any game, check up on the house rules before you begin playing. In Pai Gow poker, house rules can vary on significant details like who gets to play banker (dealer vs. players), how the house makes money off the game (flat fee vs. commission), and other important matters.