You get 7 cards (including 1 joker). Split them into a 5-card high hand and a 2-card low hand. Your 5-card hand must outrank your 2-card hand. Both your hands must beat the dealer's corresponding hands to win. If only one beats the dealer, it's a push (no money changes hands). If neither beats the dealer, you lose.
1 Setup
Pai Gow Poker uses a 53-card deck: standard 52 cards plus one joker. Up to 6 players plus the dealer. Place your bet before the deal. Each player and the dealer receive 7 cards face-down.
2 Splitting Your Hand
Arrange your 7 cards into two hands:
- High hand (back): 5 cards, standard poker rankings
- Low hand (front): 2 cards, ranked by pairs then high cards
Critical rule: Your 5-card hand must rank higher than your 2-card hand. If it doesn't, you have "fouled" your hand and automatically lose. Example: you cannot put a pair in your 2-card hand if your 5-card hand has only high cards.
3 Comparison
The dealer reveals their hand and sets it according to the "house way" (a fixed strategy the casino must follow). Then:
- Both your hands beat the dealer: You win (paid even money minus 5% commission)
- One hand beats, one loses: Push -- no money changes hands
- Both lose to the dealer: You lose your bet
- Exact tie on either hand: Dealer wins ties (called "copy hands")
4 The Joker
The joker in Pai Gow Poker is a "semi-wild" card. It can be used as:
- An Ace in any situation
- A card to complete a straight
- A card to complete a flush
- A card to complete a straight flush
It cannot be used as any other card (e.g., you cannot use it to complete a pair of kings).
5 Basic Strategy
The general goal is to make both hands as strong as possible while keeping your front (2-card) hand competitive. Some guidelines:
- With no pairs, put your second and third-highest cards in the 2-card hand
- With one pair, put the pair in the 5-card hand and best two singles in the 2-card hand
- With two pairs, a common strategy is to split them between the two hands unless one pair is very high (like aces)
- With three pairs, always put the highest pair in the 2-card hand
- With a full house, split it: put the pair in front and the trips in back
Pai Gow Poker has one of the lowest house edges in the casino (around 2.5%), and the high rate of pushes means your bankroll lasts a long time. It is a great game for slow, social casino play.
6 Hand-Setting Strategy
Pai Gow Poker strategy is all about how to split your 7 cards into a 5-card hand (high hand) and a 2-card hand (low hand). The goal: win both. Splitting wrong can turn a winning hand into a push or loss.
The "house way" is a published ruleset used by dealers. Following it closely is a solid starting strategy for beginners.
Hand-Setting Rules by Scenario
| Hand Type | High Hand (5-card) | Low Hand (2-card) |
|---|---|---|
| No pair | 5 highest cards | 2 highest remaining cards |
| One pair | The pair + 3 highest kickers | 2 highest remaining cards |
| Two pair (both low, below 7s) | Both pairs | Highest remaining card + next |
| Two pair (one high, one low) | High pair | Low pair |
| Two pair (both high, 7s or above) | High pair | Low pair |
| Two pair + Ace | Both pairs | Ace alone + one card |
| Three of a kind (not Aces) | Three of a kind | Two highest remaining cards |
| Three Aces | One pair of Aces | One Ace + highest remaining |
| Straight or Flush | Keep the straight/flush | Two highest remaining cards |
| Full House | Three of a kind | The pair |
| Full House + pair | Full house (three of a kind + higher pair) | Lower pair |
| Four of a kind (2s–6s) | Keep all four together | Two highest remaining |
| Four of a kind (7s–10s) | Split: two pair in each hand | Two of the quad |
| Four of a kind (Jacks–Kings) | Split: pair in each hand | Two of the quad |
| Four Aces | Two Aces | Two Aces |
| Five Aces (with Joker) | Three Aces | Two Aces |
Key Principles
- Strong low hand = wins more pushes. A weak 2-card hand (like 2-3) means you'll lose the low hand almost every time. Even sacrificing a little high-hand strength to put a decent pair in the low hand is often correct.
- Never weaken your high hand just to put a pair up front, unless you have two pairs and need to split them.
- The 5% commission on wins means you need to win both hands to profit. Playing conservatively to avoid losses (push = no commission) is a valid strategy.
- When in doubt, ask to see the house way. Dealers are legally required to show you how they would set the hand. It's free advice.
With optimal house-way play, the house edge in Pai Gow Poker is approximately 2.84%, moderate for a table game, and significantly lower when you get ties (pushes), which happen roughly 40% of the time.
7 House Edge & Odds
Pai Gow Poker is one of the more player-friendly casino table games when played with optimal strategy:
- House edge with optimal strategy: Approximately 2.5–2.85% on the primary player bet.
- Primary source of house edge: The 5% commission (vigorish) charged on all player wins, combined with copy hands (ties) going to the banker. These two mechanics together produce the house advantage.
- Low volatility gameplay: Approximately 41% of hands result in a push (tie), where neither player wins nor loses. This makes Pai Gow Poker exceptionally bankroll-friendly — sessions can last much longer than at roulette or slots with the same starting chips.
- Fortune Pai Gow side bet: This popular side bet (wagering on the strength of your own 7-card hand) carries a house edge of 6–9%. Avoid this bet if playing for value — it is significantly worse than the main game.
- Playing as banker: When you assume the banker role, you gain the copy-hand edge (you win ties against other players). However, you must cover all losing player bets at the table from your own chips — this requires a substantial bankroll relative to the table stakes.
8 Hand Rankings (Quick Reference)
Standard poker hand rankings apply to the 5-card high hand, from highest to lowest:
- Five Aces (4 Aces + Joker) — beats Royal Flush in most casino rules
- Royal Flush (A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit)
- Straight Flush
- Four of a Kind
- Full House
- Flush
- Straight
- Three of a Kind
- Two Pair
- One Pair
- High Card
2-card low hand rankings: Only pairs and high cards matter for the 2-card hand. There are no flushes or straights in the 2-card hand. The best possible 2-card hand is a pair of Aces. The Joker in the 2-card hand always counts as an Ace and cannot be used as anything else.
Critical rule: Your 5-card high hand MUST outrank your 2-card low hand. If your 2-card hand ranks higher than your 5-card hand, you have a "foul hand" and automatically lose your bet at most casinos. Always verify this before revealing your split.
9 Common Mistakes
- Setting a foul hand: Placing the stronger hand in the 2-card position is an automatic loss. Always double-check that the 5-card hand outranks the 2-card hand before committing to your split.
- Splitting one pair into both hands: With only one pair, keeping it in the 5-card hand and playing your two highest remaining cards as the 2-card hand is almost always stronger than splitting. Splitting a single pair leaves both hands significantly weaker.
- Misusing the Joker: The Joker in Pai Gow Poker is semi-wild, not fully wild. It can only complete a straight, a flush, a straight flush, or serve as an Ace. It cannot substitute for any arbitrary card. Many beginners try to use it to complete pairs or three-of-a-kind — this is not permitted.
- Not using the "house way" option: Any player may ask the dealer to set their hand using the casino's prescribed house-way algorithm. This plays close to optimal strategy and is a completely valid choice, especially for new players learning hand-splitting rules. Use this option freely while learning.
- Being surprised by frequent pushes: With ~41% of hands resulting in a push, long stretches of no wins or losses are normal — not a sign of a rigged game. This low volatility is a defining feature of Pai Gow Poker, making it ideal for extended low-stress casino sessions.
🎲 House Rules
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