Pai Gow Poker Strategy

Pai Gow is a game that was invented in Asia and dates back centuries. The original game was played with tiles. In the American version the tiles were replaced by cards and the ranking of hands follows poker hand rankings.

Pai Gow Poker is dealt from a single deck of cards including a single joker. The joker can can only be used to fill a straight, a flush or straight flush. Typically Pai Gow games have between one and six players against the dealer. Some casinos allow the players to act as banker provided they can cover all bets. The house would typically levy a 5% commission on banker wins.

All games tart with an Ante. The dealer always deals 7 stacks of seven cards, no matter how many players are active. A cup with three dice is shaken to determine who gets the first hand.

The player looks at all seven cards and can sort them into two hands of 2 and five cards, with the two card hand in front and the five card hand behind it.  If both the player's hands beat the dealers hand you win. If one wins and one loses its a push. The banker wins ties.

The five card hand must always have a higher value than the two card hand. Mistakes are deemed to be a foul and you are disqualified on the hand. The dealer has to abide to the same rules or "House Way".

Pai Gow is a pretty slow game with many pushes.

Here is a basic Pai Gow Strategy:

Remember: Back = Five card hand Front = Two card hand

NO PAIR: Use your highest card in the back and your second and third highest in the front

ONE PAIR: Place the pair in back, and your highest other two cards in front.

TWO PAIR: Place your big in back and small pair in front. If you pir 7's to10's place both in back if you can put Ace in front. If your big pair is 2's thru 6's: Place both pairs in back if you can put King in front; else split the pairs

THREE PAIR: Big pair goes front.

THREE OF A KIND: Aces: Place one A and your highest card in front. If you get Kings and below: always place in Back.

TWO SETS: Pait from higher set goes front.

STRAIGHT, FLUSH or STRAIGHT FLUSH: If with no pair: Two highest cards go in front that leave a complete hand in back. If with Two Pair: Play the two pair strategy.

FULL HOUSE: Pair goes front

FOUR OF A KIND: Always split J through A. 7's to 10's: Place in back if you have Ace or King to go front;

FIVE ACES: Pair of Aces goes front.

Send To A Friend

Add This Gambling Article To:
Del.icio.us	Digg	Google	Spurl
Furl	Simpy	Y! MyWeb	OnlyWire
Redit	StumbleUpon	Technocrati