The BTCGOSU Guide to Pai Gow Poker Strategy: Setting Your Hands for Success

When most people think of casino table games, the first products from this category that come to mind are blackjack, baccarat, and roulette. Naturally, we also have craps, but that is dominantly popular in North America only. Aside from these classics, which have been around for a very long time, a new genre of poker-style games appeared in the casino gambling industry in the 1980s and has spread globally to a decent level of establishment. Found at most land-based venues and online platforms. These are casino poker variants, of which Pai Gow is one of the most famous ones. You may have heard of Three Card Poker and Caribbean Stud as other notable entries in this genre.

Based on Chinese dominoes, Pai Gow Poker, also gets called Double-Hand by some. It is an invention of California Bell Card Club owner – Sam Torosian, who came up with this game that utilizes the French deck with one joker. It is a gaming choice, meaning player versus dealer option, boasting a good number of variations. Most of these were formulated throughout the 2000s when Pai Gow got loads of traction at brick-and-mortar locales. From what we know, Shuffle Master has the rights to one of the most famed Pai Gow variants that features a progressive jackpot side bet.

According to legend, Torosian looked to simplify Pusoy, also known as Filipino Poker, which was based on the original Pai Gow. He simplified this thirteen-card game into a faster, two-hand version using seven cards. His creation gained popularity on the Vegas Strip in the late 1980s, but Torosian did not patent the game on advice from a legal counselor, who advised that it would be difficult for him to do so. From them, seven cards got split into a five-card high hand and two-card low hand, with a joker as a semi-wild card, and this iteration is not owned by anyone.

In our eyes, this is a cool game, and here we shall give you a good rundown of its mechanics, strategies, and nuances. Thus, keep reading if you are unfamiliar with this gaming pick, but are considering trying it out.

Understanding the Core Mechanics of Pai Gow Poker

In Pai Gow Poker everyone gets seven cards, face down after making a bet. You are allowed to view your cards, and you must make the best five-card and the best two-card hands you can make from the seven given. The first gets called the high hand, and the latter the low hand. Makes sense, right?

The way you win in Pai Gow Poker is if your hands beat the dealers, who also can create two from his seven cards. What often happens in Pai Gow rounds is that you will win one of the hands, resulting in a push.

Ties, cases when both sides get identical hands, the dealer wins those.

A crucial caveat is that your two-card hand must not be better than your five-card one.  If it is, it is a fouled hand and is invalid.

What is too super important in this game is that when you win, the casino/operator gets a commission of your round stake. So, you do not get it back, plus your reward. If you get dealt a joker, you can only use it as an Ace or to complete a flush or straight. That is vital to remember. You cannot use it to form pairs.

Lastly, in some real-world games a player can bank, but that is not possible online.

The Pai Gow Poker Table & Deck

The deck, as explained above, is the standard fifty-two card one with a joker in it acting as a semi-wild. As far as the table goes, it resembles a blackjack one and can usually seat up to six players. Of course, not counting the dealer. Each player has a designated area for placing their round bet, and usually an optional side wager, such as the Fortune one. That is, without a doubt, the most popular one.

Receiving Your Seven Card Hand

At the start of each round, the dealer shuffles the deck as best he can or uses an automatic shuffler before dealing every player active in the round seven cards. In online versions, a random number generator shuffles the cards and distributes these as the algorithm determines. After that happens, you get tasked with splitting them into a five-card and a two-card hand.

Setting Your Hands: The Front and Back Hands

The front hand consists of two cards, while the back hand consists of five. It is essential that you understand that both of these are equally important. You need both to win.

The back one is not more important because it features more cards. Yet, most gamblers focus on it neglecting to balance both when deciding how to divide their seven cards. That is one of the reasons for the frequent pushes that happen in Pai Gow Poker, which occur around 30% to 40% of the time.

Hand Comparison & Payouts

After you and all others at your physical or virtual table have set your hands, the dealer reveals his. Each player’s front and back hands are then compared to the dealer’s corresponding ones. Winning is only possible if both of yours outrank the dealer’s. If one hand wins, your bet gets returned. If you lose both, you lose your stake.

Payouts in Pai Gow Poker are straightforward. You get even money minus a house commission, which is usually 5% if you win both hands. We understand that this payout structure may seem modest, but it is the low volatility of the game that many find attractive, not the wins it can provide.

The Dealer’s Role & the House Way

In this game, the dealer is your opponent, and unlike in blackjack, where he follows strict rules for hitting and standing, here, he sets his hands according to a method known as the house way. That is something that can vary between casinos but generally follows a set of standardized rules regarding how to arrange his hands.

Players can freely choose how to split their seven cards. The dealer does not have that privilege. He must follow specific guidelines, which help create the house edge of Pai Gow Poker. An example is – two pairs split unless low pair is twos-sixes with an Ace (e.g., K-K-Q-J-9 back, 5-5 front; or 6-6-4-4-J back, A-Q front).

Understanding the house way is essential, as you need this info to develop the best strategy possible.

Deciphering Hand Rankings & Payouts: Understanding the Hierarchy

We already explained that Pai Gow Poker utilizes poker’s standard hand rankings and provides even-money pays for wins, but let us cover the best to worst hands one can form in this game for those not in the loop.

The Hierarchy of Poker Hands in Pai Gow

Here are the traditional poker rankings as they relate to five-card hands, but the same system gets implemented for the two-card ones. Here is the order from highest to lowest.

It should be understood that a Royal Flush is the strongest hand in Pai Gow Poker. For those unfamiliar with poker, this is holding Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and a Ten card of the same suit. It is something that is not easy to form. The second most difficult hand to form after a Royal Flush is the Straight Flush or consecutive same-suit cards.

The order continues with Four of a Kind hands – four cards of the same rank (for example, four Kings). Then comes a Full House, three of a kind plus a pair. Lower than these on the totem pole are a Flush, cards of the same suit that do not have to be in sequence – five of them. A Straight, consecutive cards of mixed suits and Three of a Kind. The latter is pretty self-explanatory – three same-rank cards.

The weakest hands are Two Pair, One Pair – cards of the same rank, and High Card, or the highest card in your hand. It is a given that these hands are less likely to win. Nonetheless, they may, and can result in a push.

The two-card front hand is ranked based on its high card or pair. That should be obvious.

The Pay Table: Understanding Your Potential Returns

As noted above, in Pai Gow Poker, wins pay even money minus a house commission, which traditionally sits at 5%. If you win one hand but lose the other one, your stake gets returned.

On the Interwebz, you may be able to find a no-commission version of Pai Gow Poker quite easily. And if you look hard enough, you may stumble upon such a variant in a physical gaming venue.

Regarding the payouts, that is about all we can say if we do not go into the bonus bets. If we do, then we will tell you that the most established side wager for this game is the Fortune Bonus, which we touched upon above. It is featured in online iterations of Pai Gow Poker and pays on the strength of your seven-card hand. It can deliver hefty payouts. For instance, it can fork over a win of eight thousand to one for a Seven-Card Straight Flush. It should also supply payouts of eight hundred to one for five Aces. How do you get that? Duh, you throw a joker in the mix.

It will yield a one hundred and fifty to one prize for a Royal Flush and a fifty to one for a Straight one. It also provides twenty-to-one rewards for a Four of a Kind, a five-to-one prize for a Full House, and a three-to-one payout for Three of a Kind.

Commission & Its Impact on Winnings

The fee the casino/operator charges when you will slightly reduce your prize, usually by 5%, and is in place to ensure profitability since this is such a low-volatility game.

Hand Setting Strategies: The Art of Arrangement

Setting your hands correctly is the main thing in Pai Gow Poker gameplay. You cannot impact what cards you get, but it is up to you how you will arrange them, and there are better approaches to forming seven cards into a five-card back hand and a two-card front hand. Knowing how to do this right will affect your winning chances, and here is what you can do to ensure you are doing all you can in your Pai Gow Poker sessions.

Should You Prioritize the Back Hand?

As a rule, you must make your back hand (the five-card one) stronger than the front one. So, this is mandatory. Also, please be aware that a strong back hand with a weak front hand is a push almost 40% of the time. The outcome depends on both, not just the back hand, so do not get obsessed with it alone.

Setting Strong Pairs

Pairs are vital in Pai Gow hand-setting. High ones should go in the back hand. This is true for one pair or splitting for two. Splitting two pairs is standard unless the low pair is twos through sixes with an Ace. You should split in a way that maximizes your prize chances, not just look to avoid a loss.

Balancing Hands

You should not put all your focus on the back hand. Your front hand needs equal attention. You cannot win without one of these outranking the dealer’s corresponding hand. Accordingly, if there is a possibility to craft two decent hands, go for that instead of favoring the back hand at the expense of the front hand.

Avoiding a Fouled Hand

Always be wary that your front hand does not outrank your back hand. You do not want to get an automatic loss. Do you? Well, that will happen if you accidentally do this. So, always check that your back hand is stronger than your front hand, and especially be mindful when setting high-value pairs to not place them incorrectly.

Copying the Dealer: A Safe but Limited Strategy

The house way is designed to balance dealer strength. Hence, it is not a bad idea for newbies to follow it, as it gives them a sense of safety and a structured approach to gameplay. If you feel comfortable playing like this, then lean on the house way with caution and attempt to adapt it based on the specific cards you have gotten.

Understanding the House Way: Learning from the Dealer’s Approach

In Pai Gow Poker, the house way is a term used to describe the standardized ruleset dealers must follow when it comes to hand-setting. Knowing this approach gives insights and serves as a reference for anticipating what the dealer will do. Yet, know that each land-based casino and online game can feature slightly different house ways, but the core principles should largely remain the same.

The Casino’s Specific House Way

Typically, the house way focuses on balancing both hands for wins, which should come in 20% of rounds, while 30% to 40% result in pushes.

How to Interpret the House Way for Guidance

It can help you grasp the base mechanics and give you some degree of foundational strategy in avoiding common mistakes and making informed splits.

When to Deviate from the House Way

Understand that the house way optimizes dealer odds, not yours. So, deviating from it can actually boost your chances in given scenarios, like splitting strong hands aggressively. Experience paired with house way knowledge can guide you to taking smarter risks and improving wins.

Online Versions of Pai Gow Poker

There are multiple of these. Five that we most frequently have seen in crypto casino lobbies get concisely reviewed here.

Pai Gow by Rival Gaming

Rival Gaming used to be one of the more renowned US-centric game providers, and it released its Pai Gow game on January 3, 2024, boasting a sleek user-friendly interface, a Return to Player (RTP) rate of 97.27%, and low variance.

Pai Gow by Light and Wonder

Light and Wonder unleashed their iteration of the casino poker variant that is the subject of our interest here in February 2019. It offers medium variance and an RTP of 97.47% with a maximum win potential of x8000.00 on account of its Fortune Bonus. It accepts wagers from $0.10 to $100, making it accessible to players of all experience levels.

Pai Gow by Nucleus Gaming

Nucleus Gaming is a sister company to the more famous Betsoft, the 3D slot trailblazer. Its poker Pai Gow option has the same wagering range as the previous pick and does not have an RTP and variance listed. It came out in 2016 and lacks the Dragon feature, which is found in some real-life casinos. But, for some reason, the Dragon gets mentioned in this Nucleus creation, which has a polished look to it.

Pai Gow Poker by Betsoft

In the past, Betsoft released the same games as Nucleus. The latter produced clones of Betsoft titles, and the studios’ Pai Gow games are similar in specs and options, but this one looks a tad worse than the Nuclues version. Both came out the same year.

Pai Gow Poker by Playtech

This is an older Playtech product, one that hit the Web in January 2009. It adheres to the standard rules described in this guide and has an RTP of 97.15% and a maximum win potential of x100.00 on a top wager of $100.

The Mathematics Behind the Game: The House Edge and Expected Value

The optimal strategy in Pai Gow Poker lowers the game to the mentioned house edge of 2.5%, and that entails knowing how to structure your hands. (optimal strategy).

Understanding the House Edge in Pai Gow

The house edge, the casino’s statistical advantage, is approximately 2.54% with optimal play. That is lower than both European and American roulette, and these are betting long-haul winning chances that 99% of slots offer. The casino retains its advantage from winning all ties and the 5% commission it charges you on winning hands.

Expected Value (EV) & Long-Term Outcomes

In Pai Gow Poker, the EV (average bet outcome) is negative due to the house edge. That holds for all casino products. It is impractical to try and manually compute all card combinations for this game without software. While doing this may give you some insights, it won’t turn Pai Gow Poker into a profitable venture. So, don’t waste your time, as you do not know what the dealer can create, and it won’t really do you any good.

The Statistical Approach to Strategy

The best approach is setting hands to maximize the probability of winning both together. Thankfully, others have figured this out for you. You just have to find charts online that outline the main pieces of advice to follow concerning how to split.

Risk Management: Playing Smart & Managing Your Funds

Effective risk management is key for profitability, and this entails understanding variance, managing your bankroll, adjusting bet sizes, and setting limits.

Understanding Variance & Its Impact on Your Game

Ups and downs in short-term results are normal. As we noted a few times in this guide, Pai Gow Poker has a high push rate, as more than a third of rounds will have this outcome. Recognize that short-term swings don’t change long-term results; they are part of what makes the average, and accept losing streaks as part of the game.

The Importance of Bankroll Management

Only bet what you can afford to be without. Such a mindset and budgeting are the basis for responsible play. We would too tell you to divide your bankroll into manageable units, so as to not overextend yourself financially during bad streaks.

Bet Sizing Strategies for Different Scenarios

Conservative players, as a rule of thumb, make smaller, consistent bets, while aggressive ones sometimes go for broke on an impulse. There’s no perfect strategy. Bet how much risk you can take, and keep in mind that staying disciplined and reasonable regarding bet sizing prevents reckless decisions.

Session Management & When to Stop

Set clear win and loss limits before starting a session. Knowing when to walk away shall do wonders for your bankroll and future play.

Pai Gow & Its Relationship to Other Forms of Poker

Pai Gow Poker differs from Texas Hold’em and other traditional poker games as it is a casino product, meaning it is played against the house. It may retain fundamental aspects like hand rankings and some strategic decision-making, but a somewhat different logic is applied here, and many of the aspects of classic poker play are missing.

We would say that from its genre, Pai Gow Poker is most similar to Mississippi Stud Poker due to its focus on optimizing five-card outcomes against a house standard. Other famous games from this category, casino poker options are Caribbean Stud Poker, Let it Ride, and Three Card Poker.

Conclusion: Mastering Pai Gow Poker’s Strategy

Pai Gow Poker should be a fun game for card gambling lovers, and it requires more careful thinking than you’ll need with most alternative casino game strategies. Yes, the number of tactical moves here is limited, you will max out your skill level quite quickly if you play this game for a little while. But still, it provides a relatively decent house edge and is more interactive than other table card choices on the Internet. So, practice responsible gaming principles, and try your hand at making two good ones in rounds of Pai Gow.

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