Generally speaking, players should try to set the highest two-card hand that they can legally set: the best two-card hand that still leaves a higher five-card hand behind. More specifically, players should expect an average hand to be something like a medium-to-high pair behind in the five-card hand and an ace-high in front. Detailed computer analysis has been done to determine the ideal strategy, but this requires memorizing large tables; a close approximation can be done with only a few rules of thumb: when playing in a casino and in doubt, a player can always ask that his hand be set house way. Most house strategies are quite reasonable and can be quite close to optimal strategy.
- If a player has no pairs, straights or flushes, he can set the second- and third-highest cards in his two-card hand. For example, with K-Q-J-9-7-4-3 he can play Q-J and K-9-7-4-3. There are a few minor exceptions to this, for example, with A-Q-10-9-5-4-2 it is slightly better to play Q-9 and A-10-5-4-2, but these situations are rare and do not affect a player's win rate much.
- If a player has nothing but a single pair, he can set it in his five-card hand and put the two highest remaining cards in his two-card hand. For example, with A-Q-Q-9-6-5-3 he can play A-9 and Q-Q-6-5-3. There are no exceptions to this rule. This and the above rule will cover approximately 90% of played hands.
- Two pair is the most common case where strategy isn't obvious. A player can either play high pair behind and small pair in front, or else two pair behind and high cards in front. The smaller the high pair and higher the remaining cards, the more inclined he should be to play two pair behind. If his side cards are small or his larger pair is large, he should split the pairs. He should always split the pairs if his high pair is of aces, and should almost always split if his high pair is of kings or queens: they are high enough by themselves. With cards like J-J-4-4-A-Q-5 he can consider playing A-Q and J-J-4-4-5- since A-Q in front is not much worse than 4-4; however, two pair behind is much better than a single pair of jacks. A player with jacks and tens might be more inclined to split, because tens in front is much better than A-Q. With pairs as small as 7s and 8s, a player might consider playing two pair behind if he can play a king-high or better in front. With 2s and 3s he may even play as little as a queen-high in front. If he has no side cards higher than a jack, he should always split pairs, even 2s and 3s (most house ways split if there's a pair of 6s or higher, and split small pairs if there's no ace for the low hand).
- Three pair is a very good hand. A player should always play the highest pair in front with no exceptions. For example, with K-K-7-7-4-4-A he should play K-K and 7-7-4-4-A.
- If a player has three of a kind and nothing else, he should play three of a kind behind and the remaining high cards in front unless they are aces. He should always split three aces, playing a pair of aces behind and ace-high in front. Occasionally, he can even split three kings if his remaining side cards are not queen-high; for example, with K-K-K-J-9-7-6 it is slightly better to play K-J and K-K-9-7-6 than to play J-9 and K-K-K-7-6. Most house ways only split three aces.
- If a player can play a straight or a flush or both, he should play whichever straight-or-better five-card hand makes the best two-card hand. For example, with K♠-9♠-8♣-7♠-6♣-5♠-4♠ playing the flush would put 8-6 in front, playing the 9-high straight would put K-4 up front, but the correct play is K-9 and 8-7-6-5-4. Occasionally the player will have a straight or flush with two pair; in that case, he should play as if it were two pair and ignore the straight or flush. This rule applies even if a player can play a straight flush; if a straight or flush makes a better hand in front, play it that way.
- With a full house, a player should generally play the three of a kind behind and the pair in front. The exception is if the pair is very small and the side cards are very high; for example, with 5-5-5-3-3-A-Q it might be better to play A-Q with the full house behind. However, these cases are rare, and a player will never be making a big mistake if he never play a full house behind. House ways will always split the full house.
- With two three of a kinds, a player should play the higher as a pair in front and the smaller three of a kind behind. For example, with Q-Q-Q-7-7-7-A he should play Q-Q and 7-7-7-A-Q — no exceptions.
- With four of a kind, a player should play as if it were two pair, but should be slightly less inclined to split. For example, with 10-10-10-10-J-5-4 he should play 10-10 and 10-10-J-5-4, and with 3-3-3-3-K-Q-7, K-Q and 3-3-3-3-7. Most house ways always split the four of a kind.
- With three pair and a straight or flush (only possible with the joker), a player should play his hand as three pair (with aces in front).
The cases below rarely happen, but deserve mention:
- With four of a kind and a pair, a player should play the pair in front unless it is very small, and the four of a kind is very large. For example, with 9-9-9-9-7-7-K he should play 7-7 and 9-9-9-9-K, but with K-K-K-K-3-3-9 he might play K-K and K-K-3-3-9. House ways always put the quartet in back and the pair in front.
- With a full house and a pair, a player should play the higher pair in front and a full house in back.
- With four of a kind and three of a kind, a player should split the four to play a pair in front and full house behind, unless the three of a kind has a higher rank than the four of a kind; in that case he should play the four of a kind, with a pair from the three of a kind in front.
- With all four aces and the joker, a player should play a pair of aces in front and three aces (or a full house) behind, unless the back pair is of kings.
Pai Gow expert Stanford Wong has been
quoted as saying that being dealer/banker as often as possible
has the most significant impact on a winning strategy. Now this
is all very well when you're at your local casino,
but not too helpful online, since few internet casinos
allow you to be the dealer/banker. But there are still
a number of handy tips on hand selection that will help your
dollar go a lot further.
Set out below are optimum hand selections based on cards dealt.
For simplicity's sake, we have called any pair of 2's through
6's a "low pair", 7's through J's a "medium pair",
and Q's through A's a "high pair".
| Your hand |
5-card
hand selection |
2-card
hand |
| No Pair: |
the highest
card |
next two
highest cards |
| One pair: |
the pair |
next two
highest cards |
| Two Pair: |
|
|
| Pair of A's and any other
Pair: |
high pair |
other
pair |
| Two High
Pair: |
best
pair |
other
pair |
| High Pair and Medium
Pair |
high pair
|
medium
pair |
| High Pair and Low Pair
with A or K |
both pair
|
A or K |
| High Pair & Low pair
w/out A or K |
highest
pair |
low pair
|
| Two Medium Pair with
A or K |
both pair |
A or K |
| Two Medium Pair without
A or K |
best pair |
other
pair |
| Medium Pair & Low
Pair with A or K |
both pair |
A or K |
| Medium Pair & Low
Pair w/out A or K |
medium
pair |
low pair
|
| Two Low Pair with A or
K |
both pair |
A or K |
| Two Low Pair without
A or K |
best pair |
other
pair |
| Three Pair: |
second
and third highest pair |
highest
pair |
| Three of a kind: |
|
|
| Three A's |
pair of
A's |
A and
next highest card |
| All others |
three
of a kind |
two highest
remaining cards |
| Three of a twice: |
lower
three of a kind |
highest
pair |
| Full House: |
|
|
| With two pairs |
full house
with low pair |
highest
pair |
| Pair is 2's with A or
K |
full house |
A or K |
| All others |
three
of a kind |
the pair
|
| Straight, flush &
Royal Flush: |
|
|
| With no pair |
lowest
full hand |
two highest
cards |
| With one or two Pair |
lowest
full hand |
2 highest
cards, pair or o/wise |
| With Three of a Kind |
full hand |
pair |
| With Full House |
three
of a kind |
pair |
| With Three of a Kind
twice |
lower
three |
highest
two |
| Four of a kind: |
|
|
| With Three
of a Kind |
four
of a kind |
pair
from the three of a kind |
| With a Pair |
four of
a kind |
pair |
| Four A's |
pair of
A's |
pair of
A's |
| J's through K's with
an A |
four of
a kind |
the A
|
| J's through K's without
an A |
one pair
from the four |
the other
pair |
| 7's through 10's with
A or K |
four of
a kind |
A or K |
| 7's through 10's without
A or K |
one pair
from the four |
the other
pair |
| 2's through 6's |
four of
a kind |
highest
remaining two |
Where to play Pai Gow Poker:
|
TOP 7 Casinos 
