Pai Gow Strategy
The odds
We could quote the straight probabilities of drawing different back and
front hands, but that`s not particularly meaningful. Since Pai Gow is
a game of skill the odds are difficult to pin down. Suffice it to say
that if you follow an optimal playing strategy you`re going to win about
3-in-10 hands, lose about the same, and push about 4-in-10.
Assuming an optimum play strategy, the largest play advantage is to the dealer/banker
because copies go to them. In fact, noted 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. The appeal of multi-player
games is clear.
Strategy
Now the complexity of Pai Gow really shows. For the sake of discussion,
lets call 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". To avoid confusion we`ll
call the two-card hand the "front" hand and the five-card the "back" hand.
No Pair:
- Back hand:
the highest card; Front hand: the next two highest cards.
One pair:
- Back:
the pair; Front: next two highest cards.
Two Pair:
- Pair of
A`s and any other Pair: Back: high pair; Front: other pair.
- Two High
Pair: Back: best pair; Front: other pair.
- High Pair
and Medium Pair: Back: high pair; Front: medium pair.
- High Pair
and Low Pair with A or K: Back: both pair; Front: A or K.
- High Pair
and Low pair without A or K: Back: highest pair; Front: low pair.
- Two Medium
Pair with A or K: Back: both pair; Front: A or K.
- Two Medium
Pair without A or K: Back: best pair; Front: other pair.
- Medium
Pair and Low Pair with A or K: Back: both pair; Front: A or K.
- Medium
Pair and Low Pair without A or K: Back: medium pair; Front: low pair.
- Two Low
Pair with A or K: Back: both pair; Front: A or K.
- Two Low
Pair without A or K: Back: best pair; Front other pair.
Three Pair:
- Back:
second and third highest pair; Front: highest pair.
Three of
a Kind:
- Three
A`s: Back: pair of A`s; Front: A and next highest card.
- All others:
Back: three of a kind; Front: two highest remaining cards.
Three of
a Kind twice:
- Back:
lower three of a kind; Front: highest pair.
Full House:
- With second
Three of a kind: play the highest pair to Front hand.
- With second
Pair: Back: full house with low pair; Front: highest pair.
- Pair is
2`s with A or K: Back: full house; Front: A or K.
- All others:
Back: three of a kind; Front: the pair.
Straights,
Flushes, Straight Flushes and Royal Flush:
- With no
pair: Back: lowest full hand; Front: two highest cards.
- With one
or two Pair: Back: lowest full hand; Front: two highest cards, pair
or otherwise.
- With Three
of a Kind: Back: full hand; Front: pair.
- With Full
House: Back: three of a kind; Front: pair.
- With Three
of a Kind twice: Back: lower three; Front: highest two.
Four of a
Kind:
- With Three
of a Kind: Back: four of a kind; Front: pair from the tree of a kind.
- With a
Pair: Back: four of a kind; Front: pair.
- Four A`s:
Back: pair of A`s; Front: pair of A`s.
- J`s through
K`s with an A: Back: four of a kind; Front: the A.
- J`s through
K`s without an A: Back: one pair from the four; Front: the other pair.
- 7`s through
10`s with A or K: Back: four of a kind; Front: A or K.
- 7`s through
10`s without A or K: Back: one pair from the four; front: the other
pair.
- 2`s through
6`s: Back: four of a kind; front: highest remaining two.
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