How to Play Pai Gow Poker – A Step-by-Step Guide
Pai Gow Poker is a chill, card-based remix of a traditional Chinese domino game that dates back centuries. It’s a slower-paced, strategic table game rooted in patience and balance. You should be familiar with poker hands to play, and you’ll appreciate the low volatility and steady, even-money payouts that reward careful hand-setting over risky bets.
As Confucius probably didn’t say, “He who splits wisely, pushes often.” But he should have said it, and we’ll show you why.
Let’s walk through how Pai Gow Poker works, the rules you’ll need to know, and the strategies that can help you make smarter decisions.
What are the rules of Pai Gow Poker?
Pai Gow Poker plays differently from most other card games. You’re not racing to build the strongest single hand; you’re splitting one hand into two and trying to beat the banker in both.
The game uses a 52-card deck plus one joker. The joker can help complete a straight or flush, but otherwise, it counts as a plain old ace.
You’re dealt seven cards and must divide them into a five-card high hand and a two-card low hand.
Now, this is key: Your high hand must beat your low hand, or the dealer won’t even bother comparing. That’s an automatic loss.
According to Pai Gow Poker rules, if both your hands beat the banker, you win. If both hands lose, you lose. If just one hand wins, that’s considered a push.
Pushes happen a lot in Pai Gow Poker, which keeps the game’s volatility low and your bankroll from going through mood swings.
Payouts
Each winning hand pays 1:1, and most casinos apply a 5% commission to your wager. Some also offer optional side bets with bonus payouts based on the strength of your hand.
Before you build a healthy stack of payout cash, be sure to deposit with your chosen crypto and enjoy Pai Gow poker as crypto gaming. Your deposit is processed faster and is guaranteed to go through, and you still view your balance in familiar USD.
Pai Gow Poker Step-By-Step
Admittedly, Pai Gow poker is a tad more complex than other card games, but only because you’re arranging two hands. Once you set them correctly, the rest of the round is straightforward. There are no extra betting rounds or decisions to worry about, like three-card poker or teen patti.
Here’s the play-by-play:
- Place an Ante Bet: Before any cards hit the table, you need to place your ante bet. This is your main wager for the round.
- Receive a 7-card Hand: You receive 7 cards face down for your hand, and so does the banker.
- Rearrange Your Cards: Now comes the heart of the game. According to Pai Gow rules, you must split your seven cards into two hands: one five-card “high” hand and one two-card “low” hand. The high hand must always outrank the low hand.
Try your best to arrange them in a way that outranks each other and where both can outrank the dealer’s.
- Compare Player Vs. Dealer’s Hand: When you’re happy with your two hands, it’s time to face the dealer. If both of your hands beat the dealer’s, you win. If both lose, you lose. If each side wins one, it’s a push, and your bet is returned.
Hand Rankings In Pai Gow Poker
For starters, you might be thinking, what in the world can I do with just two cards in a poker hand? Fair question. In Pai Gow Poker, your two-card hand can only be a pair or high cards. It’s the five-card hand that does the heavy lifting, as long as it outranks the low hand.
The following table shows the ranking system according to the Pai Gow poker rules.
| Hand | Description |
| Five of a Kind | 4 aces plus the joker |
| Royal Flush | A, K, Q, J, 10 of the same suit |
| Straight Flush | Five cards in sequence, same suit |
| Four of a Kind | Four cards of the same rank |
| Full House | Three of a kind + a pair |
| Flush | Five cards of the same suit |
| Straight | Five cards in sequence, any suits |
| Three of a Kind | Three cards of the same rank |
| Two Pair | Two pairs of different ranks |
| One Pair | One pair (2 cards) of same rank |
| High Card | No pair; highest card plays |
Pai Gow Poker Probabilities
Pai Gow Poker has one of the most balanced probability spreads in the casino. Because you play two hands per round and pushes are so common, the game’s volatility stays low, which is great if you’re already a fan of low-volatility games.
In fact, pushes occur in roughly 40% of hands, meaning your bankroll sticks around longer. The odds of winning[1] both hands sit around 29%, while losing both comes in slightly higher at 30%.
Most of the time, your hand in Pai Gow Poker will be pretty modest. Around 80.8% [2] of all hands don’t qualify for any bonus payout, which explains why so many rounds feel calm and uneventful.
You’ll see a straight only about 6.6% of the time and a flush just 3.6%. As for the dream hands, like a natural royal flush plus a pair of aces, those are basically unicorns, showing up just 0.000008% of the time.
Is there a strategy for Pai Gow poker?
Absolutely, and it’s the key to figuring out how to play Pai Gow Poker and win more often (or at least avoid unnecessary losses). Since there are no betting rounds, all your decisions come down to how you split your hand. Here’s what to keep in mind.
Use The Joker Wisely
The joker only acts as a wild card in straights or flushes. Otherwise, it’s just an ace. Use it to complete bigger hands in your five-card group whenever possible. Don’t waste it on a weak two-card hand.
Put Higher Pairs In Your High Hand
If you’re dealt two pairs, keep the higher pair in your five-card high hand and move the lower pair to your two-card low hand, but only if doing so doesn’t break stronger combinations like a full house or straight.
Don’t Force a Win, Play for the Push
In borderline hands, settling for a push is often smarter than chasing a risky win. If you can’t clearly beat both of the dealer’s hands, focus on splitting your cards in a way that avoids a loss. In Pai Gow, breaking even beats losing.
Ask The Dealer If You’re Unsure
If you’re playing Pai Gow poker in a land casino, most casinos allow dealers to assist if you don’t know how to set your hand. They’ll use the “house way,” which is a conservative strategy designed to reduce losses.
Can I play Pai Gow poker online?
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Pai Gow Poker is a unique twist on traditional poker that leaves ample room for strategy. Thanks to frequent pushes and steady 1:1 payouts, the volatility is low enough to kick back and enjoy the game stress-free. Try it at Cafe Casino to split your hands and Pai-wow with your winnings.
