pai gow poker

The main Pai Gow strategy is to present the optimal front and rear hands given four tiles dealt to the player. There are practically three ways of arranging four tiles into two hands. For instance, consider the four tiles at right. If tile A were made into a hand with tile B both resulting hands would score 0. However if tile A were paired with tile C, both hands would score 5. Or if tile A were paired with tile D, the front hand would score 3 and the rear one - 7. The player must decide which hand combination is most likely to beat both of the dealers' hands, or at least to break a tie.

The most important factor in improving your odds in pai gow poker is the ratio of how much is bet when you are the banker to as a player. The greater the ratio the better your odds are. The second most important factor of course is how well you arrange your cards.

• In case you have no pairs just use the highest card in the back and second and third highest in front. This approach brings the best results usually.
• In case you have one pair in the beginning just place it in back and the other two highest cards in front.
• There are 3 variants when you have 2 pair:
  1) If your big pair is Jack through Ace then place the small pair in front.
  2) If your big pair is 7's thru 10's then you better place both pairs in back if you can put Ace in front.
  3) If your big pair is 2's thru 6's then place both pairs in back if you can put King in front. If not then split
• In case you have 3 pair you always put the biggest one in front !
• You have 3 of a kind? If they are Aces then just place an Ace and the next highest card in front. If the 3 cards are not aces then place them in back and the two highest cards among the others - in front.
• If you have 2 sets then place 2 cards from the higher set in front.
• If you have a straight or flush with no pair or one pair then place two highest cards in front that leave a complete hand in back.
• Use the 2 pair strategy if you have a straight or flush with 2 pairs.
• For straight or flash with 3 of a kind placing the complete hand in back and the pair in front brings the best results most often.
• When you have a FULL HOUSE put the pair in front!

FOUR OF A KIND:

• Jacks thru Aces: Always split.
• 7's thru 10's: Place four of a kind in back if you can put Ace or King in front; otherwise split
• 6's or Below: Never split.