Pai Gow Poker Strategy

Updated: October 9, 2026

Pai Gow Poker is one of the slowest games in the casino. Once you learn how to play, it is a fun way to pass the time while you gamble.

Pai Gow Poker resembles craps. Players tend to win or lose together.

Why?

It's because the players all play against one dealer hand.

When players win or lose together it can lead to a feeling of camaraderie at the table.

Advantages of Playing Pai Gow Poker

The two biggest advantages offered by Pai Gow Poker?

1. The low house edge.
2. The slow pace of play.

Several hands result in pushes. The actual number of winning or losing hands per night is small. Your bankroll insists on longevity. You see more profitable sessions.

Numerous casino games offer a better house edge, but many of them involve many more hands or spins per game, so you can end up losing significantly more per hour at a game with a lower house edge than at a slow game like Pai Gow Poker. The games require strategic thinking.

Here's an example:

You are playing a video poker game with a house edge of 0.5% (one half of one percent). You bet $5 per hand and play 400 hands per period. Small wins accumulate slowly.

Your expected loss rate is $10 per hour.

The typical house edge in Pai Gow Poker is about 2.5%, and nearly 40% of hands end in a stalemate. If there are 30 hands per hour, only 18 of those hands will result in a win or a loss. Consider changing your tactics from time to time.

If you bet $10 per hand, your expected loss rate is only $4.50 per hour, even though you are betting twice as much per hand as per spin.

It's also easy to learn a fairly solid basic strategy.

Pai Gow Poker Basic Strategy

Your goal is to make the best two-card hand you can legally play. The exception is when you can make a high five card hand that is unlikely to lose, such as a straight or flush.

But with a full house, use the three of a kind in the five card hand and the other pair in the two card hand.

A single ace or king is a valuable card to have in a two card hand because it will often win. So a strong hand can be maintained in the five card hand if you can also play an ace or king in the two card hand.

Here are some example hands and the right strategy for each:

Seven Card Hand	Five Card Hand	Two Card Hand
Ah Ad Kc Ks 7h 6d 3c	Ah Ad 7h 6d 3c	Kc Ks
Ah Ad Ac Ks 4d 3s 2h	Ah Ad 4d 3s 2h	Ac Ks
Ad 9s 8c 7h 6d 5d 2h	9s 8c 7h 6d 5d	Ad 2h
7d 7s 7c 6h 6c 3d 2s	7d 7s 7c 3d 2s	6h 6c
Ac Qs 8d 7c 5h 2s 2d	2s 2d 8d 7c 5h	Ac Qs

 

Since you have to win both hands to win, or lose both hands to lose, your goal is to create as close to a sure thing as possible in at least one hand, and take my chances with the other hand.

Of course, the five-card hand must be higher than the two-card hand according to the rules of the game. The more you play, the more instinctive your play will become.

You can take the time to memorize a more advanced strategy, but the extra percentage you gain will be minimal. It may not be worth the effort.

All of this may sound complicated, but once you start playing, it will not take you long to figure out the best way to play almost any hand. Within an hour, you should be able to play solid Pai Gow Poker without worrying about making too many mistakes.

If you are convinced that you need to learn an advanced strategy, I have included a sample house way in the next section. Learn it and you will be playing your hand the way most casinos have their dealers play their hands.

The House Way

Every casino plays or sets their Pai Gow Poker hands a certain way. This way can vary, but it is very close with only minor changes. If you do not care for any of the basic strategies listed above, you can play your hands the house way listed below.

Simply read down the instructions until you find your hand.

If you have five Aces, always play two of the Aces in the two card hand, unless you have a pair of Kings to go with the five Aces. In this case, play the two kings in the two card hand.

If you have four of a kind and a pair or three of a kind, you play the four of a kind in the five card hand and the pair or two of the three of a kind in the two card hand, unless you have four aces. If you have four Aces, you play two of them in the two-card hand, unless you also have a pair of Kings. Then you play the pair of kings in the two card hand.

If you have four of a kind of aces or face cards, you always play a pair of them in a two-card hand. If your four of a kind are sevens, eights, nines or tens, you play a pair of them in the two card hand, unless you can play an ace in the two card hand. Then play the ace with the next highest unpaired card in the two-card hand. If the four of a kind are twos, threes, fours, fives or sixes, you always leave all four cards in the five card hand.

If you have a full house with two three of a kind, play the pair of the highest three of a kind in your two card hand. If you have three of a kind and two pair, you play the highest pair in your two-card hand. If you have three of a kind and a pair, you play the pair in the two-card hand, unless the pair is a pair of twos and you have an ace and a king. In this case, you play the ace and king in the two card hand.

If you have a straight or flush with three of a kind, you are playing a pair in your two card hand.

If you have a three-pair straight or flush, always play the highest pair in your two-card hand.

When you have a straight or flush with two pair use the two pair rule listed below.

If you have a straight or flush with a pair, play the pair in the two-card hand if the straight or flush can still be played in the five-card hand. If you have an Ace and a pair of tens or better, play the Ace in the two-card hand and the pair in the five-card hand unless the flush or straight can still be played in the five-card hand with the Ace in the two-card hand.

If you have any straight or flush without a pair, play the arrangement that allows you to play the highest two cards in the two-card hand while still playing the flush or straight in the five-card hand.

If you hold two three of a kinds play the highest possible pair in the two card hand.

If you have three of a kind, keep the three of a kind in your five card hand and play your other two highest cards in your two card hand, unless the three of a kind is an Ace. Then play one of the Aces in the two card hand.

If you have three pairs always play the highest pair in the two card hand.

If you have two pairs of Jacks, Queens, Kings or Aces, you always place the second highest pair in your two-card hand. If you have a pair of Aces and any other pair, you place the second highest pair in your two-card hand. If you have two pair, one of which is a jack or higher and one of which is a pair of sevens or tens, you always use the lower pair in your two-card hand. If you have two pair that are sevens through tens, you play the second highest pair in your two-card hand, unless you also have an ace. Then you play the ace in your two card hand. If you have a pair of Jacks or higher and a pair of Sixes or lower, play the lower pair in the two-card hand unless you have an Ace. Then you play the ace in the two card hand. If you have a pair between sevens and tens and a pair of sixes or lower, play the lowest pair in the two-card hand unless you have an ace. Then you play the ace in the two card hand. If you have two pair of sixes or lower, play them both in a five card hand.

If you have a pair, play it in the five card hand and use your other two highest cards in the two card hand.

If you have no pairs, use the highest card in your five-card hand and the second and third highest cards in your two-card hand.

Conclusion

Using either of the two strategies listed above to play pai gow poker will give you one of the lowest house edges that you can get. If you look at both strategies, you can see that the simple strategy is very close to the house way. My suggestion is to use the one that is easiest for you to learn and spend the rest of your time enjoying the game.