Paigow Play Paigow Poker Online

PAI GOW

Paigow is played with a standard deck, plus one wild card (ie 53 cards). The game begins with the player placing a bet. Both the dealer and player (s) are then dealt 7 cards...the dealers are face down, the player's are face up.

The player must then split their 7 card hand into 2 hands as follows:

one hand of 5 cards, called "the highest hand", and
one hand of 2 cards called "the second highest hand"

The highest hand must always rank higher (in poker terms) than the second highest hand. So if the 7 card hand contains a pair, it must remain in the highest hand; if there are two pair the highest pair must remain in the highest hand, and so on.

In order to win your bet you must beat both the dealers highest and second highest hand. In this case, you receive "even money" on your bet (i.e. 1 to 1), less a bank 5% commission. If you win only one of the hands, there is a standoff. If you lose both hands you lose your bet.

Some other rules to note:

The wild card, or joker, may be used only as a single ace; or to complete a flush, straight, or a straight flush.
When the player and the dealer compare hands that have the same rank, that hand is referred to as a "copy hand." Unlike in blackjack, where a copy hand results in a push; the dealer wins the copy hand in Pai Gow

Pai Gow Hand Ranking

1: 5 Aces
2: Royal Flush
3: Straight Flush
4: 4 of a kind
5: Full House
6: Flush
7: Straight
8: 3 of a kind
9: 2 pairs
10:1 pair
11: High card

The only difference between the system of ranking hands in Pai Gow poker and in other poker games is that A-K-Q-J-10 ranks as the highest straight, A-2-3-4-5 ranks as the second highest straight, followed by K-Q-J-10-9.

That's enough to get you started. Play for free for a while and you should soon get the idea.

Good luck!

Paigow strategy

Here 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	the 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 Kind 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