How do you play Pai Gow Poker?

You receive seven cards and must split them into a five-card high hand and a two-card low hand. Both hands must beat the dealer's corresponding hands to win. If you win one hand and lose one, it is a push (tie). The five-card hand must always rank higher than the two-card hand.

What is the house edge in Pai Gow Poker?

The house edge in Pai Gow Poker is approximately 2.5–2.7% with optimal setting strategy, plus a 5% commission on winning bets. The high frequency of pushes (around 41% of hands) results in slow action and extended play time, which many players find enjoyable.

Can I bank in Pai Gow Poker?

In some land-based and online casinos, players can take the Banker role for one hand, winning the 5% commission from other players. The Banker wins all copies (tied hands), giving a small edge. Online versions sometimes offer a Co-Banker option splitting the role with the house.

What is the Joker used for in Pai Gow Poker?

The standard 52-card deck is supplemented by one Joker, which acts as a semi-wild card: it can complete a Straight, Flush, Straight Flush or Royal Flush, or act as an Ace in any other situation.

What is the best way to set a Pai Gow Poker hand?

The standard strategy (the House Way) aims to maximise the low hand while keeping the high hand as strong as possible. With pairs, place the stronger pair in the five-card hand and use the remaining cards to build the strongest possible two-card hand.

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Quick Summary: Pai Gow Poker is one of the slowest and most relaxed table games in the casino — roughly 41% of hands result in a push (tie), meaning you win nothing but lose nothing. This makes it ideal for players who want extended playtime from a limited budget. The house edge is approximately 2.5% with good strategy.

How to Play Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow Poker is an Americanised version of the Chinese domino game Pai Gow, designed by Sam Torosian in the 1980s and adapted to use standard playing cards with poker hand rankings. It is played with a standard 52-card deck plus one Joker.

A round proceeds as follows:

Place your bet.
Seven cards are dealt to you and to the dealer.
Set your hand: split your seven cards into a five-card "High Hand" and a two-card "Low Hand." The five-card hand must rank higher than the two-card hand using standard poker rankings (with one exception: A-2-3-4-5 is the second-highest Straight).
The dealer sets their hand according to the House Way (a fixed set of rules).
Comparison: your five-card hand vs. dealer's five-card hand; your two-card hand vs. dealer's two-card hand.
- Win both: you win (minus 5% commission).
- Lose both: you lose.
- Win one, lose one: Push (no money changes hands).
- Exact tie (a "copy"): dealer wins.

The Joker

The Joker is a semi-wild card. It can:

Complete a Straight, Flush, Straight Flush or Royal Flush.
Act as an Ace in any other situation.

It cannot be used as a fully wild card (e.g., to complete a pair of Kings). This matters most when you are setting a hand with the Joker — recognise whether the Joker helps your high hand, your low hand, or both.

Hand-Setting Strategy

The key decision in Pai Gow Poker is how to split your seven cards. There is a mathematically optimal way (the House Way) which you can copy or use as a reference:

No pair: put the highest card in the high hand, second and third highest in the low hand.
One pair: pair goes in the high hand; best remaining two cards in the low hand.
Two pair: generally split the pairs (one in high, one in low), unless you have an Ace pair — keep both pairs in the high hand and play the Ace in the low if possible.
Three pair: highest pair always goes in the low hand.
Three of a Kind: keep it in the high hand; play best two singles in the low hand. Exception: Aces — split the Aces, keeping a pair in high and one Ace in low.
Full House: generally split (pair in low, three of a kind in high), unless you have a second pair to play in low.
Four of a Kind: split if the quad is 7s or higher; keep together if 6s or lower.

Fortune Bonus Side Bet

The Fortune Bonus is a popular Pai Gow Poker side bet that pays based on your seven-card hand containing strong poker hands (regardless of how you set them). A Four of a Kind typically pays 25:1; Five Aces (four Aces plus the Joker) can pay up to 400:1. The house edge on the Fortune Bonus varies by casino but is typically 7–8%. Place it only for entertainment value, not as a core strategy.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Pai Gow Poker: Hand Rankings and Rules

Hand	Ranks as	Notes
Five aces	Highest possible	Four aces + joker
Royal flush	Second	A-K-Q-J-10 suited
Straight flush	Third	Five consecutive suited
Four of a kind	Fourth	Standard poker rules apply

In Pai Gow Poker you receive 7 cards and split them into a 5-card "high hand" and a 2-card "low hand". Beat the dealer in both to win; ties (copies) go to the dealer.

House Edge and Strategy

Playing style	House edge	Notes
Optimal strategy	~2.5%	Includes 5% commission on wins
House-way (let dealer set)	~2.7%	Slightly worse
Fortune Pai Gow side bet	7–13%	Avoid for value players

Receive seven cards and split them into a five-card high hand and a two-card low hand. Both must beat the dealer's corresponding hands to win; winning one and losing one is a push.

Approximately 2.5–2.7% with optimal setting strategy, plus 5% commission on winning bets. Around 41% of hands result in a push, extending play time considerably.

In some casinos, yes. The Banker wins all copies and collects commission from other players, providing a small edge. Online versions sometimes offer a Co-Banker option splitting the role with the house.

The Joker completes Straights, Flushes, Straight Flushes or Royal Flushes. Otherwise it acts as an Ace. It is not fully wild.

Follow the House Way principles: maximise your low hand without weakening your high hand below what is necessary. With two pairs, generally split them; with a full house, split the pair into the low hand.