• No pair: Place the second and third highest cards in the front.

• One pair: Place the two highest singletons in the front.

• Two pair: Use the following groups to determine how to play a two pair:

  2 through 6: Low pair
  7 through 10: Medium pairs
  Jack through king: High pairs

  • Low pair and low pair or low pair and medium pair: Split pairs unless holding a king singleton or better.
  • Low pair and high pair or medium pair and medium pair: Split pairs unless holding an ace singleton.
  • Medium pair and high pair or high pair and high pair: Always split.
  • Pair of aces and any other pair: Always split.

• Three pair: Play highest pair in front.

• Three of a kind: Play three of a kind in back unless they are aces, then play a pair of aces in back and one ace in front.

• Three of a kind twice: Play a pair from the higher three of a kind in front.

• Straights, flushes, straight flushes, and royal flush:
  • With no pair or one pair: Play the highest hand possible in front while maintaining at least a straight in the back.
  • With two pair: Use two pair rule.
  • With three pair: Use three pair rule.
  • With three of a kind: Play pair in front.
  • With full house: Use full house rule.

• Full house: Play pair in front.

• Full house with three of a kind and two pairs: Play the highest pair in front.

• Four of a kind: Play according to the rank of the four of a kind:

  2 through 6: Always keep together.
  7 through 10: Split unless an ace can be played in front.
  Jack through ace: Always split.

• Four of a kind and a pair: Play pair in front.

• Four of a kind and three of a kind: Play pair in front from the three of a kind.

• Five aces: Play pair of aces in front unless a pair of kings can be played in front.

My Pai Gow Poker coverage Rules, strategy, & house edge Dealer Probabilities: Shows the probability the dealer will form any given hand or less. Useful for making accurate strategy decisions. When to split a two-pair: My advice on when to split a two pair. Side Bets: Analysis of variouis side bets such as Fortune, Jackpot, and Emperor's Challenge. No Push Pai Gow Poker: My analysis of this PGP variant. Pai Gow Mania: My analysis. Washington State pai gow poker: In Washington often there is no commission charged if the player makes the Fortune bet. I address this rule variant in my "Ask the Wizard" column. Play now. Play my simple, free Pai Gow Poker game done in Java.

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