• NO PAIR: Use the highest card in the high hand then use second and third highest cards in the low hand.
• ONE PAIR: Use the pair in the high hand and the next highest cards for the low hand.
• TWO PAIRS: When splitting, always play the lowest pair in the low hand.

  Low Pair = 2’s through 6’s
  Medium Pair = 7’s through 10’s
  High Pair = Jacks through Kings

  a) Low with Low/Medium: Split unless holding a King/Queen or King/Jack or better, then play two pairs in high hand.
  b) Low with High: Split unless holding an Ace, then play two pairs in high hand.
  c) Medium with Medium: Split unless holding an Ace, then play two pairs in high hand.
  d) High with Medium/High: Always split.
  e) Aces with any Pair: Always split.

• THREE PAIRS: Use the highest pair for the low hand.
• THREE OF A KIND: Always play in high hand. Exception: Split three aces, leaving a pair of aces in the high hand.
• (TWO) THREE OF A KIND: Split the highest three of a kind to use in the low hand. RULES OF PLAY
• STRAIGHT, FLUSH, STRAIGHT FLUSH, ROYAL FLUSH: With No Pair: Keep as high hand.

  Given a choice to play a Straight, Flush or Straight Flush, play whichever high hand will allow the highest cards in the low hand.

  Exceptions:
  a) Having a five-card Straight or Straight Flush, which is Ace high and includes a Joker, play two Aces (Ace and Joker) in the high hand with the next highest cards in the low hand.
  b) Exception: In the case of a six or seven card Straight or Straight Flush, which is Ace high and includes a Joker, then play the lower Straight (9 through King or 8 through Queen) in the high hand with the Ace, King or Ace, other card in the low hand.

  With One Pair: Play pair in low hand if a Straight, Flush or Straight Flush can be preserved in high hand. If not, play the same as No Pair.

  Exceptions:
  a) With an Ace (or Joker) and a pair of 10’s through Kings, play Ace (or Joker) in low hand and the pair in the high hand.

  With Two Pairs: Use “Two Pairs” rule.

  With Three Pairs: Use “Three Pairs” rule.

  With Three of a Kind: Split the Three of a Kind, giving a pair in the low hand and maintaining the Flush or Straight in the high hand.

  With Full House: Use “Full House” rule.

• FULL HOUSE: In virtually all cases a Full House plus two odd cards are split, with the pair in the low hand. Exception: With a Full House where the pair is 2’s and the odd cards are an Ace and a King, then play the Ace, King in the low hand maintaining the Full House in the high hand. Exceptions:
  With a Full House and a Pair, play the highest Pair in the low hand.

• FOUR OF A KIND (with three odd cards): 2, 3, 4, 5, 6’s never split, keep in high hand;
  7, 8, 9, 10’s split, unless there is an Ace to play in low hand;
  J, Q, K, A’s always split.

• FOUR OF A KIND (with pair): Play four of a kind in high hand and the pair in low hand.
• FOUR OF A KIND (with three of a kind): Play four of a kind in high hand and a pair (from three of a kind) in low hand. Exception: Split four Aces unless the three of a kind is Kings.
• FIVE ACES: Split and play two Aces in low hand. Exception: With five Aces and two Kings, play the Kings in low hand.

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.

House Way for... Bally's (Atlantic City) Claridge (Atlantic City) Flamingo Hilton (Las Vegas) Trump Plaza (Atlantic City) Golden Nugget (Las Vegas) Texas Station (Las Vegas) Four Queens (Las Vegas) Canterbury Park (Minnesota) British Columbia (Canada)