What is Pai Gow?🕵️‍♀️

How Are Hands Set in Pai Gow?👐

The hands in Pai Gow are essentially classified into two: the player’s and the dealer’s. Both classifications may be useful to you, so let’s see how each works.

Player’s Hands

The basic rule at the Pai Gow table is that the seven cards dealt to a player are to be shared between both hands in the ratio of 5:2. It’s advisable to do this wisely since this is where the game is won or lost. Note your five-card draw must be higher than what you have on the other hand. Suppose any hands hold more or less than the specified card number or the two-card hand has a higher value than the five-card hand. The hand is penalized and reported to the Pit Manager, who’s responsible for deciding on the hand.

When setting your cards, the two-card hand just be downward facing in the Second Highest tile, which is at right angles to the High Hand tile, while the five-card hand must repeat the trick in the High Hand tile. Remember to be careful because you’re not allowed to touch your cards after you’re done with the setting. All leftovers must be above the table where the banker can see them.

House Hand

The house hand is the standard way for the dealer to set their hands. They are not allowed to switch things up under any circumstances. To set, the banker set their hands alongside the Bankroll Rack from left to right in falling value order. The two-hand is placed parallel to the rack and above the five-hand, about one inch from the rack’s edge. Both hands align with the Bankroll Rack’s left edge when done correctly.

The following are simple rules to remember when you opt for the house way when setting hands in Pai Gow.

• Zero Pair | Keep the second and third-highest cards upfront.
• One Pair | Keep the highest two cards upfront and the pair in the back.
• Three Pairs | Place the most-valuable pair up front.
• Full House | Push the highest allowed pair to the front.
• Joker in a Flush | Joker serves as the ace, but when there’s an Ace, the Joker ranks as the second-highest card.
• Three Aces With a Joker | Tender the Flush or Straight if the table allows you to use a Joker for the purpose.

1. No Pair, Flush, or Straight

   Collect the most valuable card in your five-card hand (or the high hand) and the next two-highest in the two-card hand (or the low card hand).

2. Two Pair

   The moves to make differ on the cards when you have two pairs. When Aces make up the top pair, always split the pair. However, if the other pair contains deuces, tender the pair together and keep the next two highest cards in the two-hand. Note the following two-paie strategies:

   – Sixes and Below | Split except when you have an Ace, which will see you play the pair and the Ace while you keep the next highest in the low hand.

   – Sevens thru Tens | Split except if you have an Ace, in which case you’ll have to play together with the pair and keep the next most-valuable card in the low hand (again).

   – Jacks thru Aces | Split and keep the most-valuable pair in the five-card hand.

3. Three Pair

   Keep the highest of the pairs in the two-card hand. Suppose you have Three of a Kind, keep all cards together unless if they are Aces. If so, gather a pair of Aces in the five-card hand and the third Ace with the next most-valuable card in the low hand.

4. Full House

   Split every time, keeping the pair in the two-hand, except if there’s another pair, in which case, you’ll have to play the highest pair in the two-hand.

5. Flushes and Straights

   Collect the flush or straight in the five-card hand, keeping the highest card in the other hand. However, the rules may change when you have two pairs, as this is best played using the two-pair rules earlier mentioned. Note Flushes and Straights are preferably collected together in the larger hand except when there’s a pair of tens or better. When you hold a pair of tens in your high hand and also have an AK or better in the low hand, it’s advisable to split up a flush or straight.

6. Four of a Kind

   – Sixes or Lower | Keep cards together.

   – Sevens thru Tens | Split up except if there’s a better or an Ace in the two-card hand.

   – Face Cards (Aces, Kings, Queens, or Jacks) | Split every time, except if there’s another pair to keep in your two hand.

7. Five Aces

   Split up except if you have a pair of kings which you can tender in the low hand.