Pai Gow Poker Guide

How to Play Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow Poker is the most strategic casino table game — you receive 7 cards and must split them into two hands to beat the dealer. This guide covers every rule you need: the split, hand rankings, the Joker, Fortune Bonus, Banking Mode and expert strategy.

🃏 Complete Rules 8 min read Updated May 2026

The Basics

What is the Goal of Pai Gow Poker?

Pai Gow Poker is played with a standard 52-card deck plus one Joker. Each player receives 7 cards and must arrange them into exactly two hands:

  • A 5-card High Hand — ranked like standard poker hands
  • A 2-card Low Hand — only a Pair or High Card counts

Both your hands are compared against the dealer's corresponding hands. To win you must beat the dealer on both hands. Win one and lose one — you Push (no money changes hands). Lose both — the dealer wins your bet.

🏆
WIN
Both your High and Low hands beat the dealer. You win 1:1 minus 5% commission.
🛡️
PUSH
You win one hand, lose the other. Bet is returned — no gain, no loss.
❌
LOSE
Dealer wins both hands. You lose your bet. Tied (copy) hands go to the dealer.
👑
Key fact: Pai Gow Poker has one of the lowest house edges in any casino (~2.7%) and a push rate of approximately 41%. This means you keep your money through more hands than almost any other game.

Core Mechanic

The 5-Card / 2-Card Split

The split is the heart of Pai Gow Poker. From your 7 cards, you choose 5 for the High Hand and 2 for the Low Hand. There is one absolute rule you must follow:

⚠️
The Foul Rule: Your High Hand (5 cards) must always rank higher than your Low Hand (2 cards). If you set your hands incorrectly — for example, placing a pair in the Low Hand while your High Hand has only high cards — your hand is Fouled and you automatically lose, regardless of the cards you hold.

The Low Hand only recognises two hand types: a Pair (two cards of the same rank) or High Card (the highest card wins). Straights and Flushes do not apply to the Low Hand.

5-Card Hand Rankings

Pai Gow Poker Hand Rankings

The High Hand uses standard poker hand rankings, with two Pai Gow-specific rules: Five Aces is the highest possible hand (four Aces + the Joker), and the Wheel (A-2-3-4-5) counts as the second-highest straight.

Five Aces
Fortune 1000×
4 Aces + Joker — unique to Pai Gow
Royal Flush
Fortune 200×
A-K-Q-J-10 same suit
Straight Flush
Fortune 50×
5 consecutive same-suit cards
Four of a Kind
Fortune 25×
4 cards of the same rank
Full House
Fortune 5×
3 of a Kind + a Pair
Flush
Fortune 4×
5 cards of the same suit
Straight
Fortune 2×
5 consecutive cards (any suit)
Three of a Kind
—
3 cards of the same rank
Two Pair
—
Two separate pairs
One Pair
—
Two cards of the same rank
High Card
—
Highest card wins if no combination
🃏
The Wheel (A-2-3-4-5): In Pai Gow Poker, A-2-3-4-5 is the second-highest straight, ranking just below A-K-Q-J-10 (Broadway). This differs from some poker variants where the Wheel is the lowest straight.

Special Card

How the Joker Works in Pai Gow Poker

The 53rd card in Pai Gow Poker is the Joker — a semi-wild card with specific rules. It is not a fully wild card like in some games; its use depends on context.

🃏 Completes a Straight
Wild
If the Joker fills a missing card in a Straight, it acts as that specific card.
🃏 Completes a Flush
Wild
If the Joker completes a Flush, it acts as the appropriate suit and rank.
🃏 All other situations
= Ace
When the Joker cannot complete a Straight or Flush, it always acts as an Ace.
✨
Five Aces: If you hold four natural Aces and the Joker, you have Five Aces — the highest possible hand in Pai Gow Poker, ranking above a Royal Flush. With the Fortune Bonus active, Five Aces pays 1,000×.

In the Low Hand (2-card hand), the Joker always acts as an Ace, since Straights and Flushes are not recognised in the Low Hand.

Bets & Payouts

Pai Gow Poker Payouts & House Edge

♠ Main Bet — WIN
1:1
Standard win. A 5% commission is deducted from your net profit. House edge ~2.7%.
🛡️ Main Bet — PUSH
0
Win one hand, lose one hand. Bet returned — no commission charged.
⚠️ Copy Hands
Dealer wins
When a hand is identical (a copy), the dealer wins that hand. This is a key source of house edge.

Payout Table

Pai Gow Poker payout table
Result Main Bet Commission Net
WIN both hands 1:1 5% of winnings +0.95× bet
PUSH one each Returned None 0
LOSE both hands Lost N/A −1× bet
Copy hand (tie) Dealer wins that hand N/A Counts as dealer win
💰
Commission example: You bet 100 coins and win both hands → you receive 195 coins (100 stake back + 95 winnings after 5% commission on the 100 profit). The commission is charged only on net wins, not on the returned stake.

Side Bet

Fortune Bonus Side Bet

The Fortune Bonus is an optional side bet placed before the deal. It pays based on the best 5-card poker hand achievable from your 7 cards — completely independent of whether you beat the dealer or not. You can win the Fortune Bonus on a losing main hand.

Fortune Bonus payout table
Hand Payout Side Bet Cost Example Win (5 coins)
👑 Five Aces 1,000× 5 coins 5,000 coins
✨ Royal Flush 200× 5 coins 1,000 coins
🌟 Straight Flush 50× 5 coins 250 coins
🎯 Four of a Kind 25× 5 coins 125 coins
🏠 Full House 5× 5 coins 25 coins
Flush 4× 5 coins 20 coins
Straight 2× 5 coins 10 coins
Less than Straight — 5 coins lost 0
⚠️
House edge on Fortune Bonus: The Fortune Bonus has a significantly higher house edge than the main bet. The thrill of a 1,000× payout comes at a cost. Treat it as entertainment rather than core strategy — and note that it pays even when you lose the main hand.

Advanced Feature

Banking Mode — Playing as the Banker

In Banking Mode, you act as the banker instead of the casino. This fundamentally changes the house edge.

🏦 Banking Advantage
~0%
No commission charged when banking. Copy (tied) hands are won by the banker — that's you.
💸 Pay Winning Hands
From bankroll
As banker, you pay out hands the dealer's algorithm wins. Net wins go to you commission-free.

When Banking Mode is active, the dealer's hand is set using the House Way (the casino's fixed optimal strategy). You then set your own hand as the banker. Copy hands — where both your hand and the player hand are identical — are won by the banker (you), which is the main source of the banker's advantage.

Banking Mode does not affect the Fortune Bonus side bet.

📊
Why bank? Standard Pai Gow Poker has a ~2.7% house edge due to the 5% commission and copy hands going to the dealer. Banking Mode eliminates the commission and reverses copy hands, bringing the house edge to approximately 0% for an experienced player who sets hands optimally.

Step by Step

How to Play Pai Gow Poker — Round by Round

1
Place Your Bet
Set your main bet amount. Optionally enable the Fortune Bonus side bet (+5 coins) and Banking Mode. Then press DEAL.
2
Receive Your 7 Cards
You are dealt 7 cards face up. The dealer's 7 cards are dealt face down. You now need to split your cards into two hands.
3
Set Your Hands
Tap or drag cards to assign them: exactly 5 cards to the High Hand and 2 cards to the Low Hand. Remember — the High Hand must rank higher than the Low Hand, or your hand is Fouled and automatically loses. Press ⚡ AUTO to let the game set the optimal split (House Way) for you.
4
Press SET HANDS
Once 5 + 2 cards are assigned correctly, press SET HANDS ♠ to lock in your split. The dealer's cards are revealed.
5
Resolve the Hand
Your High Hand is compared against the dealer's High Hand. Your Low Hand against the dealer's Low Hand. Win both = you win. Win one = Push. Lose both = you lose. Tied (copy) hands go to the dealer.
6
Collect or Double Up
Winning hands are paid 1:1 minus 5% commission. You may be offered a Double Up — risk your winnings on a single high-card draw for a 2× payout. Or press KEEP to secure your coins and start the next hand.

Optimal Strategy

The House Way — Optimal Hand Setting

The House Way is the standardised strategy casinos use to set their own Pai Gow hands. It defines the mathematically optimal split for every possible 7-card combination. Using ⚡ AUTO SET in Royal Pai Gow Poker applies the House Way automatically.

Pai Gow House Way key rules by hand type
Hand Type High Hand (5 cards) Low Hand (2 cards)
No Pair 5 highest cards 2nd and 3rd highest cards
One Pair Pair + 3 highest kickers 2 highest remaining cards
Two Pair (low pairs) Both pairs in High Hand Highest remaining 2 cards
Two Pair (one pair is high) Higher pair + kickers Lower pair
Three Pairs Two lower pairs + kicker Highest pair
Three of a Kind (not Aces) Three of a Kind + kickers 2 highest remaining cards
Three Aces A-A + 3 kickers A + highest remaining card
Full House Three of a Kind The Pair
Four of a Kind (7s–Ks) Two of the four cards + kickers Other two of the four cards
Four Aces All four Aces + kicker Best 2 remaining cards
Five Aces (4 Aces + Joker) Three Aces + Joker + kicker A-A
💡
You don't need to memorise this. Press ⚡ AUTO in Royal Pai Gow Poker and the game applies the House Way instantly. The Hint Bar also shows you the optimal split whenever you're manually setting cards.

Strategy Tips

Pai Gow Poker Strategy

Pai Gow Poker has one of the richest strategy layers of any casino table game. Unlike Baccarat or Slots, your hand-setting decisions directly affect your results.

1
Always use the House Way when learning
The House Way is mathematically optimal. When starting out, use ⚡ AUTO every hand. The house edge under House Way play is approximately 2.7%. Manual misplays increase that.
2
Maximise your Low Hand strength
Many beginners put all their strength into the High Hand. The Low Hand matters equally — if you lose the Low Hand your maximum result is a Push. Always try to put a Pair or at minimum A-K in the Low Hand when cards allow.
3
Split pairs wisely with Two Pair
With Two Pair, the decision whether to keep both pairs in the High Hand or split one to the Low Hand is crucial. Generally: split if one pair is Jacks or better (J-J, Q-Q, K-K, A-A). Keep both in High if both pairs are low (below Jacks), unless you have an Ace to strengthen the Low Hand.
4
Use Banking Mode when available
If you're playing optimally, Banking Mode brings the house edge near 0%. The copy-hand advantage alone is worth switching. Use Banking Mode whenever your bankroll allows paying out opponent wins.
5
Never forget the Foul Rule
An automatic loss from a Foul is far worse than any suboptimal (but valid) split. Always verify your High Hand ranks above your Low Hand before pressing SET HANDS. Royal Pai Gow Poker shows a ⚠️ FOUL warning if your split is invalid.
6
Embrace the Push
Pai Gow has a ~41% push rate — higher than any other common casino game. A Push means your bankroll is preserved. Use it to play longer sessions without rapid swings. The goal is to win both hands, but protecting one hand for a guaranteed Push is often better than gambling on a weak High Hand.
📊
House edge comparison: Pai Gow Poker main bet ~2.7% · Baccarat Banker ~1.06% · European Roulette ~2.7% · Blackjack (basic strategy) ~0.5%. Pai Gow is competitive with Roulette but offers far more decisions and player skill expression.

🎮 Free to Play

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