Break Vegas – Pai Gow Poker

OK, well you can't really beat Pai Gow Poker but, you can get close. Learn how to play and get the best odds.

Instructions:

Step1
Bet: Pai Gow Poker is a slow win/loss game so usually there is a high table limit. I’ve seen $5 minimum a few times but, it’s usually $10 during off hours and $25 during peek hours. That’s the only way the house can make money.

Step2
Deal: The dealer will deal 7 cards to each player. The player then divides the cards into a 2 card hand and a 5 card hand. The only rule on how to split them is that the 5 card hand must be better than the low hand. Standard poker rules apply so the best 2 card hand is a pair of aces and the best high hand is a Royal Flush (see table). There are 2 boxes on the table. Put your two hands in the appropriate boxes.

Step3
Read em’ and Weep: Once every player has placed their cards in the boxes, the dealer will roll their cards over. The house has very specific ways they are required to play the cards although this can vary by casino so I won’t get into that for this article.

Step4
Win-Loss-Push: If your 2 card hand beets the dealers 2 card hand and your 5 card hand beets the dealers 5 card hand then you win! If you lose both, you lose however, if you only lose 1 then you push. This means your bet is returned and you did not lose any more money. In most casinos a true tie goes to the dealer.

Step5
Pay the Player; Pay the Dealer: Up to this moment, the odds of a win/loss are exactly the same. So how does the house make money? When you win, you are required to pay a 5% commission to the house. So that means you get paid $95 on a $100 bet. Some casinos also require a fee just to play the hand. I wouldn’t play at those tables.

Step6
How to win: The most common and simple strategy is to put the best 2 car hand down possible just still adhering to the rules of the game; the 5 card hand must be higher. People call this ‘playing safe’ as you will push more than other more aggressive strategies. In the long run you will also win more though. Unless you are very unlucky, you will be able to sit a long time using this method.

I’ll give a couple examples.

If you are dealt pai gow (nothing in your hand is a pair or better) you want to put your highest card in the 5 card hand and the next 2 highest in the 2 card hand.

7 cards: A—Q—10—8—6—5—2
5 card hand: A—8—6—5—2
2 card hand: Q—10

If the dealer deals you 3 pair, you want to put the best pair in the 2 card hand.

7 cards: J—J—8—8—6—2—2
5 card hand: 8—8—6—2—2
2 card hand: J—J

Here is a hard one but, trust me that this is the smart play. The 2 pair is usually good enough to win the 5 card hand so you split the 4 of a kind because the pair of queens will have a better chance of winning than the pair of fours.

7 cards: Q—Q—Q—Q—9—4—4
5 card hand: Q—Q—9—4—4
2 card hand: Q—Q

The only way to get the best odds is to be a math genius and calculate the specific odds of every scenario. You can find on-line calculators that do that. Here is a good one.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have $50 to play with, find a $5 table
• Keep your bets consistent. Always bet the same and always split your hand based on the same criteria. If you don’t stick to it, you will regret it.
• Practice a lot. After you play a practice hand, check it against the calculator and see if you played the hand right.
• Don't drink too much while you are playing. It makes it difficult to keep track of your bets.