Pai Gow Poker Odds Strategy

Pai Gow Poker is a simple poker based online casino game. 

The player makes his bet and is dealt seven cards. He cannot fold or raise, but must play through the hand. He must split the seven cards into two hands, one with five cards and the other with two cards. Then the dealer does the same with his cards. The five card hands and the two card hands are compared independently. If the player wins both, he gets the payout. If he wins one and loses one, then it's a tie and his bet pushes. If he loses both, he loses his bet.

Based on the condition that the player splits his hand using an optimal strategy, the probabilities of the outcomes are as follows. The probability that the player wins is 28.6%. The probability of the hand ending in a draw is 41.8%. The probability that the player loses is 29.9%. The situation of losing wins is quite balanced. The mathematical payoff should be less than just money. Usually the actual payouts are less than the mathematical payouts because the casino needs the house edge to cover its costs. In Pai Gow Poker, the mechanism used gives an even money payout. This makes the calculations easy. A house commission is then charged, which is usually 5%. The net payout is 0.95 to 1. The net house edge is about 1.5%.

In most versions of online Pai Gow Poker, the player has the option of splitting their hand or using the house path. The House Way automatically uses the optimal strategy built into the software. Therefore, the online casino player can get away without making any strategy decisions. However, many gamblers dislike following the house way because it takes away the satisfaction and fun of betting. The following is an important strategy tip for such players.

The most difficult partition is the one containing two pairs. The strategy in all other hands is simple and will not be discussed in this article. The dilemma in the two pair hand is whether to keep both pairs in the five card hand or split the pairs across the two hands. In general, holding both pairs in the five-card hand makes the five-card hand very strong, but weakens the two-card hand. Splitting pairs makes the two-card hand virtually unassailable, but weakens the five-card hand considerably. The optimal strategy depends on the ranking of the non-pair cards.

A low pair is defined as being ranked from 2 to 6. A middle pair is defined as ranked from 7 to 10, and a high pair is defined as ranked from jack to ace. Two low pairs are split unless the player holds a king or better in the other cards. The same goes for a low pair and a middle pair. A low pair and a high pair are split unless the player holds an ace in the other cards. The same applies to two medium pairs. All other pair combinations are always shared. Players must remember that the five-card hand must rank higher than the two-card hand.