Strategies for Pai Gow Poker

Applying different Pai Gow Poker strategies can significantly increase your chances of winning. In this article we will tell you all about different ways to get close to a winning hand. To master this game and win frequently, you should take advantage of some tips and tricks we prepared.

Your goal in Pai Gow Poker is simple: get the best five-card hand possible by drawing from the seven available cards on the table. Read the following text about the best Pai Gow Poker strategies.

Top 5 Pai Gow Poker Strategies

The Pai Gow Poker strategy is similar to Texas Hold 'em Poker. You will have to collect seven cards and make two hands in this game. The first hand should be five cards, and the second one should also be five. One of these hands has to be higher than the other for you to win this game.

You will be dealt seven cards by the dealer, who is not your opponent in this game but rather an impartial party trying to get you as much money as possible. Your goal is to determine which cards will win your hand so you can use them appropriately to win cash from your opponents.

Several elements go into making good decisions in Pai Gow poker strategy:

1. Decide how many cards you want to hold back at any given time (usually between 0-5).
2. Decide which of your cards will be used for each hand (5-7 card hands) based on their relative value. You should try not to waste any cards if possible because they all have different values depending on how many players are left alive in each round.
3. Don't play too many hands. You'll probably go broke quickly if you're playing too many hands and trying to win them all.
4. Focus on winning big pots when they are in front of you, but don't be afraid to fold if the pot isn't worth it or your hand isn't good enough to win it. You can make more money consistently by making intelligent bets than by chasing small pots that could easily get away from you (or lose).
5. If another player has bet against your hand and won, fold. It's not worth risking even more money just to "get even" with them later.

Pai Gow: Hands Strategies

The first thing you should know about Pai Gow Poker is that there are two types of hands.

1. High hands: A high hand can be any pair or better (a pair being two cards of the same rank)
2. Low hands: A low hand can be any four cards that total eight or less.

You can win with either hand, but you get different payouts for each one. Pai Gow is a unique game because it uses the "house way" of dealing. Therefore, you need to know what each card means and how it will affect your hand.

1. Playing a Pair – This is the smallest hand in Pai Gow Poker. If you have Ace-Ace, play it.

2. Playing Two Pairs – Two pairs give you more power than one pair does. If one of your cards is an Ace or King, such as A-K or K-Q, then go ahead and play it because those cards can make winning combinations with other community cards that have been dealt out already.

3. Playing Three of a Kind is similar to holding two pairs. However, only one card must match another player's four cards instead of two like before, making this hand easier to play than others.

4. Playing a Straight is five cards in sequential order, such as 2-3-4-5-6. In Pai Gow Poker, straights are powerful hands because they can beat any other hand that doesn't have the same number of cards or higher value cards as yours. The only exception to this rule is if someone else has a flush (a suit of five cards) with higher numbers than your straight.

5. Playing a Flush – A flush is when all five cards are in the same suit. A flush with higher numbers beats any other hand that does not have as many high cards or better value ones than yours. However, if someone else has a straight one, theirs will beat your flush because straights are stronger hands than flushes.

6. Playing a Full House - This is three of one kind plus two pairs (for example, 2-2-5-5-8). It wins over any other hand that does not have the same number or higher value cards as yours, with one exception: a four-of-a-kind.

7. Playing Four of a Kind – Four of a kind is where all five cards in your hand are from the same suit and sequential. This hand is very strong; it beats any other hand except straight flushes.

Additional Tips and Tricks for Pai Gow Poker

To win more frequently, you must use different strategies. The best Pai Gow strategy is patience and waiting for the right hand to play. A player should only bet when the banker has the edge over her hand. Some Tips on how to do this include:

1. The better hand must have at least a pair of queens or better to beat any five-card hand held by the player (the same holds for 7-card stud).
2. In a 7-card stud, bet all three times if both pairs are equal when two pairs are split between two hands. Otherwise, just once (if one pair is higher than another).
3. In 5-card draw poker, there's no advantage playing against one opponent with four suited cards over another with four unsuited cards.
4. Play high cards first (Aces are best).
5. Play low cards last (2s through 7s are best).
6. Play pairs whenever possible (they're worth twice as much as non-paired hands).

Learning Pai Gow Poker strategy takes time, so expect to practice for a while in order to win later on. There are more hands than you think in a shoe, so play more hands and vary your play. Playing more hands offers a chance to learn how different games work and how they differ based on the betting structure.

Conclusion

Pai Gow Poker is a game that requires proper strategy and a good understanding of the rules. The best way to learn this is by playing it with friends or family members who know the game well. Once you have an understanding of how to play, then practice makes perfect!