Pai Gow Poker
Split 7 cards into a 5-card hand and a 2-card hand. Both must beat dealer.
Pai Gow Poker is a 7-card poker variant where you split your hand into a 5-card "high" hand and a 2-card "low" hand. Both your hands have to beat the dealer's corresponding hands. If both win, you win. If one wins and one loses, push (no money changes). If both lose, you lose.
The 2-card hand can never be higher than the 5-card hand (this is the "house way" rule that prevents abuse). The dealer follows a fixed "house way" for splitting too — most casinos let you ask the dealer to set your hand the same way for free, called "playing the house way."
It's slow, push-heavy (~41% of hands push), and the 5% commission on banker wins means the house edge is around 2.7%. Pai Gow is the choice of players who want to extend their bankroll for hours — you bleed slowly, not all at once.
Bet types & payouts
| Win both hands (banker wins) | 1:1 minus 5% commission |
| Win one hand, lose one | Push (no money changes) |
| Win one hand, tie one (in dealer's favor) | You lose |
| Lose both hands | Lose your bet |
| Total push frequency | ~41% of hands |
Strategy notes
Play the house way — it's mathematically near-optimal and 5x faster than working out splits yourself. The Fortune side bet (which pays on premium 7-card hands) has 8-15% house edge — skip it.
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