• The Game's objective
• History Pai Gow Poker Game.
• Pai Gow strategies
• Determination of a win
• Casino Game's Ranking hand
• The Game Deal
• Rare Cases

Basic strategy for Pai Gow Casino Game:

Generally, the setting of the highest hand of two cards should be tried by the player and they can set that legally: the higher hand of 5 cards can still be left behind by the best hand of 2 cards. More particularly, an average hand should be expected by the player something equal to a pair of medium to higher behind in the hand of 5 cards and a higher ace in front.

There has been done the detailed analysis through computers regarding the determination of the ideal strategy, but the memorization of huge tables is required here; only with a few thumb rules, there can be performed a close approximation: a player being in doubt always ask for setting his hand in the house when he is playing in a casino.
There are quite reasonable strategies in most of the casino houses that can be regarded as quite closer to optimal strategy.

• If a player does not have a flush, straights or a pair, the 2nd and 3rd highest cards are set by him in his hands of two cards. For e.g. K, 9, 7, 4, 3 and Q, J can be played with the hand of K, Q, J, 9, 7, 4, 3. there can be considered some slight exceptions for this, i.e., it is quite better for playing A, 10, 5, 4, 2 and Q, 9 with A, Q, 10, 9, 5, 4, 2, but these situations are not very common and the winning rate of a player does not highly affected by such type of situations.


• If a player only has a single pair and nothing else, he can put that pair in his hand of 5 cards and put the left out two highest cards in his hand of 2 cards. For e.g., it can be played Q, Q, 6, 5, 3 and A, 9 with A, Q, Q, 9, 6, 5, 3 by the player. No exceptions are there in concern with this rule. Above ninety percent of the hands played are covered by this as well as the above rule.


• The pair of two is the case which is most common and where the strategy is not obvious. There can be played either any high pair by the player in behind or any small pair is played in front, or else high cards in front and two pairs in behind.  He should be more inclined for playing two pair in behind if high pair would be smaller and the remaining cards would be higher. If his higher pair is large and the side cards are smaller, he must be going for splitting the pairs.
  
  He must always go for splitting the pairs if he has aces as a high pair, and must almost always go for splitting if he has kings or queens as high pair: as by themselves they are high enough. He can play J, J, 4, 4, 5 and A, Q with J, J, 4, 4, A, Q, 5, since 4, 4 is worst than A, Q in front; a sole pair of jacks is not much better than two pair behind. A player may be inclined for splitting more with tens and jacks, A, Q is not netter than tens in front.
  
  With some small pairs like sevens and eights, a player may consider to play two pair behind if he is able for playing better in front or a king-high. He might be playing a modest hand of a queen-high in front with twos and threes. If the player does not have any side cards which are higher than a jack, he should always go for splitting the pairs, even twos and threes.
  In most of the casino houses the house ways splits when there is a pair of sixes or higher, small pairs are split when there become no aces for the low hand.


• Three pair can be considered as a very good hand. There should always be played the highest pair in front by the player but it should not have any exception. For e.g., 7, 7, 4, 4, A and K, K should be played with K, K, 7, 7, 4, 4, A.



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• If there is a three of a kind with a player and not anything else, a three of a king behind and in front the left out high cards should be played by the player excepting the aces. Always the player should be splitting three aces, playing an ace-high in front and a pair of aces behind. Occasionally, if his left out cards of the side is not queen-high, the player can even split 3 Ks; for ex., it is quite better to play K, K, 9, 7, 6 and K, J with K, K, K, J, 9, 7, 6 than to play K, K, K, 7, 6 and J, 9. In most of the casinos there split only 3 aces in house ways.


• If a flush or a straight or both are played by a player, he should be playing any of the hand of 5 cards between straight or better that is able to make the best hand of two cards. For ex., it would put in front 8-6 while a flush is played with Ks, 9s, 8c, 7s, 6c, 5s, 4s, but 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 and K, 9 is the correct play. Occasionally, a flush or a straight with w pair will be having by the player; he should be playing if two pair was it is and the flush and the straight were ignored. Even a player is able to play a straight flush, certain rule is applied; it can be played in that way, when a better hand is made by a flush or a straight.


• The pair in front and a three of a kind should be played by a player with a full house. If there is a very small pair or very high side cards then there may be an exception; for ex., A, Q is better for playing with 5, 5, 5, 3, 3, A, Q along with the full house behind. However, these are the rare cases, and it would not call as a mistake of the player if he didn’t plays a full house behind. House ways are usually splitting the full house.


• With a pair of three of a kind, it should be played higher like a pair in front and the smaller behind of three of a kind by the player. For ex., 7, 7, 7, A, Q and Q, Q should be played by him with Q, Q, Q, 7, 7, 7, A along with no exceptions.


• It should be played as if it is a two pair with four of a kind by a player but he should be inclined a less for splitting. For ex., 10, 10, J, 5, 4 and 10, 10 should be played by the player with 10, 10, 10, 10, J, 5, 4 as well as 3, 3, 3, 3, 7 and K, Q should be played with 3, 3, 3, 3, K, Q, 7. Most of the house ways of the casino houses always splits the four of a kind.


• With 3 pair and a flush or a straight (most probably with joker), a hand of the player should be played a three pair (with the aces in the front).

A rarely happens cases that worth to be mentioned

• With a pair and a four of a kind, the pair in front should be played by the player if it is not very small, a very large four of a kind. For ex., 9, 9, 9, 9, K and 7, 7 should be played by him with 9, 9, 9, 9, 7, 7, K, but K, K, 3, 3, 9 and K, K might be played by the player with K, K, K, K, 3, 3, and 9.


• With a pair and a full house, in front the higher pair and in back the full house should be played by a player.


• With three and four of a kinds, the behind of full house as well as the four for playing a pair in front should be split by the player, if the three of a kind does not having the rank higher than the four of a kind; in such a case the four of a kind should be played by him, along with a pair in front from the three of a pair.


• With the joker and all 4 aces, in front a pair of aces and behind of three aces or a full house should be played by the player, if the back pair is not of kings.

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