Pai Gow Poker strategy: how to set your seven cards
In Pai Gow Poker you split seven cards into a five-card hand and a two-card hand. Most wins and losses come down to how you set them.
Reviewed Oct 14, 2026
Answer first
90s- 01Your five-card hand must beat or equal your two-card hand, or the hand is fouled.
- 02Win both hands to win; lose both to lose; split them and it is a push.
- 03About 41% of hands push, so Pai Gow is one of the slowest-paced games in the casino.
- 04Banker wins pay a 5% commission at most tables.
- 05The joker counts as an ace or completes a straight or flush.
Key numbers
Pai Gow at a glance
In short
Key takeaways
- Put your best two-card hand low without breaking a strong high hand.
- Split two pairs when one pair is high, such as jacks or better, unless you have an ace to play low.
- With one pair, keep it in the high hand and put the next two highest cards low.
- When unsure, ask the dealer to set your hand the house way. It is a solid strategy.
On the felt
Setting two pair
Your seven cards
Two pair with an ace
High hand
Two low pairs stay together when an ace can play low
Low hand
Ace-high low hand
Without the ace, the house way usually splits them: eights high, fives low.
How to set common hands
| You hold | High hand | Low hand |
|---|---|---|
| No pair | Highest card + next five | 2nd and 3rd highest cards |
| One pair | The pair | Two highest other cards |
| Two pair, low pairs + ace | Both pairs | Ace + next card |
| Two pair, one pair jacks+ | Higher pair | Lower pair |
| Three pair | Two lowest pairs | Highest pair |
| Three of a kind (aces) | Pair of aces | Ace + highest other |
Simplified; casino house ways vary in small details.
Sequence
Play a round
Step 01
Bet
Place your bet; some tables offer bonus side bets.
Step 02
Get seven cards
Dice or a random number decides who gets the first hand.
Step 03
Set your hands
Five high and two low; the high must be stronger.
Step 04
Dealer sets by house way
The dealer follows a fixed set of rules.
Step 05
Compare
Each of your hands is compared with the dealer’s matching hand.
Why so many pushes
You need to win both hands to get paid, and the dealer wins ties (copies). Splitting one and losing one leaves a push about 41% of the time.
That makes Pai Gow a low-cost way to spend time at a table. A $25 player loses far less per hour than at most games.
The house edge is about 2.7% per hand played, or about 1.5% per bet that is decided, depending on how you count pushes.
Floor rules
Pai Gow words
Know before you sit
- House way
- The dealer’s fixed rules for setting a hand.
- Foul
- A hand set with the low hand stronger than the high hand. It loses.
- Copy
- The same hand as the dealer. The dealer wins copies.
- Banking
- Taking the dealer’s role at some tables, against other players.
- Joker
- Acts as an ace, or completes a straight or flush.
Hours, not hands
A Pai Gow table deals about 30 hands an hour, much slower than blackjack. At $25 a hand and a 2.7% edge per hand, the average cost is about $20 an hour.
That makes it one of the cheapest table games per hour, even though the edge per hand is higher than blackjack with basic strategy.
Keep reading
Related pages
Go play
Where to play in Las Vegas
Tap a resort — each row opens that casino’s White Gambling page (hours, game mix, floor facts). Venues with this game in official counts, sorted high to low.
Open a casino page
Real listings · not adsAfter the 90 seconds
Questions before and after you play
A 90-second guide cannot cover every table moment. Tap a group, then a question — answers are short paragraphs, not one-liners.
01Strategy
How do I set a pair in Pai Gow Poker?
Keep the pair in your five-card high hand and put your two highest other cards in the low hand. For example, with 8-8-K-Q-6-4-2, set 8-8 with 6-4-2 high and K-Q low.
When should I split two pair in Pai Gow?
Split when the higher pair is jacks or better, or when both pairs are medium, unless you have an ace to play in the low hand. With two low pairs and an ace, keep both pairs high and put the ace low.
What is the house edge in Pai Gow Poker?
About 2.7% per hand played, or around 1.5% per hand that wins or loses, because so many hands push. The 5% commission makes up most of it.
Can I ask the dealer to set my hand?
Yes. Most casinos let you ask for the house way. It is close to optimal and avoids fouls.
What does the joker do in Pai Gow Poker?
It counts as an ace, or as any card that completes a straight, flush, straight flush or royal flush.
What happens if I foul my hand?
A fouled hand, where the two-card hand beats the five-card hand, usually loses automatically or is reset by house rule.
02At the table
Is Pai Gow Poker good for beginners?
Yes. The pace is slow, pushes are frequent, and the dealer can set your hand for you. Minimums are often $10–$25.
03More questions
Should I bank in Pai Gow Poker?
Banking means you play as the dealer against the other players, paying commission on your net win. With good hand-setting it is slightly better than playing, but you need enough bankroll to cover every bet at the table.
Sources
- Wizard of Odds — Pai Gow Poker Not from a registry (Reference source, not an official registry)The gaming industry’s standard reference for casino-game math, by actuary Michael Shackleford. Not an official registry; our calculators compute these numbers independently. · accessed Oct 14, 2026Strategy and house edge
- Nevada Gaming Control Board · accessed Oct 14, 2026Approved table games in Nevada
- National Council on Problem Gambling — Help and resources Not from a registry (Reference source, not an official registry) · accessed Oct 14, 2026Free, confidential help: call or text 1-800-GAMBLER
- American Gaming Association — Research Not from a registry (Reference source, not an official registry) · accessed Oct 14, 2026US casino and sports betting industry data