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How a Pai Gow Poker round works
Each player receives seven cards and arranges them into a five-card high hand and a two-card low hand. The dealer also sets two hands. The player’s five-card hand is compared with the dealer’s five-card hand, and the two-card hands are compared separately. The main wager is decided by the two comparisons, not by treating all seven cards as one poker hand.
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Pennsylvania’s rule states that “the five-card high hand must be equal to or higher in rank than the two-card low hand.” That ordering is essential: if you set the hands incorrectly, your hand can lose. This is the Pennsylvania rule; other jurisdictions and table variants may differ. Read the posted rules or ask the dealer how the table handles hand setting and settlement. Pennsylvania Code § 645a.11
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How the main wager is settled
| Your result against the dealer | Outcome under the cited Pennsylvania base rules |
|---|---|
| You win both corresponding hands | You win the base wager. |
| You lose both corresponding hands | You lose the base wager. |
| You win one hand and lose the other | The wager pushes. |
These outcomes describe the cited Pennsylvania rules for the base game. Check the rules at your table for how ties, dealer hands, or variant-specific conditions are handled.
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How to set the seven cards sensibly
- Identify the strongest five-card hand you can make. Use the standard poker hand rankings, while accounting for the table’s joker and ace-low straight rules.
- Check the two-card hand against it. The five-card hand must rank at least as high as the two-card hand under Pennsylvania’s rule. Do not move cards into the low hand if that leaves it stronger than the high hand.
- Balance the two hands. The aim is not simply to make the best possible five-card hand: the main wager requires beating the dealer on both comparisons. A setting that leaves one hand exceptionally strong but the other weak can make it harder to win both.
- Use the table’s house way when you need a reference. Ask the dealer to explain the posted house way before wagering. It is a table-specific setting method, not proof of a universal optimal strategy.
The cited rules establish the hand-order constraint and local variation, but they do not establish one universally optimal chart for every hand. No house edge or win-rate figure is established by those rules, so a precise percentage should not be inferred from them.
Hand rankings and the joker
In the cited Pennsylvania rules, five aces—the four aces plus the joker—rank above a royal flush. The remaining order is royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, and pair. High cards break ties within a hand class. The rules also include ace-low straights, with their own ranking details; consult the table’s full ranking list for those specifics. Pennsylvania Code § 645a.6
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Pennsylvania’s deck includes one joker. Under those rules, it counts as an ace or may represent a card needed to complete a straight, flush, straight flush, or royal flush. It is not an unrestricted wild card. Joker treatment can differ elsewhere, so verify the local rule rather than assuming this treatment applies at every table.
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Under the cited Pennsylvania rules, a winning base wager pays 1:1, with a 5% vigorish—commission—taken from the amount won. This is the rule term for that Pennsylvania game, not a claim about every casino’s payout or the game’s overall expected return. Pennsylvania Code § 645a.3
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Some tables may offer side bets or allow players to bank, but neither option is universal. Pennsylvania permits player banking only when it is included in the operator’s approved rules; availability does not guarantee a profit. If a table offers additional features, check their posted terms and paytables separately from the main wager. Pennsylvania Code § 645a.4
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to check before you sit down
- How the table ranks hands, including ace-low straights and five aces.
- Whether the joker follows the limited Pennsylvania-style rule or a different local rule.
- How the house way sets hands, and whether you may set your own.
- The commission charged on winning wagers and how it is calculated.
- How ties and any special dealer hands are settled.
- Whether side bets or player banking are available, and the specific terms that apply.
To practice arranging hands away from a casino, a standard playing-card deck that includes a joker is sufficient for rehearsing the seven-card split. Practice can help you remember the structure, but it does not predict results at a table.
Quick Recap
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- 32 Heavy duty smooth and shiny tiles
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- Pai Gow is a ancient Chinese gambling game that is played with the Chinese dominoes tile set.
- The name "Pai Gow" is sometimes used to refer to a card game called Pai Gow Poker (or Double Hand Poker)
- Pai Gow is played in most Chinese communities.
- Includes 32 tiles and 2 dices
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