CB Games Online Pai Gow Poker Strategy
Pai Gow Poker Strategy & Gambling Secrets
Pai Gow Poker strategy is simultaneously similar to and completely apart from the poker tactics employed when playing Holdem, Omaha and Stud games. Despite the fact that it is considered one of the simplest of card games, one of this very different poker games little known gambling secrets is that it actually does require a fair amount of logic and a heavy dose of quick thinking.
It is precisely this thinking – that Pai Gow Poker strategy doesn’t exist because the game is simple – that gets players into trouble. With no raises or rivers and only a single betting round at the start of the game, most beginning players mistakenly believe there is no Pai Gow Poker strategy to be had. As their bankrolls will soon attest, they are wrong.
Lucky for you, Casinobonus.org has put together a straight-forward guide to Pai Gow Poker strategy that includes tips on everything from how to build the best high and low hands to how to build your bankroll. Read on for insight to the most often ignored of gambling secrets – Pai Gow Poker strategy.
Pai Gow Poker Strategy #1: Know what you need and forget the rest
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Pai Gow Poker strategy is not the same strategy you’ll use when playing Holdem or Omaha or Five Card Stud.
The casino poker prowess involved in games with hole and up cards, multiple betting rounds, and the need to outwit not one dealer but several opponents does not apply here. Don’t waste time over-thinking things that don’t help your game. Know what you need to know; forget the rest.
Pai Gow Poker strategy is comprised of a single, important decision. The point: make it a good one.
Pai Gow Poker Strategy #2: Know poker hands like the back or your hand
The only and the most important player decision you get to make in this game is how to split your hands. This will be covered in Pai Gow Poker Strategy point #3, but before all that, let’s go over the hand rankings that apply to nearly all of the different poker games.
Below is a simple chart. Learn it. Love it. Live it.
5 Card Hand Rankings (in descending order) |
|
5 Aces |
4 Aces + Joker (valued as an Ace). |
Royal Flush |
A, K, Q, J & 10 - all must be in the same suit. |
Straight Flush |
5 cards - all must be in the same suit. |
4 of a kind |
4 cards of same rank (example: 4 Jacks). |
Full House |
3 of a kind plus a Pair. |
Flush |
5 cards of same suit. |
Straight |
5 cards in a sequence regardless of suit (example: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9). |
3 of a kind |
3 cards of same rank (example: 3 Jacks). |
2 Pair |
2 cards of same rank + 2 cards of ame rank (example: 2 Q, 2 J). |
Pair |
2 cards of equal rank (example: 2 Jacks). |
Pai Gow Poker Strategy #3: Cut your cards wisely
You are required to split your cards into one hand of five cards and a second hand of two cards. Here again we say, the most important Pai Gow Poker strategy involves deciding which of the seven cards you are dealt you put in which of your two hands. Thus, etching the above five-card hand rankings into your mind is crucial.
Pai Gow Poker Strategy #4: Look out for the little guys
There are three possible game outcomes:
- Both player hands beat the banker's corresponding hands – player wins his bet at even money.
- One player hand beats the banker – result is a push.
- Both player hands lose to the banker – player loses his bet.
These game outcomes reveal another of Pai Gow Poker’s gambling secrets: the two-card hand plays an important role. Some other casino card games and several different poker games focus solely on building a strong five-card hand. Here, we see something else.
Don’t look at your two card hand as your “reject” cards. Instead, try to keep something of value there. Think of it as insurance against a total bet loss. If you lose the five card hand to the dealer (above game outcome #1), you at least have a chance at a push (above game outcome #2).
Here is a quick breakdown of two card hand values:
- Highest hand = Pair of Aces
- Second highest to lowest two-card hands rank in descending order from 2 Kings to a Pair of Twos.
- Singletons follow after lowest ranked pairs in numeric descending order = lowest possible two card hand is 3 -2.
Pai Gow Poker Strategy #5: Raise the Stakes
Because of its unusual parameters, this game does not see big bets won and lost in minutes. Employing winning casino poker tactics often means maintaining a slow and steady pace. It also means that you can afford to play higher stakes, as less is lost than in other casino poker games.
