Understanding the pai gow poker paytable is the first step toward playing with confidence, whether you’re at a smoky brick-and-mortar table or tapping on a phone at a live online dealer. In this deep-dive guide I’ll share practical experience from the felt, explain how hand rankings and payouts work, break down strategy principles that reduce the house edge, and point you to reliable places to practice and test variants. If you want a compact resource that blends rules, examples, and real-world tips, you’re in the right place.
What is the pai gow poker paytable?
At its core, the pai gow poker paytable determines how the casino settles outcomes between the player’s two hands (a 5-card “back” hand and a 2-card “front” hand) and the dealer’s hands. Unlike many table games where complex multipliers appear in the paytable, standard pai gow poker uses a very simple payout structure:
- Player wins both hands: 1:1 payout on the wager (even money)
- Player wins one hand and loses the other: the result is a PUSH — the bet is returned
- Player loses both hands: the bet is lost
The simplicity of the main-game paytable is what makes strategy and hand setting so important: proper splitting of your seven cards into a strong 5-card back hand and a competitive 2-card front hand increases the chance of winning both hands or at least forcing pushes.
Key rules that affect the paytable and outcomes
Two standard rules you’ll see at most tables influence how the paytable plays out:
- Joker rule: Pai gow poker typically uses a joker as a semi-wild card. It can be used to complete a straight, flush or straight flush; otherwise it counts as an ace.
- Banking rules: Unlike many casino games, the dealer (or another player acting as banker) can take the bank. When players bank and win, the casino collects no commission. When the house banks, it sometimes charges a commission on winning banker results or simply benefits from the push rule; this dynamic affects effective return-to-player and should be considered when choosing a table.
Hand rankings that determine the paytable
Having a clear mental model of hand rankings is crucial because you must split your seven cards into two hands that obey the rule: the 5-card back hand must outrank the 2-card front hand. Typical five-card rankings in pai gow (with a joker) are:
- Five of a kind (possible with a joker)
- Straight flush
- Four of a kind
- Full house
- Flush
- Straight
- Three of a kind
- Two pair
- One pair
- High card
For the 2-card front hand, only a pair or high cards matter: a pair always beats any two high cards; if both are high cards, compare the highest then the second card.
How the paytable translates into expected outcomes
Because the paytable pays even money, and many deals end in pushes, the effective house edge is driven primarily by the frequency of pushes and the skill of setting hands. With sound strategy, the house edge in standard pai gow poker generally falls into a moderate range; inexperienced or random splitting increases the house edge substantially.
Example (simplified): if a player wins roughly 18–22% of hands outright and loses 18–22% outright, with the balance being pushes, most of the long-term result comes from that relatively small swing between wins and losses. Proper splitting nudges those percentages in your favor.
Practical hand-setting strategy (experience-based)
There are full strategy charts available, but here are concise, experience-tested guidelines that will help you get better results at the table:
- Make the strongest legal 5-card back hand: Always prioritize building the best possible five-card hand that still leaves a competitive two-card front hand.
- Don’t short-change the front hand: Because two-card pairs are rare and powerful, if you can produce a front pair without seriously weakening the back, do it. For example, convert a pair in your seven cards into the 2-card hand when it won’t gut a straight/flush opportunity in the back.
- Use the joker wisely: Use the joker to complete straights or flushes in your five-card back hand whenever possible. Only treat it as an ace in the front when necessary.
- Avoid “hero” moves: Avoid setting exotic splits to chase a single big hand; consistency and pushing more often is a better long-term approach.
- Learn a strategy card: If you play frequently, use and memorize a basic strategy card to reduce mistakes that cost you in the long run.
From experience, the single biggest improvement players see is by avoiding the instinct to “max out” one hand at the complete expense of the other. Balanced splits produce more pushes but fewer outright losses, which benefits the player given the paytable structure.
Common mistakes that hurt results
- Breaking a natural five-card monster to create a weak front hand.
- Underusing the joker to complete high-ranked five-card hands.
- Failing to adjust when the house allows players to bank — opportunities to bank can reduce the long-term casino edge.
- Playing progressive side bets without understanding their paytables and return-to-player — most side bets increase variance and often favor the house more heavily.
Side bets and variant paytables
Modern casinos and online platforms often offer variants and side bets (Fortune Bonus, progressive jackpots, etc.). These come with separate paytables, sometimes promising large payouts for five-of-a-kind or royal hands. The core rules remain the same but the side-bet paytables typically have lower expected return for the player. Treat them as entertainment unless you’ve studied the exact paytable and volatility and accept the long-term disadvantage.
Sample hand walkthrough
Imagine you’re dealt: A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ 3♦ 3♣ (with no joker). You can set a straight flush as your back 5-card hand (A-K-Q-J-10 of spades), and leave 3♦ 3♣ as a front pair — that’s an ideal split: an extremely strong back hand and a strong front pair, increasing the chance of winning both hands. That’s the sort of split that the pai gow poker paytable rewards most consistently.
Banking, etiquette and table selection
If the house rules allow players to bank, take advantage when you can — being the banker eliminates casino commission on banker wins and can improve your long-term returns. Also, choose tables with favorable shove/commission rules and watch for live-dealer vs RNG differences. In live pits, observe dealer behavior, table minimums, and typical player skill level before sitting down.
Where to practice and continue learning
To build confidence with the pai gow poker paytable and hand-setting decisions, use free-play tables and reputable online sites that offer practice modes. For quick reference and community discussion you can consult resources that catalog variants and strategy charts. One such resource you can visit here: keywords. This helps you compare rule sets and side-bet paytables so you know what you’re facing before you wager real money.
Final tips and takeaways
- Learn the core ranking rules and how the joker is used — that small rule changes the paytable outcomes dramatically.
- Prioritize a strong five-card back hand while keeping a competitive two-card front hand.
- Use strategy charts and practice often; pushes are your friend under the standard pai gow poker paytable.
- Avoid most side bets unless you understand their specific paytables and volatility.
- Consider banking opportunities when allowed — they can swing long-term results in your favor.
Pai gow poker offers a slower-paced, strategic experience where knowledge of the pai gow poker paytable and disciplined hand-setting pays off. Whether you’re a casual player looking for low-variance play or a serious student aiming to minimize house edge, mastering splits and understanding how paytables settle wins and pushes is the most effective route to consistent outcomes. For additional practice tools and variant descriptions, see this reference: keywords.
If you’d like, I can generate a printable basic strategy chart for pai gow poker tailored to common house rules, or walk through a series of example hands interactively to refine your splits — tell me how you prefer to practice and I’ll tailor the next step.
