Pai Gow expert Stanford Wong has been quoted as saying that being dealer/banker as often as possible has the most significant impact on a winning strategy. Now this is all very well when you're at your local casino, but not too helpful online, since few internet casinos allow you to be the dealer/banker. But there are still a number of handy tips on hand selection that will help your dollar go a lot further.
Set out below are optimum hand selections based on cards dealt. For simplicity's sake, we have called any pair of 2's through 6's a "low pair", 7's through J's a "medium pair", and Q's through A's a "high pair".
Your hand
5-card hand selection
2-card hand
No Pair:
the highest card
next two highest cards
One pair:
the pair
next two highest cards
Two Pair:
Pair of A's and any other Pair:
high pair
other pair
Two High Pair:
best pair
other pair
High Pair and Medium Pair
high pair
medium pair
High Pair and Low Pair with A or K
both pair
A or K
High Pair & Low pair w/out A or K
highest pair
low pair
Two Medium Pair with A or K
both pair
A or K
Two Medium Pair without A or K
best pair
other pair
Medium Pair & Low Pair with A or K
both pair
A or K
Medium Pair & Low Pair w/out A or K
medium pair
low pair
Two Low Pair with A or K
both pair
A or K
Two Low Pair without A or K
best pair
other pair
Three Pair:
second and third highest pair
highest pair
Three of a kind:
Three A's
pair of A's
A and next highest card
All others
three of a kind
two highest remaining cards
Three of a twice:
lower three of a kind
highest pair
Full House:
With two pairs
full house with low pair
highest pair
Pair is 2's with A or K
full house
A or K
All others
three of a kind
the pair
Straight, flush & Royal Flush:
With no pair
lowest full hand
two highest cards
With one or two Pair
lowest full hand
2 highest cards, pair or o/wise
With Three of a Kind
full hand
pair
With Full House
three of a kind
pair
With Three of a Kind twice
lower three
highest two
Four of a kind:
With Three of a Kind
four of a kind
pair from the three of a kind
With a Pair
four of a kind
pair
Four A's
pair of A's
pair of A's
J's through K's with an A
four of a kind
the A
J's through K's without an A
one pair from the four
the other pair
7's through 10's with A or K
four of a kind
A or K
7's through 10's without A or K
one pair from the four
the other pair
2's through 6's
four of a kind
highest remaining two
Recommended Reading
For more detailed information and resources on pai gow poker tips and strategy check out Wizard of Odds.