If you’re reading this article, you’re likely already familiar with Pai Gow Poker rules. And if you’re familiar with these rules, you likely understand that the most important of Pai Gow Poker tactics is splitting your starting hand effectively.
In Pai Gow Poker you can’t fold, you can’t raise, and you don’t have any information except the cards in your hand. There aren’t any other things you can control within a hand. Thus, you better split your hands well.
Pai Gow Poker Strategy: Front or Back?
When talking about splitting up hands, the two-card hand is generally referred to as the “Front” while the five-card hand is referred to as the “Back.”
The reason for this is that the two card hand is placed in front of the five card hand on the land or casino online table.
When splitting your cards, remember the Back always has to be a better hand than the Front.
Pai Gow Poker Strategy: Play with High Rollers
One of the best and simplest Pai Gow Poker tactics is often overlooked. This is because it is not one of Pai Gow Poker’s direct, in-game gambling tips. Rather, it is a table selection tactic.
Think about this. Your odds greatly increase when you’re the banker because you win in the case of ties. When there are multiple players at the table, this banker benefit can trump the house edge. In fact, you may enjoy a “player’s edge” because the odds are in your favor when you are the banker.
But being the banker doesn’t give you any control over how much players bet. That’s why finding a good table is so important. Look for a table whose players are betting close to the maximum. Bet the minimum in between your turns as the banker.
Of course, you do have to have enough money to cover all of these large bets, but if you sit down with a large stack and bet the minimum, you should be in pretty good shape.
Also, if you ever find a table with players that are declining to be the banker, get a seat there as soon as you can. These players will usually have short chip stacks compared to their bet size, and won’t be able to cover other bets as banker. This gives you an opportunity to be banker more often, which is a strong Pai Gow Poker strategy and works heavily to your advantage.
The above Pai Gow Poker gambling tips will help you play smart and build a bankroll. If you’re still not sure you’ve absorbed all the knowledge you need, test your skill with our free online gambling version of Pai Gow Poker, developed exclusively for Gambling City users. Try your hand at any of our free online gambling games and see if you’re ready to wager.