Should you split a full house in Pai Gow Poker?

Split or keep the full house

Average result per unit bet against a dealer who sets the house way (Foxwoods), after the 5% commission on wins. From the exact distribution of the dealer’s hands; it ignores that your seven cards can’t also be in the dealer’s hand, which only matters when two settings are very close. The best value in each row is green.

Why

Splitting gives you a strong hand on both sides: three of a kind behind usually beats the dealer’s high hand, and a pair in front usually beats the dealer’s low hand. Keeping the full house together wastes most of its strength on a back hand that would win anyway. With a pair of 2s or 3s, though, an ace-king in front is close to a small pair as a low hand, and the full house behind is almost unbeatable.

Related questions

• What do you do with three pairs in Pai Gow Poker?

  Put the highest pair in front and the other two pairs behind. That beats every other setting, even when the odd card is an ace.

• Should you split four of a kind in Pai Gow Poker?

  Split jacks or better into two pairs. Keep 2s through 6s together. With 7s through 10s, split unless you have an ace or king to put in front.

• When should you split two pair in Pai Gow Poker?

  Usually: put the lower pair in front and the higher pair behind. Keep both pairs behind only when they are small and you have an ace, or with the smallest pairs a king, to put in front.

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