Progress
EN

Pai Gow Poker › Questions

Should you split three of a kind in Pai Gow Poker?

Split three aces: a pair of aces behind and the third ace in front. Split three kings too when your other cards are low. Keep any other three of a kind together behind, with your two best other cards in front.

With A♣ A♦ A♥ 9♠ 7♣ 4♦ 2♥: one ace in front +0.2177 per unit bet, three aces kept behind −0.0705.

Practice setting hands in the trainerThe house way, rule by rule

Split or keep three of a kind

Your seven cards

  • Ace of clubs
  • Ace of diamonds
  • Ace of hearts
  • Nine of spades
  • Seven of clubs
  • Four of diamonds
  • Two of hearts
Your seven cardsOne card in front (split)Kept togetherHouse way
A♣ A♦ A♥ 9♠ 7♣ 4♦ 2♥+0.2177−0.0705A♦ A♥ 7♣ 4♦ 2♥ / A♣ 9♠
A♣ A♦ A♥ K♠ Q♣ 8♦ 3♥+0.4110+0.3173A♦ A♥ Q♣ 8♦ 3♥ / A♣ K♠
K♣ K♦ K♥ 9♠ 7♣ 4♦ 2♥−0.0337−0.0756K♣ K♦ K♥ 4♦ 2♥ / 9♠ 7♣
A♠ K♣ K♦ K♥ J♣ 5♦ 3♥+0.3169+0.4472K♣ K♦ K♥ 5♦ 3♥ / A♠ J♣
Q♣ Q♦ Q♥ 9♠ 7♣ 4♦ 2♥−0.2211−0.0808Q♣ Q♦ Q♥ 4♦ 2♥ / 9♠ 7♣
A♠ J♣ 7♣ 7♦ 7♥ 5♦ 3♥−0.1371+0.41627♣ 7♦ 7♥ 5♦ 3♥ / A♠ J♣
K♠ Q♣ 8♦ 3♥ 2♣ 2♦ 2♥−0.4920+0.25608♦ 3♥ 2♣ 2♦ 2♥ / K♠ Q♣

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

Three of a kind behind is a strong high hand, but the front then gets only your leftover cards. Breaking it moves one card forward and leaves a pair behind. That pays off with aces: an ace in front makes a real low hand, and a pair of aces still holds up behind. With three kings it pays only when your other cards would make a poor low hand anyway. Below kings, the pair left behind is too weak and the lone card in front doesn’t gain enough.

All Pai Gow Poker questions