Tips to Win at Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow Poker, the marvelous mix of East and West, of Chinese dominoes and good old American poker is fast becoming the most popular poker game in the world.

Playing Internet Basic Pai Gow Poker

With the selection of Pai Gow on the Internet, there is no place where you can't find a game of Pai Gow.

So now that you can play, you need to learn to play smart. Playing smart has nothing to do with how long you have been playing poker. It has everything to do with following a few simple Pai Gow tips that are designed to increase the odds of winning. Remember, a good Pai Gow Poker strategy can give you a bit of an edge to turn a bleak day online into a fantastic experience.

Basic Pai Gow Poker Tips

These tips are not super secret. Many people have heard of them. The thing is, many people just want to jump in and play online Poker. They don't want to take the time to learn how to play smart. That is why those who have a bit more patience, always seem to be better players and win more. So go slow, especially if you are a beginner. Soon these Pai Gow Poker tips will seem like second nature.

Your two card hand must be lower than your five card hand. So make sure not to throw a pair into the two card hand unless you have something better hiding in your big hand.

If you have two pairs, you should usually leave the lower value one in your two card. If you want to be more aggressive and have a high card (Queen or better), then keep both pairs in your five card hand. Most cases, the dealer will win the two card hand and you will win the five card. That is a push and you get your money back. However, if you get lucky and your Queen outranks the dealers top card, you win both hands. Once again, it all depends on how aggressive you want to be. This is a good time to experiment because it is very difficult (though not impossible) to lose with two pairs.

Straights or flushes almost always win. Keep them together in your five card hand and leave whatever you have left for the two cards. Just like in the example above, the worst that can happen is a push.

If you have nothing, pout your second and third highest cards in your two card hand. Remember, in this situation you are hoping for a "push' in which you win one hand and the dealer wins the other.

Remember, Pai Gow takes time. Many hands will end up in a push. You have to pick your battles and fend off loses. When the cards are looking good, go aggressive. It will only happen about once every eight hands so don't squander the opportunity.

Aces are a limited wild card in some games. Others use a Joker for the role. This means that the wild card can only be used to complete a straight or a flush. An Ace that can't be used this way is just an Ace. (of course, an Ace will win the two card hand a lot of the time.)

Take a break every twenty minutes and evaluate how you are doing. If you are not comfortable with where you are holding, take a break. There is always time to come back and play more.