Pai Gow Poker Strategies

As some of you already know, I recently performed a combinatorial analysis of Pai Gow Poker against the Foxwoods house way. After it finished, the next step was to study the results to determine the strategy. Unfortunately, disclosing the truly optimal strategy was not an option because of the countless "nuisance exceptions" which no small quantity of rules could possibly describe.

So what I did was make 9 strategies, 3 levels of detail for 3 different banking scenarios. All 9 strategies offer at least some improvement over the house way. Anyone who is interested is invited to check out the results here: Pai Gow Poker strategy

Thanks.
I'm still trying to figure out whether is pronounced as in PIE-gow or what.

I have a feeling that casinos would just absolutely love games that have "countless nuisance exceptions" because then the Casino could legally advertise the Optimal House Edge but subject the ordinary and average player to the less than optimal style of play.

I know this is limited in a very strict sense to Foxwoods but I'll assume its not all that different with other locations.

' " because then the Casino could legally advertise the Optimal House Edge " hELL, THEY DO EVERYTHING TO HIDE THERE EVEN IS A HOUSE EDGE.

Quote: FleaStiff

I'm still trying to figure out whether is pronounced as in PIE-gow or what.

I've never heard it pronounced any other way. Like a "Mai Tai" or "Thai" food.

Quote: FleaStiff

I know this is limited in a very strict sense to Foxwoods but I'll assume its not all that different with other locations.

House ways don't vary too much, mostly only in the handling of Two Pairs and maybe Straights/Flushes. It would be pretty safe to say that optimal strategy against any house way would have tons of nuisance exceptions.

JB,

Looking at Foxwood way, and I've never played there, it's pretty unusual for the 2 pair rule to be so straightforward in only considering the value of the higher pair. I'm guessing you got the rules straight from the horse's mouth, so good on Foxwood for making it easy on their dealers to set their hands consistently.

The more usual thing I've seen is to consider both pairs, doing what you have in general, but adding a low-middle and/or low-high rule Q-6's or lower (another place J-8's or lower), that it takes an ace-face in the top hand, else split. Foxwood does not appear to be doing this. Understand this is part of what you're referring to in not attempting to program anomalies, but chances are it's Foxwood's anomaly in not having a similar rule in their house way.

I also ran into a truly weird rule in Biloxi (compared to everywhere else), where they had a jack-high spade flush, with paired 2's and 7's. Every other house I've played would split those two pairs by house way (including the Harrah's property there; I asked) and disregard the flush but the Boomtown insisted on holding the topless flush; I politely had the dealer confirm with the pit supe because it was so unusual.

Regardless, thank you so much for running and publishing the analysis! I'm going to study it in great detail.

Quote: beachbumbabs

Foxwood way...pretty unusual for the 2 pair rule...

Many thanks for all the hard work and listing some of the cases which, as you say, were not obvious previously.

I first played many years ago in Vegas (and presumably obtained a House Way at the time) and it was like the Bally's one, which the UK also adopted (I've heard some casinos tried it, but suspect PGP isn't played here any-more). I had always assumed this was the norm (albeit there would be some minor changes), and developed a similar Two Pair play accordingly. Like yours it suggested playing a good Q-high with very small pairs.

Do you think the Hi/Me/Lo method is more usual in, say, Vegas?

https://wizardofodds.com/games/pai-gow-poker/house-way/ballys-atlantic-city/