Pai Gow Tiles Help

In general, the house way is as follows (if you don't have a pair, gong, wong, or high 9): balance the hands (i.e., make the low hand as high as possible), but:

1.. if the resulting low hand is lower than 3, and it is possible to re-set the tiles to make the high hand 7 or higher, re-set the tiles to maximize the high hand regardless of what it does to the low hand; OR

2. if the resulting low hand is 3, but the high tile in the low hand ranks lower than Chong (high 6), and it is possible to re-set the tiles to make the high hand 9 or higher, re-set the tiles to maximize the high hand regardless of what it does to the low hand. (A 3 where the high tile ranks at least Chong is commonly referred to as a "high 3;" any other 3 is commonly referred to as a "low 3.")

Rules of thumb: 2/6 is not OK if you can make the high hand 7 or more; low 3/6 is OK unless you can make the high hand 9 or higher; high 3/4 is always OK.

Note that this is the house way in most places. House way is not always the OPTIMAL strategy, but is a good place to start. The Wizard's recommended tweaks are worthwhile, but the learning curve in tiles is steep: learning basic (house) strategy is relatively easy; the more refinements, exceptions, etc., you are able and/or willing to learn, the more you cut into the house edge and improve your own chances. At some point, though, you reach a point of diminishing returns, where you are expending a huge amount of mental energy for returns that can be measured in the thousandths of one percent. At one extreme, you are learning a few general rules and giving the house a fair bit; at the other extreme, you are memorizing the optimal way to play every one of more than 3000 possible hands and giving the house a fair bit less. Most players are somewhere in between, with a few general rules and as many single-hand exceptions as they can comfortably handle.

Enjoy!

Quote: Aussie

I think it really cuts to the core of him - he simply can not be wrong. The slinks off comment was on the money too.

Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. The point is, you did not have to make it. The only purpose it could possibly serve was to escalate the conflict, and you knew it, but still made it. Maybe, he cannot be wrong, but can you be "not right" (that is, not have your opinion constantly reaffirmed by others)? Is it really all that much different?

Quote:

The guy spent enough hours on this forum for it qualify as a full time job so there is no way he didn't see the earlier comment, he simply chose to ignore it to avoid admitting he way wrong.

Maybe so. But my question to you is why do you find it so important that he admits he is wrong? What's it it for you?

There was no desire to escalate anything further. I'm not interested in anything like that. You are right that I didn't have to make that comment but I was interested to see if he would continue to refuse to admit he was wrong even with someone who analyzes the mathematics of casino games for a living telling him he was. The grudging admission that he was wrong was somewhat expected, the complete flip out and subsequent foul mouthed PM I received were not expected. That last one really said to me that he isn't just a know-all but actually quite an unsavory character as well.

As for your comment re: opinion being reaffirmed by others I'm not sure what you mean. I wasn't stating my opinion on the hand, I was stating a mathematical fact that I had taken from the Wizard's own analysis.

Quote: Aussie

the complete flip out and subsequent foul mouthed PM I received were not expected..

So you received one also. MKL is a lovely person, we should all get together and exchange what he sent us. Mine is filled with hatred and vitriol. How about yours?

Quote: Aussie

There was no desire to escalate anything further. I'm not interested in anything like that. You are right that I didn't have to make that comment but I was interested to see if he would continue to refuse to admit he was wrong even with someone who analyzes the mathematics of casino games for a living telling him he was.

Nobody likes admitting they are wrong (or anything at all for that matter - you would not say "admit" about something you enjoy saying). Why force people do that? You knew he was wrong. He knew he was wrong. Everybody who read the thread knew he was wrong, and knew what the correct answer was. Why not just put the issue to rest?
This was not a "teaching moment". You are not his father. You will not make him a better man. You know that. So why make the comment? What good could it possibly have done?

Quote:

The grudging admission that he was wrong was somewhat expected, the complete flip out and subsequent foul mouthed PM I received were not expected. That last one really said to me that he isn't just a know-all but actually quite an unsavory character as well.

I am not really interested in finding out who he is, and coming up with as many characteristics as I can, and I don't understand why you are. Are you somehow subconsciously comparing him with yourself? Does this stating and restating of his negative qualities make you feel superior somehow? He is not your evil twin. Why do you care?

Quote:

As for your comment re: opinion being reaffirmed by others I'm not sure what you mean. I wasn't stating my opinion on the hand, I was stating a mathematical fact that I had taken from the Wizard's own analysis.

What I mean is that, even though, you knew you were stating a fact, it was still so important to you that some guy you never met says out loud that you were right, more important than actually being right ...

Quote: weaselman

Why not just put the issue to rest?
This was not a "teaching moment". You are not his father. You will not make him a better man. You know that. So why make the comment? ..

Because its MKL, thats why. He deserves no mercy, no understanding. We're dealing with a serial Troll here, somebody who would snap you like a twig if he had the chance. Save your pity for somebody who deserves it.

Quote: EvenBob

Because its MKL, thats why. He deserves no mercy, no understanding.

Mercy? Who is talking about mercy?

Quote:

We're dealing with a serial Troll here, somebody who would snap you like a twig if he had the chance. Save your pity for somebody who deserves it.

I don't have any pity for MKL (not that I think he needs it either - he is banned from an internet forum, not imprisoned or dismembered - get some real life perspective, people).
I am just saying that provocation is the worst possible way of dealing with "a serial Troll" (or with anyone else for that matter).

Is there a button I can press to end this thread?