No Pair: Always play the highest ranked card in the high hand. Use thesecond and third highest ranked cards in the low hand.
One Pair: Always include the pair in your high hand. Utilize the two highest cards in your low hand.
Two Pairs: Low Pair - 2 thru 6
Mid Pair - 7 thru 10
High Pair - Jacks thru Kings
Low Pair - Low Pair OR Low Pair - Mid Pair: Divide pairs, unless a King or Ace is present in your hand.
Low Pair - High Pair OR Mid Pair - Mid Pair: Divvy up the pairs, except when there's an Ace in the hand.
Mid Pair - High Pair OR High Pair - High Pair: Always separate the pairs.
Aces - any other pair: Always split.
Three Pairs: Always prioritize the highest pair for your low hand.
Three-of-a-kind: Play in the high hand, but if you have three Aces, use a pair of Aces for the high hand and one Ace for the low hand.
Two three-of-a-kinds: In this case, utilize the pair from the highest three-of-a-kind for the low hand.
Straights, Flushes, Straight Flushes, and Royal Flushes:
If your hand allows for a choice between a Straight, Flush, or Straight Flush, opt for the one that lets you play the top two cards in the low hand to maintain the hand's integrity.
Exception: If you have an Ace-high Straight or Straight Flush with a Joker, play a pair of Aces in the high hand and the next two highest cards in the low hand. (Unless the high hand features an Ace and a Joker for a secondary Straight combination of A, 2, 3, 4, 5).
If it's possible to create a lower Straight, go ahead and play that Straight.
With One Pair: Put the pair up front if you can form a Straight or Flush in the high hand.
With Two Pairs: Follow the established two pairs guideline.
With Three Pairs: Adhere to the three pairs guideline.
With Three-of-a-kind: Play the pair within your low hand.
With Full House: Consult the full house guidelines.
Full House:
When three-of-a-kind and a pair coexist (Full House), always divide the pair into the low hand.
Exception: If your full house consists of a pair of 2's along with an Ace and a King, use the Ace-King for the low hand while retaining the full house for the high hand.
When you have three-of-a-kind and two pairs, select the highest pair for the low hand.
Four-of-a-kind:
In hands with four-of-a-kind where the cards are twos through nines, do not separate them.
For four-of-a-kind cards ranging from tens to kings, divide them unless you can play an Ace in the low hand. In such a scenario, the four-of-a-kind should be placed in the high hand.
If you possess four Aces, always split them.
Exception: If you have four Aces in addition to a pair of Kings, opt for the Kings in the low hand while keeping the four Aces in the high hand.
When holding four-of-a-kind mixed with a pair or three-of-a-kind, place the pair in the low hand and the four-of-a-kind in the high hand.
Five Aces:
If you end up with five Aces, it's always beneficial to split. Play two Aces in the low hand.
Exception: With five Aces and a pair of Kings, position the Kings in the low hand and the Aces in the high hand.
Washington State Pai Gow Poker: In Washington, players usually aren't charged a commission when they place a Fortune bet. I detail this rule variation in my 'Ask the Wizard' column.
No Pair: Always play the highest ranked card in the high hand. Use thesecond and third highest ranked cards in the low hand.
