Foxwoods' Official House Rules for Pai Gow Tiles

Introduction

Presented below are the specific house rules utilized at Foxwoods, pai gow tiles These guidelines were extracted from a training manual published by Foxwoods in February 1997. In cases where multiple rules could apply, adhere to the first one listed.

Pair Rules

A. Never split the following pairs (4, 5, 6, 10, 11).

B. Split Gee Joon with 6-4, 6-5, or 6-6.

C. When faced with 2s and 12s, split them to achieve a 6/8 or higher, especially when the other two tiles are 9 and 11.

D. Split 9s when paired with any combination of 2, 10, or 12 tiles.

E. It's advisable to split 8s with any mix that includes 2, 10, 11, or 12 tiles, and also to split them if dealt with 9 and 11.

F. Split 7s with any combination that includes 2, 10, 11, or 12 tiles.

Wong, Gong, and High Nine Rules

When playing a 2 or a 12 tile alongside a 7, 8, or 9, if there are multiple options, prefer playing High 9 instead of Wong and Gong, or choose Gong over Wong when applicable. If faced with a choice between a 2 and a 12, opt to play the 12 in the high hand.

Exceptions:

A. Opt for Wong over Gong if the fourth tile is an 11.

B. Prefer Wong over High Nine if the fourth tile is an 11.

C. Choose Gong over High Nine when the fourth tile is a 4, or if the 8 is a Low 8 and the fourth tile is a 5.

Other Hands

If the strongest low hand is less than a High 3 (which is a 3-point hand with the highest tile being a High 6), and the best high hand scores 7 points or more, make the high hand as strong as possible. In other cases, strive to maximize the low hand. Below are exceptions to this guideline.

A. When the total of hands is 8 or 9 or greater, play the highest tile in the high hand.

B. If the hands total 7 or 8 and include 2 and 12, place the 12 in the high hand.

C. Play 2/high 5 with the following.

D. Play 6/high 7 with the following.

E. Play 6/high 8 with the following.

F. Play 6/high 9 with the following.

G. Play 7/9 with the following.

H. Play 7/high 9 with the following.

I. Play 7/9 with the following.

J. Play 7/high 9 with the following.

K. Play high 5/7 with the following.

Unwritten Rule

Finally, there's an unofficial guideline (until now) that the house won't play a hand where an alternative enhances both the high and low hands. For instance, take the following hand.

According to Rule 1C, it would be advisable to split the pair to achieve 6/8. However, playing a 7/teen pair instead would benefit both the high and low hands. Hence, the unofficial rule 4 would take precedence over rule 1C.

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Written by: Michael Shackleford