J.B. Advanced Strategy for Pai Gow

Introduction

I am excited to showcase the pai gow strategy developed by 'J.B.' The objective was to create a system that strikes a balance between complexity and ease of use. Many players, including myself, found the previous strategy too challenging to remember. Wizard Way With this new strategy, users can begin applying it almost right away by learning just a few simple rules, with the option to incorporate additional exceptions later if desired.

The strategy is optimized to beat the Foxwoods house way This strategy is designed to work effectively against any house rules. To implement it, start by following the first relevant guideline from the list provided. printer friendly You can also download a PDF version of this strategy, which is approximately 127 kilobytes in size.

1. Never split two pairs.
2. Play individual pairs as follows:

   Rules for Splitting Pairs

   Pair	Rule
   Gee Joon	Only consider splitting your tiles if the remaining tiles you hold are a combination of 6 and either 4, 5, or 6.
   2s and 12s	Split your tiles to form a 6/8 or better hand only if it enhances your low hand.
   	Feel free to split when you have 9 or 11. However, do not split if you have a 9 paired with a high 8.
   4s	Never split.
   5s	You should split your tiles only when the remaining tiles are a 2 and a 12.
   6s	Only split with any combination of 2, 11, 12.
   7s	Only split to make 7/7 or better.
   8s	Aim to split only when you can achieve an 8/8 hand or better, and also consider splitting if you hold 9 or 11.
   9s	Only split to make 9/9 or better.
   10s and 11s	Never split.

3. When calculating points, count Wongs as 11 points and Gongs as 10 points. Total the points from each high hand and its corresponding low hand, then evaluate the highest point total among the three possible play options. If only one option achieves the highest score, that is the one to play.
4. Whenever possible, play with the combinations of 0/Wong, 1/Gong, and 1/Wong.
5. Strive to achieve a High Nine whenever you can. If you need to choose between 2 and 12, select the 12 for your high hand. Similarly, if you face a choice between Low 7 and High 7, opt for High 7 to improve your low hand if it helps.
6. Whenever possible, play a Low 8 Gong, unless you possess a High 8 that cannot form a low hand of 7 or higher. Again, if presented with a 2 and a 12, choose 12 for the high hand.
7. Identify the optimal low and high hands by only considering the play options that yield the highest points. Choose to play the best low hand if its point total is 5 or lower, or if it scores 5, 6, 7, or 9 points. Otherwise, opt for the best high hand.

Exceptions

It's important to note that the values mentioned assume a 5% commission is applied.

Addendum

Certain tile combinations may appear to offer multiple playing methods, but often there's only a single valid option. Consider these cases:

1. Low 7, High 7, Low 10, High 10

   Take for example your options of 0/4, 7/7, and 7/7. It's clear that 0/4 is not a viable choice. Since both 10's outrank the 7's, it’s indifferent which 7/7 you select, as one will consistently be the high hand with the High 10 and the other will always be the low hand with the Low 10. Thus, only one valid playing method exists for this tile combination.

2. Gee, Low 6, High 6, 12

   Your options consist of 2/8, 8/9, and 8/9. While 2/8 is subpar and should be disregarded, a notable distinction arises between the two 8/9 strategies. The low hands can be formed using either the Low 6 or High 6, yielding identical points and ranking. However, the high hand will rank lower with Gee paired with Low 6 than with Gee paired with High 6. Therefore, the optimal play for this hand is to use the 12 and Low 6 for the low hand, and Gee and High 6 for the high hand, establishing this as the only legitimate way to play these tiles.

3. Low 10, High 6, High 10, High 8

   Your options are 0/4 (not recommended), 6/8, and 6/8. The lower hand should include High 6 and High 10, while the high hand should feature Low 10 and High 8. It would be counterproductive to pair High 10 with High 8 since the High 8 remains the strongest tile regardless of the 10 played with it. However, the low hand benefits from using High 10 instead of Low 10. This sets the only way to play this combination.

The same reasoning applies to combinations that seem to present three possible avenues, yet only have two valid ones. For instance:

1. Low 6, High 7, High 6, 2

   Your available options are 2/9, 3/8, and 3/8 - but only one of those 3/8 combinations is appropriate. Should you opt for the 2 and High 6 in your high hand, it notably reduces the rank of your low hand. The Low 6 may be included in the high hand without any repercussions, while simultaneously enhancing the low hand. Consequently, only two legitimate methods to play this hand exist: 2/9 (with both 6's in the low hand) and 3/8 (with High 6 and High 7 allocated for the low hand).

2. Low 10, High 6, High 10, 12

   Regarding your choices of 0/8, 2/6, and 2/6, only one version of the 2/6 method is acceptable. Using High 10 with 12 would be wasteful, as deploying Low 10 with 12 wouldn't undermine the low hand. The two valid methods for this hand are 0/8 (with both 10's in the low hand) and 2/6 (where the low hand consists of 12 and Low 10).

Chart

The chart below illustrates the frequency of each hand type as per the Foxwoods house rules, along with the ideal strategy and basic strategies (including exceptions) applicable for both the dealer's and player's banking scenarios.

House Edge

The subsequent table highlights the house advantage using J.B.'s strategy, encompassing both standard play and exceptions, alongside some alternative strategies. This data presumes that the player pre-pays the commission, which is always advisable if permitted. If the commission isn't prepaid, there will be an additional 0.07% charge.

Written by: Michael Shackleford