Pai Gow Poker Hand Ranks

Hand Rank Differences Between Pai Gow and Other Forms of Poker

• In most varieties of poker: A2345 is the lowest-ranked of the straights or straight flushes.
• In pai gow poker: In most casinos that offer pai gow poker, A2345 is the second-highest straight or straight flush, ranking below AKQJT and above KQJT9. (However, note that the occasional casino ranks A2345 the same way that it’s ranked in other varieties of poker, as the lowest straight or straight flush.)

Hand Ranks for the Five-Card Hand

Hand		Example		Comments
Five aces				The only five of a kind possible in pai gow poker is five aces: four aces plus the joker.­­
Royal flush				The TJQKA of a single suit.
Straight flush				Five cards of the same suit in sequence. An ace may be considered high or low for a sequence. For example, both A2345 and TJQKA are considered in sequence. However, an ace cannot be considered high and low in a single hand, so QKA23 is not a straight. To compare one straight flush with another, you need to compare only the highest card of each hand. For example, 6789T is higher than 34567 since a T is higher than a 7. One anomaly in pai gow poker: most casinos consider A2345 to be second only to a royal flush. For example, A2345 beats KQJT9.
Four of a kind				Four cards of the same rank, regardless of suit. The fifth card is irrelevant. To compare one four of a kind with another, the hand with the cards of the higher rank wins. For example, AAAA beats KKKK.
Full house				A combination of three of a kind and a pair—that is, three cards of equal rank and two cards of another equal rank. To compare one full house with another, compare the three of a kind portions.For example, 99922 is higher than 777JJ.
Flush				Five cards of the same suit. To compare one flush with another, compare the highest card of each hand first, followed by the second- and third-highest cards if necessary. For example, a flush of 96532 is higher than a flush of 87432, since a 9 is higher than an 8.
Straight				Five cards in sequence, regardless of suit. As in a straight flush, an ace in a straight can be considered high or low but not both. To compare one straight with another, compare the highest card of each hand. For example, 89TJQ is higher than 56789 since a Q is higher than a 9. As with straight flushes, A2345 is usually the second-highest straight in pai gow poker, ranking between AKQJT and KQJT9.
Three of a kind				Three cards of equal rank. When comparing one three of a kind with another, the hand with the cards of the higher rank wins. For example, AAA is higher than QQQ.
Two pair				Two cards of equal rank and two cards of another equal rank. To compare one two pair with another, first compare the higher pairs. The hand with the higher top pair wins. For example, QQ446 is higher than JJ88K because the top pair of queens is higher than the top pair of jacks. If the top pairs are equal, the hand with the higher bottom pair wins. If both pairs are equal, the hand with the higher fifth card wins.
One pair				Two cards of equal rank. To compare one pair with another, the higher pair wins. If the two hands have the same pair, the ranks of the singletons (the three cards not in the pair) break the tie. For example, 66T92 is higher than 66752 since a T is higher than a 7.
High card				A hand that doesn’t meet any of the above criteria. It’s usually referred to by the value of its highest card, followed by the word high. For instance, KT984 is referred to as “king high.” To compare one high card hand with another, the highest card of each hand is compared first, followed by the remaining cards if necessary: Q7432 is higher than Q6542 since a 7 is higher than a 6.

The Two-Card Hand in Pai Gow Poker