How to Balance Two Pair Hands Strategy in Pai Gow

Mastering a working strategy is very crucial in any gameplay. The two pair hand's strategy is very common among Pai Gow players. In this review, we will interrogate possible ways on how to balance the power in this strategy.

To succeed in Pai Gow Poker, you need to have the mental capacity to balance power between the two hands dealt with you. One is marked as the low hand, while the other is marked as the high hand. Achieving the balance is easy for most of the possible hands you can be dealt.

However, achieving the balance of power when playing two pair hands gives both newbies and experienced players a hard time. The sections below contain an analysis of the resulting balance of power for two pair hands. In addition, there are tips to help you keep the balance and play the hands to your advantage. By following the tips, you can maximize wins in Pai Gow Poker.

The Challenge for Players with Two Pair Hands

When you have two pair hands, you have to decide how you will play to maintain balance. One way of doing this is retaining the lower value in the high pair. Alternatively, you can keep it in the low pair. Whichever way you decide to play, the goal is to maintain the balance of power.

Possible Ways of Maintaining power

Take a scenario where you have received a relatively high card when you need to put in the low hand. The sensible play here would be to keep both pairs on the high. That way, you keep the balance of power in your favor. Another maneuver that would work perfectly would be splitting the pairs.

Tracking your plays with a Scoring System

Many players have trusted scoring systems to determine the best plays at each stage in Pai Gow. The reason scoring systems are used today is that they work. In practice, the scoring system requires you to add each addition to the two pairs.

For illustration, consider a stage where you are dealt a pair comprising a jack and five. All you have to do is add up the value of the two cards. In this case, 11(for the Jack) and 5. Summing up, the two gives you 16. Knowing this, you will know how to play the hand to your advantage.

Scenarios Where The Pairs Should Be Spilt

Experts recommend splitting pairs anytime the sum of the value of cards in your hand equals 17. In such a case, the individual pairs are strong enough to keep the balance of power

When your cards have a total value between 12 and 16, the decision to split is optional. The exception to this rule comes when you have an Ace card to enter in the low hand. In that case, you should keep the pairs combined in the high hand

Splitting pairs also applies if you have cards valued at a total of 7 to 11. If you can place a high-Ace or high-king in the low, it is better to avoid splitting your pairs.

At times, you may find yourself with cards totaling 6 or lower. The best play here is to split if you don’t have an Ace-high, Queen-High, or King-high to slide into the low

Closing Words

Pai Gow Poker is a fun game that should not scare you. With the plays discussed above, you can now sit at a table with other players and make the best of two pair hands. Keep in mind that the game has more rules which you should know before you start to play.