Pai Gow Poker Hand Rankings

This guide explains Pai Gow Poker hand rankings in order from highest to lowest. While Pai Gow Poker follows standard poker rankings, the use of a Joker creates important differences that dealers and players must understand.

Pai Gow Poker Hand Rankings (Highest to Lowest)

Five of a Kind

Five of a Kind is the highest possible hand in Pai Gow Poker. This hand is only possible because the game uses a Joker.

A Five of a Kind occurs when a player has four cards of the same rank plus the Joker, most commonly four Aces and the Joker. This hand beats all other poker hands.

Royal Flush

A Royal Flush consists of an Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten of the same suit. In Pai Gow Poker, a Royal Flush is beaten only by Five of a Kind.

Straight Flush

A Straight Flush is five cards in numerical order, all of the same suit. A Royal Flush is considered the highest possible Straight Flush.

Straight Flushes lose to Royal Flushes and Five of a Kind but beat Four of a Kind and lower hands.

Four of a Kind

Four of a Kind consists of four cards of the same rank. This hand loses to Straight Flushes and higher but beats Full Houses and lower hands.

Full House

A Full House is made up of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank. Full Houses lose to Four of a Kind and higher but beat Flushes and lower hands.

Flush

A Flush contains five cards of the same suit that are not in sequence. Flushes lose to Full Houses and higher but beat Straights and lower hands.

Straight

A Straight is five cards in numerical order with mixed suits.

In Pai Gow Poker, the second-highest straight is A-2-3-4-5, which differs from standard poker rules.

Straights lose to Flushes and higher but beat Three of a Kind and lower hands.

Three of a Kind

Three of a Kind consists of three cards of the same rank. This hand loses to Straights and higher but beats Two Pair and lower hands.

Two Pair

Two Pair consists of two different pairs. Two Pair loses to Three of a Kind and higher but beats a single Pair and High Card hands.

Pair

A Pair consists of two cards of the same rank. A Pair loses to Two Pair and higher but beats High Card hands.

High Card

A High Card hand contains no matching ranks or sequences. The hand is described by its highest card, such as Queen-High Pai Gow.

High Card is the lowest possible ranking in Pai Gow Poker.

Next in the Pai Gow Poker Series

Continue to the next lesson to learn how hands are set using the house way and how winners are determined.