Pai Gow Tiles Ranking: The Complete Guide to Hand Rankings & Strategy

Picture this: you're sitting at the Pai Gow table. The dealer pushes 4 tiles in front of you — ancient Chinese dominoes with red and white dots. The guy next to you splits his tiles in two seconds flat. He's played a thousand hands. You're staring at yours like they're hieroglyphics.

Sound familiar? Don't worry. Pai Gow Tiles looks intimidating, but the ranking system follows a clear logic once you see the pattern. The problem is that most guides dump a wall of tables on you and call it a day.

Here's what we'll do differently. In the next 10 minutes, you'll know every pair ranking by heart, understand the mod-10 scoring system, and be able to set your tiles like someone who's been playing for years. We even built an interactive quiz so you can test yourself. Let's go.

TL;DR — Pai Gow Tiles Rankings at a Glance

No time for the full guide? Here's the cheat sheet:

Core rules: Add your tile pips, keep only the last digit (mod 10). Highest non-pair hand = 9. Split your 4 tiles into high hand + low hand. Beat the dealer in BOTH to win.

Screenshot this. Thank me later.

What Are Pai Gow Tiles? (The 60-Second Version)

Pai Gow Tiles is an ancient Chinese domino game played with a set of 32 tiles. It's one of the oldest casino games still played today — and it's NOT Pai Gow Poker.

Here's the quick version:

• Equipment: 32 Chinese dominoes (not playing cards)
• Goal: Beat the dealer by splitting 4 tiles into 2 hands (high + low)
• Win condition: Both your hands must beat the dealer's corresponding hands
• Push: Win one, lose one = your money comes back (no loss!)
• House edge: ~2.5% with basic play, lower if you bank

That last point matters. A house edge of 2.5% is better than American Roulette (5.26%), most slot machines, and many table games. Pai Gow Tiles is a smart bet if you know what you're doing.

Pai Gow Tiles vs Pai Gow Poker

This confuses a lot of people. Here's the difference in 10 seconds:

If you play poker, Pai Gow Poker will feel natural. Pai Gow Tiles requires learning a completely different ranking system — which is exactly what this guide teaches you.

The 32 Tiles: Your Complete Reference

Chinese dominoes work like two dice faces stamped onto a single tile. Each tile shows a combination of pips (dots) on its top and bottom halves.

The 32 tiles split into two major groups:

Day (Civilian) Tiles — 22 Tiles

The civilian tiles come in 11 pairs. Each pair has two identical tiles:

*Bon has 2 pips on each half = 4 total, different from Gor (1-3 = 4).

Sup (Military) Tiles — 10 Tiles

Military tiles are NOT identical pairs — each pip combination appears only once:

Important: The two "9" tiles look different (4-5 vs 3-6) but both count as 9. The same goes for 8s, 7s, and 5s. Military tiles with the same pip value form mixed pairs — we'll get to those.

And then there's the Gee tiles (1-2 and 2-4). These two are special — together they form the Supreme Pair, the strongest hand in the game.

Complete Pair Rankings (Strongest to Weakest)

This is the heart of Pai Gow Tiles. Memorize these rankings and you're ahead of 90% of players.

#1: Supreme Pair — Gee Joon (至尊)

The 1-2 tile and the 2-4 tile together form the Supreme Pair (Gee Joon). This is the nuclear option — the absolute strongest hand in the game.

Why? Because Gee tiles are wildcards. Each one can count as either 3 or 6. So when you pair them:

• 3 + 3 = 6
• 3 + 6 = 9
• 6 + 6 = 12 → 2 (mod 10)

You always pick the value that gives you the best hand. That flexibility is why Gee Joon sits alone at the top.

Pro tip: If you get both Gee tiles, NEVER break them up. The Supreme Pair beats every other pair in the game.

Matched Pairs (#2 through #12)

Matched pairs are two identical tiles. These rank by a traditional order that you need to memorize — it does NOT follow pip count:

Notice: Day pair (2 pips each) ranks #3, above Yun (8 pips) and Mooy (10 pips). The ranking follows traditional Chinese cultural hierarchy, not math. Heaven > Earth > Man > Goose > Plum... it's a fixed order.

Mixed Pairs (#13 through #16)

Mixed pairs combine two military tiles with the same pip total but different dot arrangements:

Mixed pairs are weaker than all matched pairs but still beat any non-pair hand, including a hand valued at 9.

Wongs and Gongs

These are special two-tile combos that rank between pairs and regular hands:

Wong (王 = King): A Teen tile (6-6) or Day tile (1-1) paired with any 9-pip tile

• Teen + any 9 = Wong
• Day + any 9 = Wong
• Hand value = 12 + 9 = 21 → 1 (mod 10)... but Wong is a special rank above 9!

Gong (槓): A Teen tile or Day tile paired with any 8-pip tile

• Teen + any 8 = Gong
• Day + any 8 = Gong

Ranking: Pairs > Wong > Gong > Regular hands (9 down to 0)

How Hand Values Work (Mod-10 Scoring)

Here's where the math comes in — and it's simpler than you think.

The rule: Add the pip values of your two tiles. Drop the tens digit. Keep only the ones digit.

$Value = (Tile_1 + Tile_2) \mod 10$

Think of it like a clock that resets at 10. Once you hit 10, you go back to 0.

Examples:

The hierarchy for non-pair hands: 9 > 8 > 7 > 6 > 5 > 4 > 3 > 2 > 1 > 0

A hand of 0 (called "bong") is the worst possible non-pair hand. A hand of 9 is the best. But remember: even a 0 with a matched pair beats a standalone 9.

Gee tile flexibility: When a Gee tile (1-2 or 2-4) is in your hand but NOT forming the Supreme Pair, it can count as 3 or 6 — whichever gives you a better value. Example: Gee tile (can be 3 or 6) + 7-pip tile = either 10 → 0, or 13 → 3. You'd choose 3.

How to Set Your Hands: High Hand & Low Hand

You receive 4 tiles. You must split them into two hands of 2 tiles each:

• High hand (front): Must be the stronger hand
• Low hand (back): Must be the weaker hand

Both hands must beat the dealer's corresponding hands to win your bet:

Copy hand rule: If your hand ties the dealer's hand exactly, the dealer wins that hand. This is where a chunk of the house edge comes from.

Setting Strategy Basics

The golden rules:

1. Never break a ranked pair — pairs are too valuable
2. Maximize your low hand without weakening the high hand below it
3. If you have Gee tiles forming Supreme Pair — keep them together, always
4. With Wong or Gong possible — usually keep that combo in high hand
5. Balance is key — a 9-0 split (high 9, low 0) often loses because your low hand is dead

Use our session simulator to see how different setting strategies play out over hundreds of hands. The same session discipline that works for Pai Gow Tiles also applies to high-roller blackjack strategy — short sessions with strict stop-wins.

The House Way: How Dealers Set Their Tiles

Every casino has a "house way" — a fixed set of rules the dealer follows to split their 4 tiles. Dealers don't make decisions; they follow a chart.

Key patterns in most house ways:

• With a pair: Keep the pair in the high hand, best remaining in low hand
• With two pairs: Usually split them — one pair in each hand
• With Gee Joon + strong tiles: Keep Supreme Pair in high hand
• With no pairs: Maximize the high hand first, then optimize the low hand
• With Wong/Gong: Keep the special combo in the high hand

Knowing the house way helps you predict what the dealer will do — and set your own tiles accordingly. Many players copy the house way exactly, which is a decent baseline strategy.

Practice: Test Your Ranking Knowledge

Ready to test what you've learned? This interactive quiz shows you tile combinations and asks you to identify their rank.

5 Common Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

1. Breaking Up a Ranked Pair

You hold a matched pair of Teen (12-12). Your other two tiles are weak. Tempting to split the Teens to boost both hands? Don't. A ranked pair in your high hand is worth more than any non-pair value.

2. Forgetting Gee Joon Flexibility

Your Gee tile can be 3 or 6. Lots of players lock in one value and forget to check the other. Always calculate both options before setting your hand.

3. Ignoring the Low Hand

A high hand of 9 with a low hand of 0 often loses. The dealer only needs to beat your low hand with a 1. Balance matters. Sometimes a 7-3 split is better than 9-1.

4. Not Knowing Wong/Gong Combos

When you hold Teen + a 9-pip tile, that's a Wong — it ranks above any regular 9 hand. Missing this means you're undervaluing your hand and possibly setting your tiles wrong.

5. Playing Pai Gow Tiles Like Pai Gow Poker

Different game, different rules. There are no poker hands here — no flushes, no straights. It's all about pair rankings and mod-10 values. If you're coming from poker, reset your brain.

Pai Gow Tiles vs Pai Gow Poker: Key Differences

Bottom line: Pai Gow Tiles is the more skill-intensive game with slightly better odds if you master the rankings. Pai Gow Poker is more accessible because card players already know the ranking system.

Strategy Tips for Real Casino Play

Bankroll Management

• Minimum buy-in: Aim for 20x the table minimum ($500 for a$25 table)
• Expect slow sessions: Pai Gow has many pushes — your bankroll fluctuates slowly
• Session length: 2-3 hours is typical; the game is designed for marathon play

Use our bankroll calculator to plan your session, or run a risk of ruin analysis before hitting the tables.

Take the Banking Option

When the casino lets you bank (be the "dealer"), take it. Banking flips the copy-hand advantage to you — now YOU win ties. This can reduce the effective house edge from ~2.5% to under 2%.

Commission Strategy

Most casinos charge 5% commission on winning hands. This means:

• $25 bet → win$25 → pay $1.25 commission → net$23.75
• Factor commission into your expected loss calculations
• Some casinos collect commission differently — ask before you sit

Know When to Push

Pai Gow Tiles has a high push rate (~41% of hands). This is actually a feature, not a bug. Pushes:

• Preserve your bankroll during cold streaks
• Let you play longer for the same money
• Make Pai Gow one of the lowest-variance table games

Check our session simulator to see how push rates affect your session outcomes.

Quick Reference Card

Save this for the casino floor:

Final Thoughts

Pai Gow Tiles has survived for centuries because it rewards knowledge over luck. The ranking system looks complex at first, but it follows a logical pattern — and now you know it.

Here's what puts you ahead:

• You know all 16 pair rankings (Supreme > 11 matched > 4 mixed)
• You understand mod-10 scoring and Gee tile flexibility
• You can set your hands properly (balance high + low)
• You know the 5 biggest mistakes and how to dodge them

Now you know more than 95% of the players who sit down at a Pai Gow Tiles table. The only thing left is practice — use our quiz above, then go test your skills. Looking for another table game to try between Pai Gow sessions? Check out our complete guide to Match the Dealer blackjack — one of the best side bets in the casino.

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