Pai Gow Poker Joker Rules Explained
Quick answer: The Pai Gow Poker joker is only semi-wild. In your five-card hand it can complete a straight, a flush or a straight flush. If it can't do any of those, it's an Ace. In your two-card hand it's always an Ace. It can never make a pair, two pair, trips, a full house or four of a kind out of anything but Aces.
These are the rules used by the 0stakes Pai Gow Poker game and by most American casinos. Players often call this joker "the bug".
Why Pai Gow Poker uses a joker
The deck is 52 cards plus one joker (53 total). The joker adds a little more action: it makes straights and flushes more common in a game where you need two hands good enough to beat the dealer. Keeping it semi-wild stops it from turning ordinary hands into monsters, which would change the game's balance far more.
Rule 1: the joker as an Ace
By default the joker is an Ace. That means:
| Five-card hand | What it counts as |
|---|---|
| Joker K♣ K♦ 7♥ 2♠ | Pair of Kings, Ace kicker |
| Joker A♣ A♦ 7♥ 2♠ | Three Aces |
| Joker K♣ K♦ Q♥ Q♠ | Two pair, Kings and Queens, Ace kicker |
| Joker K♣ K♦ K♠ 2♠ | Three Kings, Ace kicker (not four Kings) |
| Joker A♣ A♦ A♠ 2♠ | Four Aces |
| Joker A♣ A♦ A♠ A♥ | Five Aces, the best hand in the game |
The joker can pair up with real Aces. It can't pair up with anything else.
Rule 2: completing a straight
If the joker can fill a gap or an end of a straight, it does, and it takes whatever rank makes the highest straight.
| Five cards | Result |
|---|---|
| Joker 9♣ 10♦ J♥ Q♠ | King-high straight (Joker = K) |
| Joker A♥ K♦ Q♣ J♠ | Ace-high straight (Joker = 10) |
| Joker 3♥ 4♦ 5♣ 6♠ | Seven-high straight (Joker = 7) |
| Joker 2♥ 3♦ 4♣ 5♠ | A-2-3-4-5 (Joker = Ace) |
The last row is a nice detail: with 2-3-4-5, the joker could make a 6-high straight or the wheel. Because the wheel (A-2-3-4-5) is the second-highest straight in this ruleset, the joker becomes an Ace and makes the stronger hand.
Rule 3: completing a flush
With four cards of one suit, the joker completes the flush. It counts as the highest card of that suit you don't already hold:
| Five cards | Result |
|---|---|
| Joker 2♥ 7♥ 9♥ K♥ | Flush, A-K-9-7-2 (Joker = A♥) |
| Joker A♥ 7♥ 9♥ K♥ | Flush, A-K-Q-9-7 (Joker = Q♥) |
That second case trips people up. You already have the A♥, so the joker can't be another one. It becomes the next highest missing heart, the Queen.
Rule 4: completing a straight flush
Four cards to a straight flush plus the joker makes a straight flush, again choosing the highest possible:
| Five cards | Result |
|---|---|
| Joker 5♠ 6♠ 7♠ 8♠ | Nine-high straight flush |
| Joker 9♥ J♥ Q♥ K♥ | King-high straight flush (Joker = 10♥) |
| Joker 10♠ J♠ Q♠ K♠ | Royal Flush (Joker = A♠) |
Rule 5: the joker in the two-card hand
In the two-card hand the joker is always an Ace. There are no straights or flushes in a two-card hand, so there's nothing else it could do.
| Two-card hand | Result |
|---|---|
| Joker K♦ | A-K |
| Joker 7♣ | A-7 |
| Joker A♠ | Pair of Aces, the best possible low hand |
Joker plus a King in the two-card hand is the strongest non-pair low hand you can have, which makes the joker valuable even when it doesn't complete anything.
Legal and illegal interpretations
| Claim | Legal? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Joker + 9-9 + 5-2 = three 9s | No | The joker only pairs with Aces. It's a pair of 9s with an Ace kicker. |
| Joker + K-K-Q-Q = full house | No | Not a straight or flush. Two pair, Ace kicker. |
| Joker + K-K-K = four Kings | No | Three Kings, Ace kicker. |
| Joker + A-A-A = four Aces | Yes | The joker is an Ace. |
| Joker + four hearts = flush | Yes | Completes a flush. |
| Joker + 3-4-5-6 = straight | Yes | Completes a straight, as a 7. |
| Joker + K = pair of Kings (low hand) | No | Two-card hand: always an Ace. A-K. |
How the joker changes hand setting
Because the joker is an Ace unless it completes something, it often belongs in the two-card hand when your five-card hand doesn't need it. Two examples from the 0stakes house way:
- Joker A♥ 7♥ 4♥ 2♥ K♦ Q♣: the joker completes an Ace-high heart flush, so the flush goes high and K-Q goes low.
- Joker 8♦ 9♣ 10♠ J♥ 3♦ 3♣: the joker completes a Queen-high straight, which frees the pair of 3s to go low.
Without a straight or flush to complete, a lone joker usually acts as the Ace it is: kept high if it's your top card, or played low as A-x when that makes the better two-card hand. The full rules are in the house way guide.
Common misconceptions
- "The joker is wild." Only for straights and flushes. Everywhere else it's an Ace.
- "The joker can be any card in a flush." It's the highest card of that suit you don't hold.
- "Joker plus four of a kind is five of a kind." Only with four Aces. Four Kings plus the joker is four Kings with an Ace kicker.
- "The joker can make a two-card straight." Two-card hands don't have straights.
- "House rules never vary." A few casinos play the joker differently, especially in side bets. Ask before you play elsewhere.
FAQ
Is the joker wild in Pai Gow Poker?
Partly. It completes straights, flushes and straight flushes. Otherwise it counts as an Ace.
Can the joker make five of a kind?
Only five Aces: four Aces plus the joker. It's the highest hand in the game.
What is the joker in the two-card hand?
Always an Ace.
Can the joker complete a straight flush?
Yes, including a Royal Flush.
What does the joker count as in a flush if I already have the Ace?
The highest card of that suit you don't already hold, such as the King or Queen.
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