What “house way” means

The house way is the casino’s written method for splitting four tiles. It gives the dealer a repeatable answer when more than one legal setting exists.

Updated 2026-10-279 min read

Short answer

Ask for house way if you do not know how to set the hand. The dealer will apply that table’s chart. It is a consistency rule—not one universal strategy used everywhere.

The common structure

Take the obvious best playIf one setting leaves both hands equal to or stronger than every alternative, use it.
Handle pairsKeep two pairs as two hands. With one pair, consult the chart before splitting it.
Score no-pair handsCompare all three settings, including Wongs and Gongs.
Apply the chart’s prioritySome equal combined totals have a preferred low/high shape.
Use tile rankPlace the stronger equal-value tile where the chart requires it.

A current California-approved example

Parkwest Casino 580’s August 2025 chart starts with an override: if one setting is at least as strong in both hands as every alternative, use it. Its example keeps a Teen pair with loose three- and four-point tiles, producing 7/Teen pair.

Gee Joon

Split only with 12-, 11- or 10-dot tiles.

Teen or Day pair

Split to make 6/8 or better, or with nine- and eleven-dot tiles.

Six pair

Split with a combination of 2, 11 and 12.

Seven pair

Split with a combination of 2, 10, 11 and 12.

Eight pair

Use the same 2, 10, 11 and 12 group; also split with nine and eleven.

Nine pair

Split with a combination of 2, 10 and 12.

Source: Parkwest Casino 580, BGC ID GEGR-002327, August 2025. These are Parkwest rules, not a universal chart.

How a generic teaching method differs

The independent generic house way keeps one pair together unless splitting produces two strong hands, improves a very weak low hand to at least three with Teen or Day, or improves a low hand of three or less to seven or better while leaving at least nine high. That explains the logic, but it does not replace the chart at a live table.

The 14-point example

Parkwest shows 12, 8, 9 and 5. The available settings are 4/Gong, 3/Wong and 7/7. Its chart treats Wong as 11 and Gong as 10 for this house-way calculation, making all three combined totals 14. The chart lists 7/7 first, so that is the house play.

At the table

Ask for house way before arranging or exposing the tiles. If the posted procedure differs from this guide, follow the table.

Side by side

Compare published house ways

Parkwest is one chart. The house-way comparison sets Parkwest, Star’s Casino, Fallsview’s setting hints and the generic teaching method side by side. To see how the first two steps apply to your own four tiles, use the hand calculator.

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