Maybe people aren't aware of how many options they have to play poker.
This article is written for those of you who have never heard of the great game of Chinese poker, and explains its history, fundamentals and differences to the traditional game of poker as we Westerners know it.
Sometimes we are bored with the same routine and just want to try new things.
Free poker - free online poker games. 247 Free Poker has free online poker, jacks or better, tens or better, deuces wild, joker poker and many other poker games that you can play online for.
- Players of online poker haven't fared any better in terms of being able to play on offshore poker rooms. In 2018, the government effectively banned all online gambling applications, and even placed restrictions on the promotion of poker in Chinese social media platforms.
- Chinese poker, also Pusoy, is a poker card game that has been played in the Asian community for many years. It has begun to gain popularity elsewhere because it has many features of an 'exciting' gambling game. You can chose to play online against players from all over the world or offline against your android device. In this poker game you can play chinese poker.
It can definitely fit the bill for enthusiasts who want a change, but with some of the same elements of their familiar game. And, of course, you can easily play online.
The History of Chinese Poker
China, perhaps more than any other place on earth, has a very deep and wide history of games of chance. Many people feel that it's a big part of the Chinese national character to love these games.
The earliest version of the game is unclear because this all started so long ago. But the current game of Pai Gow, as it is known today, has existed in various versions and forms for centuries now.
The modern version, Pai Gow, is a hybrid, incorporating many aspects of Western poker.
Chinese Poker and the Modern World
Many people in the West heard about the game for the first time back in 1995, when it was introduced to the Bracelet event put on as part of the WSOP (World Series Of Poker).
Unfortunately, it was dropped from the event two years later, but that did not stop curious people from wanting to know more about this fascinating game.
Casinos, first in Las Vegas, and then shortly after all over Europe, started picking the game up and including it in their offerings. The game caught on particularly all over Europe and is a staple feature now in many casinos worldwide.
Chinese Poker Goes Online
Despite the fact that the WSOP still hasn't seen fit to re-integrate the game into its proceedings, it continues to surge in popularity, especially in the online casino sphere.
As a matter of fact, many of the world's most famous players have given the game glowing endorsements.
Phil Ivey, Phil Helmuth, and Doyle Brunson have all expressed an affinity for the game, saying that they like the added layers of complexity and the skill and patience required to play properly.
In today's internet-based world, these words of praise quickly went across the globe and people are now following suit.
The Rules of Chinese Poker
In its present-day version uses the same 52-card deck of cards as Western one does. It's a 4-player game, where each player gets 13 cards, which means the whole deck is used.
Players then have to make 3 different hands out of their cards:
- Three-card front hand
- Two five-card hands
- Being the middle
- Backhands
Values are similar to Western version (although in some variations there is a strict points system), and the main rule is that your backhand has to be the strongest, followed by the middle hand, then the front hand.
Differences in Strategy for Chinese Poker
Because of the fact that you are managing three hands instead of one, strategy (online or otherwise), varies greatly; it's not just a matter of the complexity being tripled!
Deuces wild app. The other factor worth noting here is that you have a lot more control over what you do with your hand than you do with any Western variations.
This requires a lot more thought and patience in order to produce winning hands.
Games typically take a very very long time, especially compared to Western games, for this very reason.
Scoring In Chinese Poker
Chinese Poker App
There are some variations in scoring, especially counting the infinite possibilities of online games, but generally scoring is determined as follows:
The four players form two sets of opponents, that is to say, one person plays against another person of the four, and the other two against each other.
Each hand competes against the corresponding hand of the players' respective opponents. The winning hand gets awarded one point. In the case of a tie between two hands, no points are awarded whatsoever.
In the case of one player winning all three hands, the points are doubled for a total of six points.
Chinese Poker Goes Online
Despite the fact that the WSOP still hasn't seen fit to re-integrate the game into its proceedings, it continues to surge in popularity, especially in the online casino sphere.
As a matter of fact, many of the world's most famous players have given the game glowing endorsements.
Phil Ivey, Phil Helmuth, and Doyle Brunson have all expressed an affinity for the game, saying that they like the added layers of complexity and the skill and patience required to play properly.
In today's internet-based world, these words of praise quickly went across the globe and people are now following suit.
The Rules of Chinese Poker
In its present-day version uses the same 52-card deck of cards as Western one does. It's a 4-player game, where each player gets 13 cards, which means the whole deck is used.
Players then have to make 3 different hands out of their cards:
- Three-card front hand
- Two five-card hands
- Being the middle
- Backhands
Values are similar to Western version (although in some variations there is a strict points system), and the main rule is that your backhand has to be the strongest, followed by the middle hand, then the front hand.
Differences in Strategy for Chinese Poker
Because of the fact that you are managing three hands instead of one, strategy (online or otherwise), varies greatly; it's not just a matter of the complexity being tripled!
Deuces wild app. The other factor worth noting here is that you have a lot more control over what you do with your hand than you do with any Western variations.
This requires a lot more thought and patience in order to produce winning hands.
Games typically take a very very long time, especially compared to Western games, for this very reason.
Scoring In Chinese Poker
Chinese Poker App
There are some variations in scoring, especially counting the infinite possibilities of online games, but generally scoring is determined as follows:
The four players form two sets of opponents, that is to say, one person plays against another person of the four, and the other two against each other.
Each hand competes against the corresponding hand of the players' respective opponents. The winning hand gets awarded one point. In the case of a tie between two hands, no points are awarded whatsoever.
In the case of one player winning all three hands, the points are doubled for a total of six points.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed reading this brief introduction to Chinese poker and we encourage you in these trying times to check out many of the online offerings of this game.
This is truly a great game, and if you are in the category in which many people have found themselves at this present date (lots of time on your hands), we cannot recommend you enough.
It helps occupy your time and at the same time it's not mindless entertainment; it keeps your grey matter sharp and well-exercised!
We'll be seeing you on the other side of the virtual table.
FAQs
How do you play Chinese poker?To learn exactly how to play, watch this video.
What is Chinese poker called?It's most often called Open-Face Chinese Poker or OFCP.
How do you win in Chinese poker?You get 1 point for each hand of your opponent you beat. If you manage to do a sweep you win against all three hands of your opponent and get awarded 3 points. Since there is no betting or raising in this game you have to agree on a point value, for example, 1 point = $1. At the end of the game, you summarize your points and a winner is selected.
A variation of Chinese Poker called Open Face Chinese Poker (OFC) has been spreading wildly across the world. In OFC the basic gameplay is as follows:
- Each player is dealt five cards initially.
- These cards are set in either the front, middle or back hands in any way the player sees fit.
- Play continues in rounds with each player being dealt one card at a time and placing that card in any available hand.
- Play rotates clockwise with the ‘under the gun‘ player always revealing his cards first. This process is repeated until all players have been dealt 13 total cards.
- The hands and royalties are scored and each player settles with the other players. Rules for fouling a hand are the same as traditional Chinese Poker.
General rules:
- A 52-card deck is used (2 to Ace, excluding Jokers). The card suits are equivalent.
- The maximum 3 number of players at a table
- 17 pocket cards.
13 of 17 cards must be laid out into 3 boxes.
The remaining 4 cards must be discarded. - No community cards.
- No betting rounds (no blinds, ante, etc.)
Every player at a table takes one seat with 3 boxes to lay 13 cards out into (5 cards into the middle and back (the lowest) boxes, 3 cards into the front box (the highest). At the end of a hand, the back box hand must be stronger than or equal to the middle box hand, and the middle box hand must be stronger than or equal to the front box hand. - The game is played for points. The goal of the game is to achieve more points than your opponents by winning more hands and/or by collecting royalties on premium hands.
Point score is the cost of one point (for example, 1 cent for 1 point). The calculation is made at the end of a match. - Cap – the maximum limit of loss in one match. Thus, over a match, a player can lose the maximum amount of money equaling to that specified in Cap.
Hand Structure in Open Face Chinese
In both traditional Chinese Poker and Open Face, players will look at their cards and begin setting up three different poker hands,
- A three card hand, known as the Front
- A five card hand, known as the Middle
- Another five card hand known as the Back
For a hand to be valid, the back hand must be the strongest of the three hands in accordance with traditional poker hand rankings. The middle hand must be of a lower rank than the back hand, but higher than the front hand. The front hand must be the lowest strength. A valid hand would look like:
- Front – 2 2 7 (Pair of Twos)
- Middle – A A 4 4 J (Two pairs: Aces & Fours)
- Back – 8 9 T J Q (Straight)
Fouling in Open Face Chinese
If the order of strength does not go front to back, weakest to strongest, it is called a fouled hand.
For example,
- Front – 2 2 7 (Pair of Twos)
- Middle – K K 3 3 9 (Two Pairs: Kings & Threes)
- Back – Q Q 8 8 J (Two Pair: Queens & Eights)
Scoring in Open Face Chinese
Once all three hands have been set, players will compare front, middle and back hands. Each hand is worth one point. If one player has won two of the three hands they will score 1 point (winning two points and losing one for a net of +1 points). More points can be earned if the player wins all three hands, known as scooping. Players can also earn points by making high ranking hands known as royalties.
A player scoops the hand by winning all three showdowns with their front, middle, and back holdings. The player is awarded one point for each showdown won, and three bonus points for scooping for a total of six points.
When a player has fouled their hand, it counts as an automatic scoop and is worth six points. If both players have fouled their hand, the game is considered a tie.
Royalties Chart
Front, middle and back rows may earn points for making certain hands as long as the hand does not foul. The type of royalties and how much they are worth varies from game to game. Below is one common scoring chart:
Multi Player Scoring
In a game with more than two players, scores are settled by position. The player under the gun will settle with each player in a clockwise order. The player to the left of the under the gun player will then settle their debts. This continues until are players have paid.
If a player fouls in a multi-player game, that player will pay 6 units to each player plus any royalties on hands that have not fouled.
Fantasyland
Fantasyland is a type of ‘bonus round' in Chinese Poker. A player may enter Fantasyland when they have made a pair of Queens or better in the front hand without fouling.
Where To Play Chinese Poker Online
Entering Fantasyland means that on the next hand, they receive all 13 cards at once. They make all three hands at once, a huge advantage as they'll be able to see if they hit any straights or flushes in advance, and lay cards perfectly without any risk of fouling.
Other players play as normal, with just one card dealt at a time. The button does not move during Fantasyland – this is considered a continuation on the previous hand.
A player may stay in Fantasyland (and receive the same advantage next hand) if they make any of the following hands:
- Three of a kind in the front
- Full House or better in the middle
- Four of a Kind or better in the back
Related Topics:
