Welcome to Open Face Chinese Poker
The Goal: My objective in Open Face Chinese Poker is to earn more points than my opponents by winning more rows (hands) and collecting royalties.
Number of Players: This game is for 2-4 players.
Number of Cards: We’ll be using a standard deck of 52 cards.
Card Rankings: The cards rank from highest to lowest: A (high), K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
Type of Game: We’ll be playing this game in a casino setting.
Audience: This game is intended for adults.
An Introduction to Open Face Chinese Poker
Hey there! Let me tell you about Open Face Chinese Poker (OFC), a super cool version of Chinese poker. What’s unique about OFC is that you use 13 cards to create three different hands. Isn’t that neat?
OFC was actually created in Finland back in 2011. From there, it made its way to Russia and finally landed in the United States in 2012. Since then, it’s become a popular game to play alongside big poker tournaments. You can usually find these games in fancy hotels and casinos in Las Vegas.
In OFC, each player gets 13 cards to work with. You arrange these cards into three hands: three cards in the front hand, five cards in the middle hand, and the remaining five cards in the back hand. The trick is that your back hand has to be better than your middle hand, and your middle hand has to be better than your front hand. It’s all about ranking!
The goal of OFC is to outdo your opponents by getting more points than them. You do this by beating their hands using the classic Poker Hand Rankings. But here’s the catch: you need to avoid fouling. Fouling happens when you mess up the order of your hands or do something against the rules. So be careful!
Let’s Get Dealing!
When it comes to traditional Chinese poker, the game starts with each player receiving all thirteen cards at once. However, Open Face Chinese Poker shakes things up a bit. In this version, the dealer begins by dealing each player 5 cards that they can’t see, known as “in the hole.” Then, the dealer starts dealing one card at a time to each player until they all have a total of 13 cards. Unlike traditional Chinese poker, all the cards are dealt face-up for everyone to see.
During the deal, there are different approaches to forming rows. Some sources say you don’t have to form rows right away, while others argue that you have to put a card in a row before receiving the next one. However, once you place a card in a row, you can’t move it anymore.
When it comes to scoring, legal hands earn six points, and there’s also the chance to earn additional royalty points. If multiple players foul, meaning they make an invalid move, their fouls cancel each other out, and no one gains or loses points as a result. Each player takes their turn one at a time in this game.
FOULING
Fouling, or missetting, is when you make an illegal move in a game. It’s like throwing your hand out of play. To avoid fouling, you need to make sure that your back hand is equal to or higher than your middle hand, and your middle hand is equal to or higher than your front hand. If these rules aren’t followed, your hand is fouled, and you lose six points. That’s one point for each row, plus a three-point bonus for scooping. And if you foul and your opponents have already earned royalties, you might lose even more points. But the good news is that fouled hands don’t count towards possible royalties. So, keep an eye on your hand and make sure you don’t foul!
FANTASYLAND
If I have a front hand of QQX or higher and I don’t foul, I get special points – that’s what we call fantasyland. When I reach fantasyland, the next hand is dealt face-down, and I can’t turn my cards face-up until I act. If my hand allows, I can keep reaching fantasyland over and over again. But I have to let everyone at the table know if I make fantasyland while I’m already there. And it’s possible for more than one player to reach fantasyland at the same time. To stay in fantasyland, I must have one of the following:
Front: Any 3 of a Kind
Middle: Full House or better
Back: Four of a Kind or better
OR score 10 point royalty (or higher) in a ‘subhand’
SHOOTING THE MOON
When we play poker at home, we sometimes have a special rule that isn’t used in casinos. If I have a high jack card in my back hand and I don’t foul (make an invalid play), I get 20 units from the other players.
How the Game is Scored
Units (Points)
In Open Face Chinese Poker, we play for points or units. These are like tokens or money that we agree on before we start the game.
When you play Open-Face Chinese Poker (OFC), you can win units from the other players. If your hand is better in the front, middle, or back row, you’ll get a unit from each player whose hand you beat. Some variations even allow you to win extra units if you win two or three hands. Normally, you only get the extra units if you win all three hands, and that’s called a scoop. If you’re playing one-on-one, you can agree on different amounts for each unit. For example, Player X and Player Y might say each unit is worth $20, while Player Z and Player B might say each unit is worth $15.
1-6 Scoring Method
The most common way to keep score in OFC is the 1-6 method.
You get 1 unit for each hand you win against another player. If you win all three hands against another player, you also get 3 extra points (a scoop).
You lose 1 unit for each hand you lose to another player. If a player scoops you, you lose 3 points to that player.
In OFC (Open-Face Chinese) poker, points are continuously tallied throughout the game based on the number of players you defeat or lose to. The more players involved, the higher the potential score. But that’s not all – there are also royalty points up for grabs!
ROYALTIES
Royalties are extra points awarded for achieving exceptional hands. They are like golden nuggets that enhance your overall score.
Hand/Units
Front Hand/Units Middle Hand/Units Back Hand/Units
6-6-X/1 Three of a Kind/2 Straight/2
7-7-X/2 Straight/4 Flush/4
8-8-X/3 Flush/8 Full House/6
9-9-X/4 Full House/12 Four of a Kind/10
10-10-X/5 Four of a Kind/20 Straight Flush/15
J-J-X/6 Straight Flush/30 Royal Flush/25
J-J-X/6 Straight Flush/30 Royal Flush/25