Open Face Chinese Poker is a highly addictive and exciting game. In OFCP, the rules are quite different from that of Texas Hold'em. Here are some few tips on how to play Open Face Chinese Poker: You should always plan your potential moves from the start. For instance, according to Todd Brunson, ' Open-face Chinese is a cancer in poker. It does not fall under the definition of poker. They do not let you play Gin in the poker room for the same reason they shouldn't let you play Chinese Poker. Open Face Chinese Poker is a variation of Chinese Poker, with a touch of the unknown. Try it out online at Tonybet Poker. Invented in the Baltic countries in the not-too-distant past, this individual hand poker game has proven to carry enough 'gamble' to pique the interest of many famous high stakes poker players. Open Face Chinese Poker and Pineapple OFCP can be played online at flopturnriver, either between 2-4 live players or as a 2-player (heads up) game against a bot. There are many information sites and blogs appearing.
| Origin | Finland |
|---|---|
| Alternative names | Open Face Chinese, OFC, OFCP |
| Players | 2 - 4 |
| Skills required | Tactics, strategy |
| Cards | 52 |
| Deck | French |
| Play | Clockwise |
| Card rank (highest first) | A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 |
| Playing time | 5 -10 min. per round |
| Random chance | Medium to High |
| Related games | |
| Chinese poker Pai gow poker |
Open-face Chinese poker, OFCP, commonly known as Open Face Chinese or OFC, is a variant of Chinese poker where players receive five cards to start and then one card at a time until each player has a 13 card hand legal or not. The game originated in Finland during the mid-2000s and spread to Russia a few years later. Professional poker player Alex Kravchenko, who is credited with introducing the game to the Russian high-stakes community, describes the game as 'spreading like a virus'.[1] The game was introduced to the United States in 2012.[2]
In December 2014, TonyBet hosted the first-ever World Championship of OFC where Jennifer Shahade won the High Roller and Mikal Blomlie won the Main Event.[3][4]
Gameplay[edit]
Open-face Chinese poker is typically played as a two- to three-person game, though it can also be played with four people. Each player must use thirteen cards consisting of 3 cards in the front hand, 5 cards in the middle hand, and 5 cards in the back hand. Play is in clockwise order and starts with the player left of the dealer. As in standard Chinese poker, the back hand must be stronger than or equal to the middle hand and the middle hand must be stronger than or equal to the front hand. The strength of the hand is determined by poker hand rankings. The middle and back can make the best five-card poker hand while the front hand can only make the best three-card hand. The best front hand is three aces. Straights, flushes, and straight flushes are not legal front hands.[5]
Objective[edit]
The goal of the game is to achieve more units (also known as points) than your opponents by winnings more hands also known as rows and/or by collecting royalties on premium hands without fouling. See fouling for more details.
To win rows, your hand ranking must be higher than your opponents' in that same row, for example:
| Ivey | Hellmuth | Winner | |
| Front | 6♠6♣4♥ | A♥K♦Q♦ | Ivey |
| Middle | 10♦10♠9♣Q♠8♣ | 9♥9♦5♥5♦4♣ | Hellmuth |
| Back | 3♥3♦3♠2♥2♦ | K♠J♠9♠8♠7♠ | Ivey |
Ivey would win the front row and back row, but lose the middle row. See scoring for more details.
Fouling[edit]
Fouling also known as mis-setting is when an illegal hand is made and as a result, the hand is forfeited. The back hand must be stronger than or equal to the middle and the front, the middle must be stronger or equal to the front, otherwise, the hand is not legal and is considered fouled. In this case the player who fouled loses six points (one point per line plus three point scoop bonus) per non-fouling player and each non-fouling player gains six points. Players who fouled can lose additional units if players with legal hands achieved royalties. Opponents with legal hands gains six points plus any royalties in their hands, but not the royalties in fouled hands. When a hand is fouled the fouling players loses all royalties in their hands as well. If more than one player foul, then the players who foul tie other players who foul and no points are gained or lost between players with fouled hands. Unlike standard Chinese poker, players do not receive all thirteen cards at once. Therefore, fouling plays a large factor, and strategies are devised to avoid it.[5]
| Row/Hand | Strength of hand |
| Front (3 cards) | 3rd / Weakest hand |
| Middle (5 cards) | 2nd / Stronger |
| Back (5 cards) | 1st / Strongest |
Dealing[edit]
Unlike standard Chinese poker where all thirteen cards are dealt at once, in open face Chinese each player is dealt five cards in the beginning and then one card at a time until thirteen card hands are made (8 deals after 5 cards are dealt). The cards are all set face up. The dealer deals clockwise with the player to the left of the dealer acting first. In the beginning it is not necessary to set cards in each row. Players can set all cards in three or fewer rows depending on their preference. For example, if a player receives A♣2♦3♠4♥5♣ as the first five cards he or she can set them all on the back or middle row if desired. Once a row has been completed (e.g. 3 cards in the front or 5 cards in the middle or back) then another open row must be picked. Once a card has been set it cannot be moved to a different row.
Fantasyland[edit]
Fantasyland is a special bonus awarded to players that make a hand that has a pair of queens (QQx) or stronger in the front hand and does not foul. When fantasyland is achieved, the next hand, the player receives all thirteen cards dealt at once while other players must play out the hand as standard open face. Players in fantasyland sets their hand face down when it is their turn to act. Players can fantasyland repeatedly if they are able to make the required hand. If a player makes fantasyland while already in fantasyland, he or she must declare it to all opponents.[5] However, to remain in fantasyland while in fantasyland requires higher royalties, one or more of the following conditions must be met:
Nobu is the world's most recognised Japanese restaurant and is known for its innovative 'New Style' Japanese cuisine. Esteemed Chef Nobu Matsuhisa brings his reputable fusion of traditional Japanese cuisine with South American flavours to create the unique dining experience that is Nobu. Crown Perth Restaurants With premium restaurants delivering world-class fine-dining experiences and casual eateries offering a more relaxed vibe, Crown Perth is home to some of the best restaurants in Perth. So, whatever the dining occasion, we've got you covered. Award-winning dining is back at Crown Perth. Crown casino perth japanese restaurant nyc. Nobu at Crown Perth Nobu is the world's most recognised Japanese restaurant and is known for its innovative new style Japanese cuisine. Esteemed Chef Nobu Matsuhisa brings his reputable fusion of traditional Japanese cuisine with South American flavours to create the.
| Row/Hand | Strength of hand |
| Front (and/or) | Any three of a kind |
| Middle (and/or) | Full house or higher |
| Back (and/or) | Four of a kind or higher |
Open Face Chinese Poker Calculator
More than one player can achieve fantasyland. Another way of stating how to stay in fantasyland would be one must score a 10-point royalty or higher in any sub-hand.
Shooting the moon[edit]
If a player has J-high in the back hand and does not foul, he or she receives 20 units from all other players. Shooting the moon is rarely found in open face Chinese poker games, and is generally reserved for kitchen table home games.
Scoring[edit]
The stakes played for in Chinese poker are known as units or points: an amount of money agreed on per unit before the game starts. Basic scoring rules dictate that a player collects one unit from each opponent whose front, middle or back hand is beaten by his own corresponding hand. Thus, unlike most poker games, being second-best at the table is good enough to win money. In some variants players are also paid an additional unit if they win in two or three of the hands. In other variants players only get an additional unit if they win all three hands (known as a scoop). Also, due to the head-to-head nature of the comparisons, it is possible for different players to play for different stakes. For example, A and B could play for $10 per unit versus each other, while all other player pairings play for $1 per unit. Many variations of scoring are in common use; refer to the external links for more information.
The most common scoring system used in Open-face Chinese poker is the 1-6 scoring method.
In the 1-6 method the players receives 1 unit for each hand they win, and 3 bonus units if they win all three hands from a player known as a scoop. Players lose 1 unit for each hand they lose to each player and lose 3 bonus units to each player who scoops them.
In the example above, Hellmuth would pay Ivey 4 units, as Hellmuth scored 5 units, while Ivey scored 9. The difference is 4, and therefore Hellmuth would pay Ivey 4 units. Hellmuth received 5 units by scoring 1 unit for winning the middle hand, and 4 units for a flush royalty in the back. The total becomes 5. Ivey scored 9 units by scoring 1 unit for the winning the top, 1 unit for a pair of 6 royalty up top, 1 unit for winning the bottom, and 6 units for a full house royalty on the bottom. The total becomes 9.
Points are added to the winner and subtracted from the loser as the game progresses. If a game has more than two players, players gain a point for each hand/row they win from each player and lose a point for each hand/row they lose from each player. Royalty points are also scored based on the number of players involved. For example, a player with a completed back hand flush in a three player game would receive an 8-point bonus, 4 per player excluding royalties in any non-fouled opponents' hands. If other players do not have royalties, they would lose 4 points each otherwise, players would calculate the difference between the royalties achieve in their own legal hands.
Royalties[edit]
Royalties, or bonuses as they are sometimes called, are extra units that may be awarded to players with particularly strong hands. Hands that qualify for royalties in Open-face Chinese are lower than that of standard Chinese poker as hands formed are generally weaker.
| Front | Units | Middle | Units | Back | Units |
| 66 | 1 | Three of a kind | 2 | Straight | 2 |
| 77 | 2 | Straight | 4 | Flush | 4 |
| 88 | 3 | Flush | 8 | Full house | 6 |
| 99 | 4 | Full house | 12 | Four of a kind | 10 |
| TT | 5 | Four of a kind | 20 | Straight flush | 15 |
| JJ | 6 | Straight flush | 30 | Royal flush | 25 |
| 7 | Royal flush | 50 | |||
| KK | 8 | ||||
| AA | 9 | ||||
| 222 | 10 | ||||
| 333 | 11 | ||||
| 444 | 12 | ||||
| 555 | 13 | ||||
| 666 | 14 | ||||
| 777 | 15 | ||||
| 888 | 16 | ||||
| 999 | 17 | ||||
| TTT | 18 | ||||
| JJJ | 19 | ||||
| QQQ | 20 | ||||
| KKK | 21 | ||||
| AAA | 22 |
Other variations play with naturals and can be scored the same as standard Chinese poker or to the players preference.
Casino renes rosarito. Like standard Chinese poker, in open face Chinese royalties cancel out. For example, if one player has 7777x in the back and another has 6666x in the back, the player with 7777x would win 1 unit for the back hand/row but not the royalty units. Even if a player loses a hand/row he is eligible for the royalties in the hand as long as it is not fouled.
Variations[edit]
- Pineapple Open Face Chinese poker (POFC) — For a maximum of three players. Each player is dealt five cards to start. Instead of being dealt one at a time players are dealt three cards at a time.[7] Players set two cards and discards one until 13 card hands are made. If a player achieves fantasyland the player receives 14 cards and discard one. Traditional OFC rules apply to enter fantasyland. Some players suggest AA+ as a minimum requirement. To remain in fantasyland requires three of a kind on top and/or four of a kind or better on the bottom. Full house in the middle does not qualify.
- Double deck open face Chinese poker — in this variant two decks of cards are shuffled together and both used in the game, allowing more people to play, Double deck pineapple can also be played. Apart from this the games are played using the same rules as the single deck games. Some players suggest a AA+ as a minimum requirement for fantasy land. By using two decks it is possible to get 5 of a kind; some suggest giving this hand the same royalties as the straight flush.
Live Tournaments[edit]
PokerStars hosted a live OFC tournament in the 2013 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.
OFC has never been featured at the World Series of Poker, only in the Carnivale of Poker. The Carnivale of Poker is a smaller tournament series that had a brief run, organized by the WSOP.[8]
References[edit]
- ^Dave Behr (2012). 'Not just another pretty face'. Bluff Magazine. Archived from the original on 2014-03-13.
- ^Jennifer Shahade (2012-10-18). 'How to Play Open-Face Chinese Poker'. Card Player.
- ^Calvinayre.com: Mikal Blomlie Wins the TonyBet OFC World Championships
- ^Pokernews.com: Jennifer Shahade Wins Biggest Open-Face Chinese Live Poker Event in History
- ^ abc'Chinese Poker'. PokerNews. Retrieved 2014-03-13.
- ^'2013 Carnivale of Poker $5000 Open Face Chinese Poker Official Medaillion Event'(PDF). World Series of Poker. 2013-07-13. Retrieved 2014-03-12.
- ^'Introduction to Pineapple Open Face Chinese Poker'. PokerOpenFace. Archived from the original on 2015-02-07. Retrieved 2015-02-07.
- ^'OFC Rules'.
Quick Jump
- 2 The Scoring System
Although usually played as a side game for points (which are then converted in a cash amount), OFC's recent surge in popularity has led to it being introduced in a tournament format both live and online in America.
The Basics of Open Face Chinese
So how exactly do you play Open Face Chinese?
At the start of each game the players involved are all dealt 13 cards each. After this initial deal no more cards are taken from the deck and it's the player's job to then make three hands: a back hand (five cards), a middle hand (five cards) and a top hand (three cards). To add an element of skill and forethought to the game, the strength of these hands must be descending, i.e. your strongest hand must be in the back and your weakest hand at the top.
The main difference with OFC compared to Chinese Poker is that instead of receiving all 13 cards face down at once, a round starts with players getting five cards face up.
At this point the player to the left of the dealer is then asked to arrange their opening fives cards. The cards can be placed in any position the player chooses: for example, two up top, two in the middle and one in the back hand. Once the first player has set their hand, the rest of the table are then free to set their hands in a clockwise order.
After setting their first five cards, each player is then dealt one card face up until everyone has received a total of 13 cards. As these cards are being dealt each player is free to put them in either their middle hand or their top hand and once the deal is complete all hands must be set.
After the deal is complete and each player's hand is set, scoring for each of the three rounds takes place and the winner is the person with the highest score overall.
Five things You Need to Know about Open Face Chinese
- OFC is played with a full deck and each player is dealt 13 cards.
- The aim of the game is to set three hands: back (five cards), middle (five cards) and top (three cards). The strongest must always be at the back and the weakest at the top.
- The winner of a round earns one point. On top of this, six points are given to a player if they scoop all three boards.
- Bonus negative points can impact on a player's score.
- The winner is determined by the player with the most points at the end of the game.
The Scoring System
Before starting any OFC cash game, each player must agree on how much money a single point is worth. Once a figure has been agreed, players then assess who has the strongest hand on each street. The strength of a hand is based on traditional poker hand rankings as they evolved in the US and elsewhere.
The player who holds the strongest overall board (that is if they win two of the three hands) is awarded one game point plus any bonuses.
Generally you'll find that a player might win one or two hands but not all three; however, if they do manage to beat every player in all three sets then it's known as a 'scoop' and they get 6 points. In addition to scoops, a player can also increase their winning score by hitting a Royalty Bonus. These extra points are awarded for the strength of a hand and add an extra element of skill to the game.
Because the size of each OFC board is different, royalty points are handed out for the following hands:
Open Face Chinese Poker – Top, Middle, and Back Hands
Hand Strength: Royalty Points
The final element to OFC's scoring system is penalties. If at any point you set your hands incorrectly (i.e. your hands don't decrease in strength from the back to the top) then you have a pay a foul of six points to your opponent.
Open Face Chinese Poker offers US poker players some very different challenges than they face with other types of card games.
Living in a Fantasy Land
One of the most interesting aspects of OFC that's developed in recent years is the concept known as Fantasy Land. This part of the game is unlocked if a players holds QQ+ in their top hand. If a player achieves this state then their next 13 cards will be dealt to them facedown. This gives a Fantasy Land player a distinct advantage because they know all of their cards ahead of time and can, thus, set them accordingly. A stay in Fantasy Land can last indefinitely, providing the player makes quads or better in the back, a full house or better in the middle or trips up top.
Final Comments
Open Face Chinese Poker Game
Fantasyland[edit]
Fantasyland is a special bonus awarded to players that make a hand that has a pair of queens (QQx) or stronger in the front hand and does not foul. When fantasyland is achieved, the next hand, the player receives all thirteen cards dealt at once while other players must play out the hand as standard open face. Players in fantasyland sets their hand face down when it is their turn to act. Players can fantasyland repeatedly if they are able to make the required hand. If a player makes fantasyland while already in fantasyland, he or she must declare it to all opponents.[5] However, to remain in fantasyland while in fantasyland requires higher royalties, one or more of the following conditions must be met:
Nobu is the world's most recognised Japanese restaurant and is known for its innovative 'New Style' Japanese cuisine. Esteemed Chef Nobu Matsuhisa brings his reputable fusion of traditional Japanese cuisine with South American flavours to create the unique dining experience that is Nobu. Crown Perth Restaurants With premium restaurants delivering world-class fine-dining experiences and casual eateries offering a more relaxed vibe, Crown Perth is home to some of the best restaurants in Perth. So, whatever the dining occasion, we've got you covered. Award-winning dining is back at Crown Perth. Crown casino perth japanese restaurant nyc. Nobu at Crown Perth Nobu is the world's most recognised Japanese restaurant and is known for its innovative new style Japanese cuisine. Esteemed Chef Nobu Matsuhisa brings his reputable fusion of traditional Japanese cuisine with South American flavours to create the.
| Row/Hand | Strength of hand |
| Front (and/or) | Any three of a kind |
| Middle (and/or) | Full house or higher |
| Back (and/or) | Four of a kind or higher |
Open Face Chinese Poker Calculator
More than one player can achieve fantasyland. Another way of stating how to stay in fantasyland would be one must score a 10-point royalty or higher in any sub-hand.
Shooting the moon[edit]
If a player has J-high in the back hand and does not foul, he or she receives 20 units from all other players. Shooting the moon is rarely found in open face Chinese poker games, and is generally reserved for kitchen table home games.
Scoring[edit]
The stakes played for in Chinese poker are known as units or points: an amount of money agreed on per unit before the game starts. Basic scoring rules dictate that a player collects one unit from each opponent whose front, middle or back hand is beaten by his own corresponding hand. Thus, unlike most poker games, being second-best at the table is good enough to win money. In some variants players are also paid an additional unit if they win in two or three of the hands. In other variants players only get an additional unit if they win all three hands (known as a scoop). Also, due to the head-to-head nature of the comparisons, it is possible for different players to play for different stakes. For example, A and B could play for $10 per unit versus each other, while all other player pairings play for $1 per unit. Many variations of scoring are in common use; refer to the external links for more information.
The most common scoring system used in Open-face Chinese poker is the 1-6 scoring method.
In the 1-6 method the players receives 1 unit for each hand they win, and 3 bonus units if they win all three hands from a player known as a scoop. Players lose 1 unit for each hand they lose to each player and lose 3 bonus units to each player who scoops them.
In the example above, Hellmuth would pay Ivey 4 units, as Hellmuth scored 5 units, while Ivey scored 9. The difference is 4, and therefore Hellmuth would pay Ivey 4 units. Hellmuth received 5 units by scoring 1 unit for winning the middle hand, and 4 units for a flush royalty in the back. The total becomes 5. Ivey scored 9 units by scoring 1 unit for the winning the top, 1 unit for a pair of 6 royalty up top, 1 unit for winning the bottom, and 6 units for a full house royalty on the bottom. The total becomes 9.
Points are added to the winner and subtracted from the loser as the game progresses. If a game has more than two players, players gain a point for each hand/row they win from each player and lose a point for each hand/row they lose from each player. Royalty points are also scored based on the number of players involved. For example, a player with a completed back hand flush in a three player game would receive an 8-point bonus, 4 per player excluding royalties in any non-fouled opponents' hands. If other players do not have royalties, they would lose 4 points each otherwise, players would calculate the difference between the royalties achieve in their own legal hands.
Royalties[edit]
Royalties, or bonuses as they are sometimes called, are extra units that may be awarded to players with particularly strong hands. Hands that qualify for royalties in Open-face Chinese are lower than that of standard Chinese poker as hands formed are generally weaker.
| Front | Units | Middle | Units | Back | Units |
| 66 | 1 | Three of a kind | 2 | Straight | 2 |
| 77 | 2 | Straight | 4 | Flush | 4 |
| 88 | 3 | Flush | 8 | Full house | 6 |
| 99 | 4 | Full house | 12 | Four of a kind | 10 |
| TT | 5 | Four of a kind | 20 | Straight flush | 15 |
| JJ | 6 | Straight flush | 30 | Royal flush | 25 |
| 7 | Royal flush | 50 | |||
| KK | 8 | ||||
| AA | 9 | ||||
| 222 | 10 | ||||
| 333 | 11 | ||||
| 444 | 12 | ||||
| 555 | 13 | ||||
| 666 | 14 | ||||
| 777 | 15 | ||||
| 888 | 16 | ||||
| 999 | 17 | ||||
| TTT | 18 | ||||
| JJJ | 19 | ||||
| QQQ | 20 | ||||
| KKK | 21 | ||||
| AAA | 22 |
Other variations play with naturals and can be scored the same as standard Chinese poker or to the players preference.
Casino renes rosarito. Like standard Chinese poker, in open face Chinese royalties cancel out. For example, if one player has 7777x in the back and another has 6666x in the back, the player with 7777x would win 1 unit for the back hand/row but not the royalty units. Even if a player loses a hand/row he is eligible for the royalties in the hand as long as it is not fouled.
Variations[edit]
- Pineapple Open Face Chinese poker (POFC) — For a maximum of three players. Each player is dealt five cards to start. Instead of being dealt one at a time players are dealt three cards at a time.[7] Players set two cards and discards one until 13 card hands are made. If a player achieves fantasyland the player receives 14 cards and discard one. Traditional OFC rules apply to enter fantasyland. Some players suggest AA+ as a minimum requirement. To remain in fantasyland requires three of a kind on top and/or four of a kind or better on the bottom. Full house in the middle does not qualify.
- Double deck open face Chinese poker — in this variant two decks of cards are shuffled together and both used in the game, allowing more people to play, Double deck pineapple can also be played. Apart from this the games are played using the same rules as the single deck games. Some players suggest a AA+ as a minimum requirement for fantasy land. By using two decks it is possible to get 5 of a kind; some suggest giving this hand the same royalties as the straight flush.
Live Tournaments[edit]
PokerStars hosted a live OFC tournament in the 2013 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.
OFC has never been featured at the World Series of Poker, only in the Carnivale of Poker. The Carnivale of Poker is a smaller tournament series that had a brief run, organized by the WSOP.[8]
References[edit]
- ^Dave Behr (2012). 'Not just another pretty face'. Bluff Magazine. Archived from the original on 2014-03-13.
- ^Jennifer Shahade (2012-10-18). 'How to Play Open-Face Chinese Poker'. Card Player.
- ^Calvinayre.com: Mikal Blomlie Wins the TonyBet OFC World Championships
- ^Pokernews.com: Jennifer Shahade Wins Biggest Open-Face Chinese Live Poker Event in History
- ^ abc'Chinese Poker'. PokerNews. Retrieved 2014-03-13.
- ^'2013 Carnivale of Poker $5000 Open Face Chinese Poker Official Medaillion Event'(PDF). World Series of Poker. 2013-07-13. Retrieved 2014-03-12.
- ^'Introduction to Pineapple Open Face Chinese Poker'. PokerOpenFace. Archived from the original on 2015-02-07. Retrieved 2015-02-07.
- ^'OFC Rules'.
Quick Jump
- 2 The Scoring System
Although usually played as a side game for points (which are then converted in a cash amount), OFC's recent surge in popularity has led to it being introduced in a tournament format both live and online in America.
The Basics of Open Face Chinese
So how exactly do you play Open Face Chinese?
At the start of each game the players involved are all dealt 13 cards each. After this initial deal no more cards are taken from the deck and it's the player's job to then make three hands: a back hand (five cards), a middle hand (five cards) and a top hand (three cards). To add an element of skill and forethought to the game, the strength of these hands must be descending, i.e. your strongest hand must be in the back and your weakest hand at the top.
The main difference with OFC compared to Chinese Poker is that instead of receiving all 13 cards face down at once, a round starts with players getting five cards face up.
At this point the player to the left of the dealer is then asked to arrange their opening fives cards. The cards can be placed in any position the player chooses: for example, two up top, two in the middle and one in the back hand. Once the first player has set their hand, the rest of the table are then free to set their hands in a clockwise order.
After setting their first five cards, each player is then dealt one card face up until everyone has received a total of 13 cards. As these cards are being dealt each player is free to put them in either their middle hand or their top hand and once the deal is complete all hands must be set.
After the deal is complete and each player's hand is set, scoring for each of the three rounds takes place and the winner is the person with the highest score overall.
Five things You Need to Know about Open Face Chinese
- OFC is played with a full deck and each player is dealt 13 cards.
- The aim of the game is to set three hands: back (five cards), middle (five cards) and top (three cards). The strongest must always be at the back and the weakest at the top.
- The winner of a round earns one point. On top of this, six points are given to a player if they scoop all three boards.
- Bonus negative points can impact on a player's score.
- The winner is determined by the player with the most points at the end of the game.
The Scoring System
Before starting any OFC cash game, each player must agree on how much money a single point is worth. Once a figure has been agreed, players then assess who has the strongest hand on each street. The strength of a hand is based on traditional poker hand rankings as they evolved in the US and elsewhere.
The player who holds the strongest overall board (that is if they win two of the three hands) is awarded one game point plus any bonuses.
Generally you'll find that a player might win one or two hands but not all three; however, if they do manage to beat every player in all three sets then it's known as a 'scoop' and they get 6 points. In addition to scoops, a player can also increase their winning score by hitting a Royalty Bonus. These extra points are awarded for the strength of a hand and add an extra element of skill to the game.
Because the size of each OFC board is different, royalty points are handed out for the following hands:
Open Face Chinese Poker – Top, Middle, and Back Hands
Hand Strength: Royalty Points
The final element to OFC's scoring system is penalties. If at any point you set your hands incorrectly (i.e. your hands don't decrease in strength from the back to the top) then you have a pay a foul of six points to your opponent.
Open Face Chinese Poker offers US poker players some very different challenges than they face with other types of card games.
Living in a Fantasy Land
One of the most interesting aspects of OFC that's developed in recent years is the concept known as Fantasy Land. This part of the game is unlocked if a players holds QQ+ in their top hand. If a player achieves this state then their next 13 cards will be dealt to them facedown. This gives a Fantasy Land player a distinct advantage because they know all of their cards ahead of time and can, thus, set them accordingly. A stay in Fantasy Land can last indefinitely, providing the player makes quads or better in the back, a full house or better in the middle or trips up top.
Final Comments
Open Face Chinese Poker Game
Open Face Chinese might be a few years away from really establishing itself in the poker world in the United States, but with so many pros already enjoying its blend of skill and luck, there's no doubt it's a game on the up. While some will argue that it often favors the luckiest player, there's still a lot of thinking to be done when setting hands. Moreover, the amount of money that can be made when playing for even moderate stakes is something that will certainly attract a lot of players.
Related Pages:
Open Face Chinese Poker Pineapple
Comments are closed.
