Poker is an internationally recognized casino game. Thanks to its popularity, many varieties of poker have appeared, and one of the most popular among poker professionals is chinese poker.
In Chinese poker, players are dealt 13 cards instead of the traditional two. This alone makes Chinese poker unique compared to regular poker. The goal of this variation is to make the best three-card poker hand out of the 13 cards you have.
Hand Rating
First of all, you should study the hand rankings so that you know exactly how to place the cards. Below are the hand values in Chinese poker:
- Royal flush: 8-7-6-5-4 (all of the same suit)
- Straight Flush: 8-7-6-5-4 (all of the same suit)
- 4-of-a-Kind: A-4-4-4-4
- Full House (Boat): AAAAJJ (three from one, two from another).
- Flush: AJ-8-4-2 (all of the same suit)
- Straight: 8-7-6-5-4 (off-suit)
- 3-of-a-Kind (set/trips): AK-5-5-5
- Two pair: AAJJ-2
- One pair: AA-7-4-2
- High card: AQ-9-6-3 (off-suit, unrelated, unpaired).
Rules
Before proceeding with the gameplay itself, it is better to first familiarize yourself with the rules of Chinese poker:
- Chinese poker is played by 2 to 4 people. Each player is dealt 13 cards face down.
- Players must agree on a certain bet amount as there are no betting rounds in this variant.
- The first hand, also known as the Front hand or Top hand, must include 3 cards and consist of the worst cards.
- The second hand or middle hand must include 5 cards and must be better than the first hand.
- The third hand is also known as the bottom hand. It consists of 5 cards and must have the best cards among the three hands.
- The players then compare their hands against each other to determine the winner.
How to play
Now that you know the basic rules of the game, learn how to play Chinese poker. To make things easier, here is a step by step guide on how to play this game:
- Before the start of the game, players are dealt 13 cards each.
- After receiving the cards, the players must arrange their cards into 3 groups. Remember that you must not show your cards to other players.
- When you have finished laying out the cards, place them face down on the table.
- After everyone has laid out their cards, all players must turn over their cards and compare their hands.
Chinese poker scoring system
When it comes to winning or losing units, all players take one unit from each other. Keep in mind that this process is different for the front, middle, and back hands.
Here is an example of units along with the player and the number of units he won or lost:
- Player 1 (highest ranking back hand): 3 units
- Player 2: 1 unit
- Player 3: 1 unit
- Player 4: (lowest hand of the four players): 3 units.
For further exposition, here is a more detailed explanation of how the units are obtained:
- Player 1 collects XNUMXs from all players because he/she has beaten other players' hands.
- Player 2 will give Player 1 one unit for losing against him, but Player 2 will still collect units from Players 3 and 4 for beating their hands.
- Player 3 will give Players 1 and 3 one unit each for losing against them, but Player 3 will still take units from Player 4.
- Player 4 will give Players 1 and 3 one unit each for losing against XNUMX.
In addition, there are various Chinese poker scoring systems that you can use. Here is the most common system players use:
1-6 rule in Chinese poker
This is one of the most common scoring systems in Chinese poker. By rule 1-6, you can get 3 extra points, which are called "Scoop".
2-4 rule in Chinese poker
Another common system players use is the 2-4 rule, where 3-0 is worth 4 points. With this system, your opponent will lose 4 points if you score 4 points.
Surrender Rule
In Chinese poker, players are not allowed to fold, instead they can use "surrender" where a player folds against other players. This move is worth 3 points against all other opponents.