Classic Chinese Poker
Each of up to four players receives 13 cards and arranges them into three hands:
- Front (top): 3 cards. Only high card, pairs and three of a kind count.
- Middle: 5 cards.
- Back (bottom): 5 cards, which must be the strongest.
Players reveal at once and compare each row against each opponent. A common scoring method gives one unit per row won, with a bonus for winning all three ("scooping").
Open-Face Chinese Pineapple
OFC became a high-stakes favourite in the 2010s. Cards are placed face up over several rounds, so you build your three hands while watching your opponents build theirs.
- You are dealt five cards and place them in any rows.
- In each of the next four rounds you get three cards: place two and discard one.
- When all 13 spots are filled, rows are compared and royalties paid.
Royalties
Royalties are bonuses for strong rows. Typical back-row royalties start at a straight (2 points) and climb to a royal flush (25). In the front, a pair of sixes earns 1 point and each higher pair earns more; trips earn the most. Front-row queens or better without fouling sends you to Fantasyland.
Relatives around Asia
Thirteen-card arrangement games are played across Asia under local names, including Pusoy in the Philippines and Mậu Binh in Vietnam, each with special automatic winning hands such as six pairs or three flushes. See more in poker around the world.
Frequently asked questions
What is a foul in Chinese Poker?
Setting your hands out of order. Your back hand must be at least as strong as your middle, and your middle at least as strong as your front. A fouled hand loses every row.
What is Fantasyland in OFC?
A bonus round in Pineapple OFC earned by making a pair of queens or better in your front hand without fouling. You receive all your cards at once on the next hand.
Is Pusoy the same as Chinese Poker?
Pusoy in the Philippines and Mậu Binh in Vietnam are 13-card arrangement games closely related to Chinese Poker, with local scoring and bonuses.