Chinese poker, game rules and features

Poker is a game of chance and today it comes in several different forms. One noteworthy example is Chinese Poker which has some significant differences from Hold’em or Omaha. There are no community cards in the game, and there are no bidding, which is why there is hardly any pot. But as far as combinations are concerned, they have been preserved, as have the methods of constructing them.

But it takes a lot of time to learn this variation, as there are a number of features and differences.

First and foremost, it should be noted that the game can be played by 2 to 4 people. Often you can meet 3 players at the table. The essence of the game is to collect the maximum combination in all three boxes, but it is necessary to respect the seniority of combinations. The bottom box is the strongest, the middle box is medium, and the top box is the weakest.

How to fill the boxes after the deal

The dealer is marked with a Baton chip and then dealt 5 of his cards face down. Each player should distribute the cards into 3 boxes, but the cards are face down, i.e. visible to their opponents.  Remember that once the cards have been dealt in rows you are not allowed to change their places. So from the very beginning of the game you need to plan wisely.

After that, the dealer gives each player 3 more cards, which are also laid out in boxes. This continues until each player has 13 cards. In classical Chinese poker there is only 1 card per round. The combination is put together as follows:

1. A set is drawn in the top box.
2. Bottom row – 5 cards.
3. Middle row – 5 cards.
4. Top row – 3 cards.

So the strongest combination at the top is a three.

The dealer’s chip is required to understand who is dealing, in the case of a live game, and also to indicate the player who starts the turn.  After the draw, this chip starts to move around the players.  And may remain in that situation, if a fancy game is played. According to the rules of the game, after all the boxes are drawn, the players begin comparing their combinations to make sure there is no dead hand, and after that between the poker players.

A dead hand can happen when the seniority of the hand is broken. For example, if the first box has a weaker than average hand, it indicates that the player has lost.  And if everything is composed according to the rules, then a comparison of combinations between opponents begins.

Fantasy, what is it?

According to the rules, absolutely everyone has the opportunity to play fantasy, that is, it is a kind of bonus that is activated when certain requirements are met.  And to start the game, a player must have a combination of at least a pair of ladies or higher in the top box. And in the other boxes the combination must be even bigger.

And if all the conditions are met, then the next hand gives the player 13 cards to play with. But you have to deal the boxes in the dark as well, so opponents don’t know what cards are there. And the bonus is repeated when certain rules are fulfilled:

1. A set is drawn in the top box.
2. The middle box has at least a full house.
3. In the bottom box a full house or higher.

Otherwise, the rules are standard.

How points are counted

In this variation the number of points is directly related to how many combinations turned out to be strong. That is, if all three rows are older than their opponent’s corresponding boxes, then 6 bonus points are awarded.  And if a player has a dead hand, he gives 6 points to his opponents.

The value of each hand has a value and depends on which row the hand is gathered in. For a straight in the bottom row you get 2 points, for a square 10 points. In the middle row you get twice as much for combinations, and in the top row you get 5 points for a pair of 10s and 22 points for a three of aces. Eventually the normal and bonus points are added together.