OFCP Gameplay

In a hand there are 5 rounds of play, opposed to the standard 9 hands in regular Chinese poker games. Initially you are dealt 5 cards each, all face up, then another 4 rounds where you are dealt 3 cards, all face down, and you must play 2 of those cards, and dispose of 1. Your opponents do not see your disposed cards. When all 5 rounds are complete, you will have your 13 card completed hand, comprising 2 rows of 5 cards, and 1 row of 3 cards. Of the 3 rows, the top row is made up of 3 cards, and can be 3 of a kind, 1 pair, or high card. The middle row has 5 cards and has to be a higher ranking hand than the top hand. Finally, the bottom row is another 5 cards, and it must rank higher than the other 2 rows.

Failure to stick to the rules of the strength of each row being in order will result in an invalid or “fouled hand” and you will lose that game.

There can only be a maximum of 3 players in the Pineapple version of Chinese poker, as each players hand comprises of 13 cards, so that totals 39, and each player discards a total of 4 cards, making a grand total of 51 cards. Standard Chinese poker can have to 4 players, with 13 cards each, totalling 52 cards as no cards are discarded.

The obvious strategy is try your best not to have an invalid/foul hand, this can be easier said than done. But one strategic difference between Chinese poker and other forms of poker is that you cannot bluff your opponents, all your chips are in play, and you can see all your opponents card.

Therefore in terms of strategy, it is going to be a mixture of skill and luck. You can be dealt bad cards and run bad, but with Chinese poker you have more information about the other cards which are no longer in the deck by seeing your opponents hand. Therefore, if you are assessing this, you can incorporate this into your decision making and how you construct your hand.

In this game you will be facing “Risk vs Reward” frequently. Sometimes you may have the option of taking a safe route and not fouling, with only making a small points reward, or taking a big risk, with an increased likelihood of fouling, but the big points rewards for a big hand if you get there, plus the chance to get into fantasyland.