2-7 Open Face Chinese Poker

Open-face Chinese Poker with cards numbered between 2-7 in the middle is a turn-based card game, where 13 cards are dealt to the players at the start of the game. Players have to arrange their cards in three separate poker hands. Once placed, these cards cannot be moved between the hands, and the cards have to be placed face-up for everyone to see.

Open-Face Chinese Poker is also known as ‘Deuce Pineapple’ – the ‘Deuce’ designation means that the middle poker hand is played according to the ‘2-7 Lowball’ hand rankings, while the other two hands are placed according to normal ‘high’ poker hand rankings.

This unique format of poker, as the name suggests, has its origins in China. There is a large amount of unpredictability involved hence there are frequent unexpected outcomes. The game is exciting for the inexperienced players as they can win on the short term against experienced opponents.

History

The standard version of Chinese Poker dates back to the early 20th century. Open-Face Chinese Poker is a more recent version that can be credited to the poker communities of Europe and the United States of America. The game gained popularity in the early 2010s due to its unique gameplay.

In recent times, Open-face Chinese Poker has gained popularity because of its dynamic gameplay. Players have started to adopt different strategies, which include bluffing to win hands. Technology has also played a major role, with various apps now starting to offer competitive cash games for this variant of poker.

How to play 2-7 Chinese Poker? 

To describe simply, the objective of 2-7 Open Face Chinese Poker is to arrange the 13 cards dealt to you in three hands. A five card bottom, and a five card middle hand, with a three card top hand. 

The top three card hand and bottom five card hand play like normal poker hands. That means the regular poker hand combinations count here. The middle row is played with the rules of 2-7 lowball, meaning five low ranked cards, with no pairs, no straights and no flushes.

Taking Turns and Discarding Cards

Open-Face Chinese Poker or OFC is played with the cards being placed face up on the table as you are arranging them in the three designated rows. 

As in all Open-Face games, a player is dealt 5 cards which they have to place face up in any of the three rows. Then three cards are dealt face down, out of which the player again has to place two cards face up in any of the rows. The remaining card goes to the discard pile and isn’t used, opponents are not allowed to see the discarded card. 

The way drawing works, there are only 5 turns between the players in this game. A maximum of 3 players can play 2-7 Open Face Chinese Poker at a time, since the rest of the cards make the discard pile.

Qualification and Scoring

To make a hand that qualifies in OFC, your top hand or top row cannot be better than your bottom hand or bottom row as per normal poker hand rankings. The middle row or the middle low hand has to be made of cards valued less than 10, without any pairs, flushes or a straight. A hand which is disqualified loses all points of all the rows.

The three rows a player makes is scored against that of the opponents. Winning each row awards the player with +1 point, while winning all three rows gives +3 bonus points. There is also a possible ‘Fantasyland’ qualification which will be explained further in this blog. In Fantasyland a player gets points for any bonuses earned by a qualifying hand even if that hand loses the row against their opponents.

Royalties are pre-determined bonus points given out to players for having a particularly strong hand. While the exact number of points for each royalty is decided beforehand, there are two types of royalties that are given in OFC Poker.

1. Hand Ranking Royalties:

These bonuses are given out on select hand rankings, and where they are located – Top, Middle or Bottom.

2. Naturals:

These bonus points are awarded on the basis of all 13 cards available to a player. It is awarded before any player can surrender, and also the player will not play their hand. 

Hand – 3 points

Six Pairs – 3 points

Three Straights – 3 points

Three Flushes – 3 points

Dragon – 13 different cards (Ace through to King) – 13 points

Fantasyland

If your qualifying hand is ‘Kings’ or better in the top row, or a ‘Wheel’ – 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 in the middle row, then you enter ‘Fantasyland’. In ‘Fantasyland’ the player is dealt 14 cards straight away and can set 13 of them in the three designated rows face down, while discarding the 14th card. Other players will have to play out their hands as per the normal 2-7 OFC rules and then they will be scored against the hands of the ‘Fantasyland’ player.

A player can extend their stay in ‘Fantasyland’ if they hit a big enough bonus. To get a second shot at ‘Fantasyland’ you need a ‘Three-of-a-kind’ in the top row, followed by a ‘Wheel’ in the middle, and ‘Four-of-a-kind’ in the bottom row.

Strategies and Tips

These are some basic tips to get you started with OFC or 2-7 Open Face Chinese Poker:

1. Try not to mis-set a hand or arrange it in a wrong way. This is a foul, and can result in lost points. Arrange hands correctly according to poker hand rankings, remember the middle one follows 2-7 lowball hand rankings.
2. If you can memorize some of your opponent’s face up cards, it gives you a significant advantage. Now, you can calculate the odds of what cards might be available in the closed deck.
3. Do not abandon your top row, it accounts for 33% of your points and it is only just 3 cards. Try making this hand correctly to get a head start on the points.
4. Always try to make easier hand combinations first, even if your opponent is trying for tougher combinations for bigger bonuses. Chances are they might not get the required cards, and meanwhile you can collect points faster by doing the simpler things first.
5. Due to a massive luck factor in what cards a player gets, there are big swings and unpredictable outcomes in OFC. Try playing smaller stakes until you build your confidence, and become comfortable with the rules.

Also read: How to Play Poker

Variant of Open Chinese Poker

Pineapple: In this variant of OFC Poker the cards are dealt out differently. After the first five cards are placed, players aren’t given one card each with every round. They are dealt 3 cards every round, and have to place 2 of them on their tabled hands, while discarding one of them.

Here’s a brief comparison between 2-7 Open Face Chinese Poker and the Pineapple variant:

To conclude, Chinese Poker, Pineapple or the 2-7 Open Face Chinese Poker variant provides a lot of opportunities for beginners and seasoned players alike. Since it is a point based game, a player can come second and still win some money. The beginners might find this easier to play and more entertaining than the regular poker game. The more seasoned players can afford to play high stakes, since the turnover is huge.

Also explore:

• Online Poker App
• Texas Holdem Poker
• Omaha Poker
• Real Money Poker