Chinese poker

Chinese poker is a card game based on poker hand rankings. It is intended as a beginner-friendly game, with only a basic knowledge of poker hand rankings needed to get started. The format allows for frequent unexpected outcomes due to the large element of luck involved, meaning a beginner has a good chance of winning in the short term against even experienced opponents.

Gameplay

Chinese poker is typically played as a four-person game, though it can also be played with two or three.

Playing a hand

In Chinese poker, each player receives a 13-card hand from a standard 52-card deck. Each player then has to divide their cards into three poker hands : two containing five cards each, and one containing three cards ; the back must be the highest-ranking hand, and the front, the lowest-ranking hand. The back hand is placed face down on the table in front of the player, then the middle hand is placed face down in front of the back hand, and the front hand is placed face down in front of the middle hand. After all the players have set their hands, each player will announce in turn whether or not they are playing their hand. All players then announce their [|royalties], before revealing their hands.
If a player makes three flushes or three straights they automatically win the hand, regardless of the other players' hands. As shown in the photo, the middle player has made all three hands flush and is an automatic winner.

Scoring

The stakes played for in Chinese poker are known as units: an amount of money agreed on before the game starts. Basic scoring rules dictate that a player collects one unit from each opponent whose front, middle or back hand is beaten by their own corresponding hand. Thus, unlike most poker games, being second-best at the table is good enough to win money. In some variants players are also paid an additional unit if they win in two or three of the hands. In other variants players only get an additional unit if they win all three hands. Also, due to the head-to-head nature of the comparisons, it is possible for different players to play for different stakes. For example, A and B could play for $100 per unit versus each other, while all other player pairings play for $10 per unit.
The two most common scoring systems used in Chinese poker are the 2–4 scoring method, and the 1–6 scoring method.
In the 2–4 method the player receives 1 unit for each of the three hands they win, and 1 unit called the overall unit is awarded to the player who wins two out of the three hands, or all of the three hands. In the event of a tie in one of the hands, no money is exchanged for this particular hand. If one player wins both of the other two hands, they collect 3 units. If they each win one hand, no units are exchanged.
In the 1–6 method the player receives 1 unit for each of the three hands they win, and 3 bonus units if they win all three hands.

Example

In the 2–4 method, Bob would pay Amy two units; Amy receives two points for winning front and back, loses one for losing middle and receives one as the overall unit for winning two out of three hands. In the 1–6 method, Bob would pay Amy one unit; again Amy receives two points for winning front and back and loses one for losing middle, but no bonus units would be awarded.

Royalties

Royalties, or bonuses as they are sometimes called, are extra units that may be awarded to players with particularly strong hands.
Royalties must be declared prior to the revealing of the hands.
Some hands and combinations of hands that are commonly awarded royalties are:

Naturals
Naturals are special types of royalties where if dealt to a player, the player is rewarded immediately, and the player does not set their hand:

Three straights
Three flushes
Six pairs
Four Three of a kind
Three Four of a kind
Three Straight flush
13 unique cards known as a Dragon

Naturals variants

No picture cards
All picture cards
Six and above
12 or 13 of one colour

Players with the stronger natural wins and takes the bonus. If two players have six pair the player with the highest six pair wins otherwise it is a tie and no bonus is awarded. With flushes and straights the player with the highest back hand wins if that ties then the middle hand is compared. If that also ties then the front is compared.
In some variants all royalties are worth the same amount. In other variants each royalty is given a different payout. Normally only the winner may be awarded a royalty. Some modified rule sets allow the royalty bonus to cancel out and only the point for the hand/row is added. In some games players are allowed to break up straight flushes or four of a kinds and still receive royalties. Some rules say that players are only allowed to claim one royalty per hand. The standard royalties point structure is listed below.

Point structure for royalties

While the royalty structure varies from game to game, the most common agreed-upon royalty structure is as follows:

Hand	Criteria	Base points
Clean Dragon	Same as Dragon, but must be from a same suit; overlaps Three Straight Flushes Also called Flush	108
Clean Dragon		108
Dragon	All 13 unique cards consists entirely one card from 2-A, no pairs and no duplicates, but can be from different suits; overlaps Three Straights	36
Dragon		36
12 Royalties/All Broadways ^	All 13 cards consists of entirely picture and Ace cards; overlaps Four Triples, Three Quads and All Highs Also called All Alphabets	32
12 Royalties/All Broadways ^		32
Three Straight Flushes ^	All three hands consist of three straight flushes; overlaps Three Flushes and Three Straights	24
Three Straight Flushes ^		24
Three Quads ^	Consists of three four-of-a-kinds and one additional card; overlaps Six-and-a-half Pairs Also called Three Irons	20
Three Quads ^		20
All Low2/Highs1 ^	All 13 cards consists of cards either 8 and higher or lower; overlaps Three Straights and Full-colored	12
All Low2/Highs1 ^		12
Full-colored ^	Consist of a suit entirely black or red ; overlaps Three Flushes Also called Half-flush	10
Full-colored ^		10
Four Triples ^	Consist of four three-of-a-kind and one additional card	8
Four Triples ^		8
Six-and-a-half Pairs	Consist of six pairs and one additional card	6
Six-and-a-half Pairs		6
Three Straights	All three hands consist of straights Also called Three Snakes	4
Three Straights		4
Three Flushes	All three hands consist of flushes Also called Three Flowers	3
Three Flushes		3
No Broadway Cards*	No picture cards	3

* Non-standard natural; ^Variant-based natural

Surrendering

If a player chooses to surrender their hand, they will pay an amount greater than the amount paid when losing at least two hands, but less than the amount paid when getting scooped. When surrendered, a player is not required to pay any royalties to their opponents. In some variations surrendering is not an option.

Scoop/Home-run

In a Taiwanese variant, When a player loses all three hands to a certain player, it is considered scooped and is paid double of the base points. If a player scoops all three players, it is considered home-run and the payment is further doubled. However, calling a natural hand exempts it from scooping and thus scored separately.

Mis-set hand

If a player mis-sets their hand then they must pay each of their opponents still in the hand an amount equal to being scooped. In some variations players are still required to play their hands.

Current status

Chinese Poker was played at the 1995 and the 1996 World Series of Poker. In 1995, the $1,500 event was won by John Tsagaris, and the $5,000 event by Steve Zolotow. In 1996 the $1,500 event was won by Gregory Grivas, and the $5,000 event by Jim Feldhouse. There have been no Chinese Poker events at the World Series of Poker since 1996.

Variations

Open-face Chinese poker

In this variation the players are dealt five cards in the beginning. These cards are arranged faceup on the table to the back, middle, and front hands. The cards cannot be rearranged later. Then the players receive a single card at a time for the remaining 8 cards. This means it is possible to make an illegal hand. This variation originates from Finland.

Other variations

Low in the middle—In this variation, the middle hand is played as a deuce-to-seven low hand.
Criss Cross—This variation is played heads up: each player is dealt two 13 card hands and plays each of their hands against each of their opponents' hands. Players' hands are to be treated as two independent hands; they cannot exchange cards between the two hands.
In this variation, The Wheel is the second highest straight. Therefore, it is ranked above a 9, 10, J, Q, K straight, but below a 10, J, Q, K, A straight.
Another variation scores the game 1 point per hand, with the winner of the game being the first to 11 points. If a player wins all 3 hands and there are 4 players, the winning player gets a 4th point.