Open Face Chinese poker (OFC): rules and basic strategy

What is Open Face Chinese poker?

Open Face Chinese poker (OFC) is a puzzle-like poker game for two to a few players. There are no betting rounds. Instead, each player arranges 13 cards into three poker hands, and you score points by beating your opponents row by row.

The “open face” part means your cards are placed face up, so everyone can see what you are building. ClubGG offers OFC tables, so once you know the basics below you can practise there.

You still use the standard poker hand rankings, so learn those first if they are new to you.

The three rows

Every player builds:

• Top row: 3 cards
• Middle row: 5 cards
• Bottom row: 5 cards

The one golden rule: the bottom must be at least as strong as the middle, and the middle at least as strong as the top. On a 3-card top row, only high cards, pairs and three of a kind count; straights and flushes don’t.

What is a foul?

If your rows are in the wrong order, for example a pair of kings on top and only a pair of tens in the middle, your hand fouls (also called “misset” or “dead”). A fouled hand usually loses every row and any extra points it would have earned. Avoiding fouls is the first skill to master.

How a hand is dealt

In standard OFC:

1. Each player is dealt 5 cards and places all five in their rows, face up.
2. Players then receive one card at a time and place each one before the next arrives.
3. Once placed, a card can’t be moved.
4. After 13 cards, everyone’s rows are complete and the hands are scored.

Pineapple OFC

The most popular variant online is Pineapple OFC. After the first five cards, each round you receive 3 cards, place 2 and discard 1 face down. That gives you more choice and makes strong hands more common.

Scoring, royalties and Fantasyland

Scoring varies by app and club, so always check the table’s rules. The common structure is:

• You compare each row with each opponent: top v top, middle v middle, bottom v bottom.
• You win points for each row you win.
• Many games give extra points for winning all three rows (a “scoop”).
• Royalties are extra points for strong hands in a given row, such as a high pair on top or a big hand in the middle or bottom.

As a rough guide, a pair of sixes or better on top often earns royalties in many games, and QQ or better on top usually earns royalties and Fantasyland in Pineapple. The exact amounts differ, so read the royalty table before you play.

Fantasyland

Fantasyland is a reward for setting a strong top row without fouling. On your next hand you receive all your cards at once (the number depends on the variant) and set them with full information while your opponents still draw card by card. Entry rules and the conditions for staying in Fantasyland vary, so check the table’s settings.

Basic strategy for beginners

1. Build from the bottom up

Put your strongest cards and best draws on the bottom row early. A bottom that is too weak is the most common cause of fouls.

2. Keep the top row flexible

Don’t rush high cards into the top row. A K or A on top early forces your middle to beat a pair of kings or aces later, which is hard.

3. Don’t chase too many draws at once

Starting two flush draws in the middle and bottom sounds exciting but often fouls. One strong draw plus solid pairs is usually safer.

4. Watch the cards that are already out

Because everyone’s cards are face up, you can count what is gone. If three hearts are already in other players’ rows, your heart flush draw is weaker than it looks.

5. A small win beats a foul

Late in a hand, if you have to choose between a risky royalty and a safe, unfouled set, take the safe option most of the time. Fouling often costs more than a royalty is worth.

A worked example (standard OFC)

Your first five cards are A♠ A♦ 9♣ 8♣ 4♥.

• Put A♠ A♦ on the bottom: a pair of aces is a great foundation.
• Put 9♣ 8♣ in the middle to aim for a straight, flush or a pair.
• Put 4♥ on the top as a low, harmless card.

This keeps the order safe (aces at the bottom, a draw in the middle, almost nothing on top) and leaves room to improve.

Common mistakes

• Fouling by putting a pair on top too early.
• Ignoring dead cards you can see in other players’ rows.
• Chasing Fantasyland at any cost. It is valuable, but not worth constant fouls.
• Not reading the table’s scoring rules. Royalties and Fantasyland conditions vary.
• Placing cards too fast. Every card is permanent, so take a moment to ask where the next few cards could go.

Quick checklist

1. Is my bottom stronger than my middle, and my middle stronger than my top?
2. Which outs are still live, given the cards I can see?
3. Is this placement keeping my hand safe from a foul?
4. Do I know this table’s royalty and Fantasyland rules?
5. If I take a risk here, how many outs do I have, and what happens if I miss?

Want to learn other poker variants? Browse our poker basics lessons.