Chinese Poker

Basic Play

Four players are each dealt 13 cards. The idea is then to arrange those cards into two 5-card poker hands and a single 3-card poker hand. For the 3-card hand, straights and flushes aren't possible - the best hand is 3 of a kind, then a pair and then no pair.

The cards are arrayed in three rows in front of the player. The two 5-card hands and then the 3-card hand. The row closest to the player must be a better poker hand than the middle row and the middle row must be a better hand than the front row (the 3-card row)

Once all players have arranged their hands, they are turned over and compared in turn to determine the winner. First all back rows are compared and the winner gets points from the losing players. Then the middle row is compared and points awarded. Finally the front row is compared and points awarded.

Scoring

For purposes of scoring, assume the following imaginary reveal:

Alex

3s

3d

3c

8s

8d

2h

4s

5s

Kc

Ks

6c

Jh

Qh

2d

4c

2c

7h

Tc

7d

9h

6h

4d

7c

Debbie

Th

Kh

9d

Qd

5h

7s

Bob

Ts

Kd

Qs

Ac

Jc

9s

Td

Ah

Jd

9c

5d

8c

8h

6s

Js

Qc

Ad

As

2s

3h

4h

5c

6d

Carol

The hands, of course, are as follows:

	Front	Middle	Back
Alex	Queen high	Pair of kings, five kicker	Treys full
Bob	Ace high	Pair of jacks	Sevens full
Carol	Pair of eights	Pair of aces	Six-high straight
Debbie	Pair of nines	Pair of kings, ace kicker	Quad tens

Each player now compares all three hands against each other player's three hands.

	Bob	Carol	Debbie
Alex	Front: Bob Middle: Alex Back: Bob	Front: Carol Middle: Carol Back: Alex	Front: Debbie Middle: Debbie Back: Debbie
Bob		Front: Carol Middle: Carol Back: Bob	Front: Debbie Middle: Debbie Back: Debbie
Carol			Front: Debbie Middle: Carol Back: Debbie

So, if they're playing for $1 a point, each player ends up winning or losing money as follows:
Alex: -$5 ($1 to Bob, $1 to Carol, $3 to Debbie)
Bob: -$3 ($1 from Alex, $1 to Carol, $3 to Debbie)
Carol: +$1 ($1 from Alex, $1 from Bob, $1 to Debbie)
Debbie: +$7 ($3 from Alex, $3 from Bob, $1 from Carol)

Discussions

Chinese Poker - 2+2 discussion on this game, including an external link to a book and training program.

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