Chinese Poker Rules, Scoring, and Hand Setup

Chinese poker is a game in which you organize 13 cards into three hands. All thirteen cards are issued at once, so you have all the information you need to set your hands upfront.

The game is famous for its simple gameplay. You don’t draw cards, bluff, or worry about bluff catching your opponents. Just master how to set your card without fouling, and you’ll be ready for the game.

This guide covers Chinese poker rules and scoring models, exactly how to set your cards without fouling, and tips for outsmarting your opponents.

What Is Chinese Poker?

Chinese poker is a game in which you arrange 13 cards into three hands.

The game is played with a 52-card deck without a joker. Therefore, a maximum of 4 players play per round.

Chinese poker doesn’t involve betting chips like Texas Hold’em poker. The winners are determined by comparing the rows of each player’s hands. You get a point for every hand you win, which you can later turn into cash based on the point value.

Credit: 22Bet

Although Chinese poker originated in Asia in the 1990s, it has spread globally due to its simplicity. Professionals now play various Chinese poker formats between tournaments on the American online poker sites.

✅ Chinese Poker Variants

Chinese poker is played in different formats around the world. Some of the most popular variants include:

• Classic Chinese Poker: Here, you’ll get 13 face-down cards at the same time, which you must arrange into three hands. It’s played by up to 4 players. Chinese poker has the lowest chance of fouling, since you get all your cards at once.
• Open Face Chinese Poker: Here, you first get five open cards, which you must set immediately and can never change again. After this, everyone gets one card at a time until all 13 cards are complete. You must also set the card once you receive it. The sequential dealing of cards in Open Face Chinese poker increases the chances of mis-setting your hand.
• Open Face Pineapple Chinese Poker: Here, players also get five open cards, which they must set instantly. Next, each player draws 3 cards at a time, setting 2 and discarding 1 until all 13 cards are complete. It is played by up to 3 players.
• Lowball Middle Hand Variant: This variant treats the middle as a 2-7 lowball hand. So instead of high cards, the lowest middle hand wins in this game. In this variant, Aces are treated as high cards (11 and not 1), so you can’t use them in your hand setup. Likewise, pairs, flushes, and straights are illegal. The best possible hand in this game is 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 of different suits. Many players love the lowball middle hand Chinese poker variant because it makes junks playable.

Chinese Poker Terms

Some of the common terms used in the game of Chinese poker and their meaning are:

Chinese Poker Setup and Rules

The goal of Chinese poker is to organize your cards into three hands or sets.

Each hand must have a different order according to the standard poker card hand ranking system.

Once everyone finishes setting their hands, players compare their cards against each other, one row after the other. You get a point for every row you win and a bonus point if you win all three hands.

✅ Pre-Game Decisions Checklist

Chinese poker has many other rules that govern its gameplay. The casino operator decides some, while the players decide others.

Always confirm the following rules before accepting your first card in Chinese Poker:

➡️ Point Value

This is the value of every point in dollars. Players decide the point value by themselves, and it varies from one opponent to another. For instance, player A and B may set the value of a point to $0.5 while player C and D may use $1/point

➡️ Scoring System

Classic Chinese poker games use two main scoring systems, which are:

• 2-4 Scoring System: In this system, players get 1 point for winning a hand and give out 1 point for losing. If they win two hands in the round, they receive 2 points for the hands won and lose 1 point to the opponent. The overall winner (2 out of 3) also gets 1 bonus point, bringing their net to 2. Anyone who wins all hands gets 4 points (1 point per hand and 1 bonus point).
• 1-6 Scoring System: In the 1-6 scoring system, you receive 1 point for every hand you win and vice versa. There is no bonus for winning 2 of 3 hands. However, you’ll get 6 points when you win all hands (3 points per hand + 3 bonus points).

➡️ Scoop Bonus

Scoop bonus is a bonus point for winning all three hands against an opponent. The scoop bonus is 1 point in the 2-4 scoring system and 3 points in the 1-6 system.

➡️ Royalties

Royalties are bonus points for setting strong hands without fouling. Some of the royal hands in Chinese poker include:

Landing a straight flush in the middle gives you 2x more points than back.

➡️ Naturals

These are cards that give you an automatic win, e.g., 6 pairs. Having a natural hand ends the game instantly. When you have a natural, declare your hand before everyone compares their hands, and you’ll get laid immediately.

Some of the most common natural hands in Chinese poker and their rewards are:

In case of a tie, no bonus is paid unless house rules specify a high-card tie breaker.

➡️ Surrender Hand Rule

Surrender refers to folding your hands or giving up. You automatically lose 3 points to everyone.

➡️ Fouled Hand Penalty

Fouling occurs when you mis-set your hand, e.g., your middle hand is stronger than your back hand. The penalty for fouling is often 6 pointsz.

Chinese Poker Hands Explained

Chinese poker consists of three hands, which must be set according to certain constraints. This is what each of the hand structures looks like:

• Back Hand: This is the strongest hand, consisting of five cards. All five-card poker hands apply here.
• Middle Hand: The middle hand also consists of five cards. It must be weaker than the back but stronger than the front. So, if you have a flush in the back, your middle must be straight or lower.
• Front Hand: This is where the last three cards go. It is always the weakest of the three hands. Only three-card poker hands like trips fit.

✅ The Fouled Hand

The golden rule of Chinese poker is that your:

Back hand > Middle > Front 

If one of your middle or front is stronger than the back, then your hand order is incorrect, and that is a foul. For example, if you have a Trip in front and a Pair in the middle. 

Fouling incurs an automatic penalty of 6 points loss to everyone at the table.

Here is an example of a legal and fouled hand in Chinese poker:

Cards: A♠K♠Q♠J♠10♠9♥9♦9♣K♥K♦A♥A♦7♣

Order 1: Foul ❌

• Front: A♥A♦7♣ (Pair) 
• Middle: A♠K♠Q♠J♠10♠ (Royal Flush)
• Back: 9♥9♦9♣K♥K♦ (Full House)

In the above setup, the middle (Royal Flush) is stronger than the back hand (Full House), leading to a foul. You automatically lose 6 points to every opponent at the table.

Order 2: Legal ✅

• Front: A♥A♦7♣ (Pair)
• Middle: 9♥9♦9♣K♥K♦ (Full House)
• Back: A♠K♠Q♠J♠10♠ (Royal Flush) 

The Chinese poker hierarchy holds perfectly well in this setup, and it is legal. The Back is stronger than the middle, which, in turn, is stronger than the front. 

How to Set Your Hands in Chinese Poker

After playing thousands of hands, these are the steps I follow to set my hand correctly and prevent fouling in Chinese poker:

Credit: 888Sports

1️⃣ Step 1: Look out For Naturals

First up, I scan for a natural hand to see if I can get an automatic win. If I have one, I declare my hand immediately to seal the game.

2️⃣ Step 2: Set the Back Row

In the absence of a natural hand, I set my back hand first. To set the strongest back, I scan through all my cards and try to identify the strongest five cards that don’t threaten other rows.

3️⃣ Step 3: Set the Middle Row

After setting the back, the middle hand follows. I scan through my hand once again, identify the best five of the remaining 8 cards, and place them in the middle. I also confirm that it is weaker than the back. 

4️⃣ Step 4: Set the Front Row

Finally, I confirm that my last 3 cards are weaker than the back and middle, and set them in the front.

How to Choose Between Two Legal Arrangements in Chinese Poker

If you play Chinese poker long enough, setting legal hands gets easy. The real challenge is deciding the optimal play between multiple legal configurations.

For example, I received this hand in a recent live game: A♠ A♥ Q♠ Q♦ 9♣ 9♦ 8♠ 7♥ 6♣ 5♦ 4♠ 3♥ 2♣

After proper scrutiny, the leading hand settings I came up with were:

✅ 1st Setup: The Ultra-Aggressive 

Front: A♠ A♥ 3♥

Middle: Q♠ Q♦ 9♣ 9♦ 2♣

Back: 8♠ 7♥ 6♣ 5♦ 4♠

✅ 2nd Setup: The Balanced Powerhouse (The Winning Play)

Front: Q♠ Q♦ 3♥

Middle: A♠ A♥ 9♣ 9♦ 2♣

Back: 8♠ 7♥ 6♣ 5♦ 4♠

✅ Final Play: I went with setup 1, won the front row and lost the back and middle. Altogether, I lost 1point in the round.

After the game, I turned to the EV table to determine the optimal way to play the hand. 

EV is the expected payout of a hand against a field if you play long enough. It factors in the equity of each row, possible bonuses and royalties, and foul equity to give you the best way to play your hand.

These were my findings: 

Setup 2 has the highest positive EV and is the optimal play. You’ll not always have time to calculate EV and choose the inferior play sometimes.

But with constant practice and post-game assessment, you’ll gain better intuition to make the optimal choice between two legal plays.

How to Play a Specific Hand in Chinese Poker

Many hand combinations occur frequently in Chinese poker. I’ve compiled some of them and their optimal play below:

How Points Are Calculated in Chinese Poker

Points are calculated in Chinese poker by head-to-head comparison of all players’ hands, i.e., front vs. front, middle vs. middle, and back vs. back. 

If there are four players (A, B, C, D) at the table. Player A will compare all their hands to player B on their left. Next, they move to Players C and D.

Players B, C, and D also compare their cards with each other, one at a time. Your cumulative points after the hand comparison will depend on the scoring model.

✅ Hand Comparison Example

Here is an example of how points are calculated at a 4-player table in Chinese poker:

➡️ Hand Setup:

➡️ Points Calculation Using the 1-6 Scoring Model 

• Azop lost the highest points (-35) due to a foul despite having trips and four of a kind.
• Nathan won the highest point (+65) due to the royal card advantage.
• Always set your hand from back to avoid fouling and take advantage of royals and naturals to boost your earnings when possible.

Beginner Tips for Chinese Poker

After playing Chinese poker for over 5 years, some of the best tips that have helped the most in my sessions include:

💡 Protecting My Hand and Bankroll First

Everything else in Chinese poker is secondary to one thing: don’t foul or get scooped. Here is how I prevent fouling in my gameplay: 

• I always set my hands from back to front.
• I aim for strong cards across all rows because scoop and royalty bonuses are only worth it when I don’t mis-set your hand.
• I aim for at least one strong hand to avoid being scooped.

💡 Paying Attention to the Front Hand and Its Limitations

The front hand is the easiest to win. But most players only set their weak cards here. I always strive for a strong front without weakening my other hands. Also, my connected hand goes to the middle and back.

💡 Surrendering Strategically When Necessary

When I started playing Chinese poker, I used to think that surrendering was a cowardly thing to do. But the day I dropped $54 in three hands at $1/point because I kept trying to make something out of junk instead of surrendering, I started seeing it as a great defensive strategy.

Anytime I stare at my cards and see that it is dead on arrival, I quickly surrender and move to the next hand.

Some of the examples of cards I always give up include:

Any card without a made hand and a high card is due for surrender. 

Playing For Naturals in Chinese Poker

A natural hand can fetch you an automatic win and up to 39 bonus points, which makes it worth chasing. I always check for a natural once I receive my card to see if I can earn bonus points and seal the game early.

♠️ Tracking My Opponents Separately

Different prizes are up for grabs against different opponents when playing Chinese poker. For instance, I may win only 1 point from one opponent and win all 6 points against another. So, I track each opponent separately to prevent errors during comparison.

♠️ Playing Responsibly

A lot of players underestimate how much they can lose in Chinese poker because each hand loss costs only 1 point. However, your losses can become significant if you foul (-18 points in a 4-player table) and when an opponent has a premium hand.

As a result, I inculcate the following responsible gambling habits in my game to control any damage:

• Prioritizing setting legal hands first and avoiding fouling before chasing bonuses
• Reducing my point value while in losses rather than chasing losses with more.
• Keeping enough bankroll to withstand long downswings
• Managing my time and money effectively, etc

Lastly, I only use poker sites with in-built bankroll and time management tools, such as William Hill and El Royale. They also allow me to take a temporary break from gambling when I need to cool off.

If all these measures fail, then it’s time to seek professional help. Book a free appointment at Gamblers Anonymous and GamCare to receive counsel and aid for all gambling addiction issues.

Bankroll Management Tips for Chinese Poker

Your bankroll is one of the only few things you can control in Chinese poker, and you must manage it properly. Here are poker tips for managing your bankroll and lasting in the game:

✅ Keep Enough Bankroll to Overcome High Variance

You can lose a big part of your bankroll to any opponent holding a royal or natural hand in one round. To sustain heavy bankroll swings, keep enough bankroll right from the start.

Here is an estimate of the bankroll you need to survive the long storm in Chinese poker:

Always keep money for 100 points to get enough buffer that helps you play with confidence.

✅ Save Some Money Just for Surrender

While surrendering can save you lots of points, some players still consider it a waste of money.

To make it easy to surrender, I always encourage players to set aside a portion of their bankroll specifically for surrendering. If your budget is $100, keep an extra $15 for surrender.

✅ Widen Your Bankroll When Point Value Increases

When you increase your point value, your bankroll feels the effect exponentially. For example, when the point value is $0.2 per point, and 50 lost points cost only $10. When you increase the point value to $2, the same loss will now cost a grand $100 in a single round.

To last long in Chinese poker, keep your point value low or widen your bankroll when you increase it.

Common Chinese Poker Mistakes Beginners Make

After analyzing all my sessions, I have narrowed down the most common poker mistakes responsible for my losses to the following: 

🚫 Setting Hands in the Wrong Order

Some of my biggest losses in Chinese poker came from fouling. And this happens when I set my hand from the front, only to discover later that I have used up all my strong cards.

To prevent fouling, I now do a mental check of all possible combinations once I receive my cards, and then set the hands from back to front.

🚫 Forgetting the Front Hand Limitation

Another mistake I made in my early days of playing Chinese poker was wasting my connected and suited cards in the front.

Unfortunately, a 7♠8♠9♠ in the front counts as 9-high at best. Nowadays, I always reserve my connected cards for middle or back hands to make the most of them.

🚫 Ignoring Player Tendencies

Even though reading my poker opponents isn’t as consequential in Chinese poker as in Sit and Go poker tournaments, it still means a lot.

For example, studying my opponents helps me discover their playing style, how much they have left, and defend accordingly.

If an opponent likes chasing scoop, I know there is a good chance all their hands are marginal. I try to break strong middle cards to tighten my back and front hands and win 2 of 3 hands against such players.

If I see that an opponent is running out of money, I play aggressively since there is only so much I can lose against them.

Conclusion

Chinese poker is a great way to get started for those just learning the basic rules of poker. Its rules are simple yet challenging to master. All you have to do is set stronger hands than your opponents without fouling.

To outsmart your opponents in Chinese poker:

• Scan your card for naturals to win the game without a fight
• Always set your hand from back to front
• Aim for at least one strong hand to avoid being scooped.
• Manage your bankroll wisely and play responsibly.

FAQs

What Is Chinese Poker?

Chinese poker is a game in which you form three hands of varying strengths from 13 cards.

How Many Cards Do You Get in Chinese Poker? 

2-4 players play Chinese poker with a full card deck minus jokers. Each player gets 13 cards.

What Is a Fouled Hand in Chinese Poker?

Foul occurs when you set your hand in the wrong order. For example, the front is stronger than the middle or back hands.

What Does “Scoop” Mean in Chinese Poker?

Scoop means winning all three hands against an opponent. You win 4 or 6 points when you hit a scoop in Chinese poker.

Do Straights and Flushes Count in the Front Hand?

Straight and flushes don’t count in the front hand. Only three-card hands are legal in the front.