Chinese Poker Rules
Each player is dealt 13 cards. The object is to 1 arrange them into 2 hands of 5 cards and one of 3 cards, beating the hands made by the other players. The 3 hands consist of a "back" hand of 5 cards, a "middle" hand of 5 cards and a "front" hand of 3 cards. The back hand must beat the middle hand, and the middle hand must beat the front hand. Otherwise, the player pays a penalty to each opponent. Only 3 hand types are possible for the front hand: 3-of-a-Kind, pair, and high card. Straights and flushes typically don't count (see Clean Sweeps below.) Click on each card to select it from your total of 13, and to make it part of your front, middle, or back hand.
EXAMPLE:
| Say youre dealt
the following cards: |
 |
| You could arrange
them like this: |
Front hand
 |
Middle hand
 |
Back hand
 |
The back hand, a straight flush, beats the middle
hand, 4-of-a-Kind, which beats the front hand,
3-of-a-Kind.
The Game stakes are quoted in dollars per unit.
Once the hands are played, each player compares
his 3 hands against those of each of the other
players. So in a 4-player game, each player
makes 3 separate comparisons, one against each
other player.
You win one unit for each corresponding hand of
another player that you beat and lose one for
each hand that beats you. When the hands match,
you neither win nor lose. Here's an example.
| Player A |
|
|
Player B |
Front Hand
 |
Middle Hand
 |
Back Hand
 |
Front Hand
 |
Middle Hand
 |
Back Hand
 |
|
| Player C |
|
|
Player D |
Front Hand
 |
Middle Hand
 |
Back Hand
 |
Front Hand
 |
Middle Hand
 |
Back Hand
 |
|
Don't forget, your back hand goes head-to-head
against each of the other players' back hands,
middle vs. middle, etc; so:
A vs. B
A wins every hand.
A wins 3 units from B.
A vs. C
A wins the back, C the middle and front.
C wins 1unit from A.
A vs. D
D wins the back, A the middle and front.
A wins 1 unit from D.
B vs. C
C wins every hand.
C wins 3 units from B.
B vs. D
D wins the back and front, B the middle.
D wins 1 unit from B.
C vs. D
D wins the back, C the middle and front.
C wins 1 unit from D.
So tallying everything, A gains 3, B loses 7,
C gains 5 and D loses 1.