The winner of each comparison is scored, and the player with the highest total points wins!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nChinese Poker Scoring – The Basics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Scoring in Chinese Poker centers around the \u2018point\u2019 system. This is very different from other poker variants where you bet chips each round. Instead you can decide on a monetary value \u2013 such as \u2018one dollar = 1 point.\u201d These points are then settled-up for cash value at the end of the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How do you earn points? Winning a comparative back vs back, middle vs middle or front vs front hand versus a single opponent will usually win a player one point in most Chinese Poker scoring systems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, if I won the back and middle hands but you won the front hand, our score would be 2 points vs. 1 point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another way to execute your own Chinese Poker scoring is by wagering a certain amount \u2013 let\u2019s say $10 \u2013 and playing winner-takes-all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whoever wins the most points simply wins the full amount set aside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chinese Poker Scoring – Special Cases<\/h2>\n\n\n\n There are special circumstances where Chinese Poker scoring changes \u2013 namely surrenders and bonus points. Here\u2019s what I mean:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Choosing To Play Your Hand Or Surrender<\/h3>\n\n\n\n In Chinese poker, it is common to give each player the option to announce (in turn with the action moving to the left) if they wish to play or surrender<\/strong> their hand before the top, middle, and back hands are set and revealed. <\/p>\n\n\n\nIf a player decides his 13 cards can only produce weak back, middle, and front hands that are very likely to be second best vs his opponents, then the player can decide to \u201csurrender\u201d rather than play their hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Surrendering comes with a price. This will often incur a penalty fee somewhere between the 2-3 points they would almost certainly lose if they chose to play their hand and it went to a showdown. 2.5 points in this instance would be typical. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The benefit to surrendering a weak hand in a Chinese Poker scoring system is damage control \u2014 it is better to lose 2.5 points than to likely lose 3 points plus the potential 3-point sweep penalty and all the royalties that may apply also.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nRoyalties (Bonus Points)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n In addition to basic single point scoring and surrendering, variations of Chinese poker frequently offer bonus points for players that make specific strong hands. These bonuses are known as royalties. While they can vary, here is an example of what a typical format might be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Note: the amount of bonus points change depending on which arrangement these hands are made.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\nBack Hand<\/strong>:Royal Flush: 25 points<\/li><\/ul>Straight Flush: 15 points<\/li><\/ul>Four of a Kind: 10 points<\/li><\/ul>Full House: 6 points<\/li><\/ul>Flush: 4 points<\/li><\/ul>\n\nStraight: 2 points<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n Middle Hand<\/strong>:Royal Flush: 50 points<\/li><\/ul>Straight Flush: 30 points<\/li><\/ul>Four of a Kind: 20 points<\/li><\/ul>Full House: 12 points<\/li><\/ul>Flush: 8 points<\/li><\/ul>\n\nStraight: 4 points<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n Front Hand<\/strong>:Three of a Kind: 9 points<\/li><\/ul>\n\nHigh Pair (Aces): 2 points<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nWith these royalties, double points are allocated for the middle hand vs the back hand. This is because the back hand must always form the strongest of the three hand arrangements \u2014 therefore making a very strong hand like a straight flush in the middle hand is much more difficult to attain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Winning Outright<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Another need-to-know concept is winning outright.<\/strong> If any player makes three flushes or three straights, they will outright be declared the winner \u2014 and collect three points from each opponent that hasn\u2019t surrendered their hand. It\u2019s a sweep!<\/p>\n\n\n\n(As with many of the rules in Chinese Poker scoring, this is also normally agreed on by the players in advance.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Remember that each player’s back, middle, and front hands play against each individual<\/em> opponent. Each player must compare their hands separately. Imagine here that we are Player 1 in a four-player Chinese Poker game. Our scorecard might look as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\nHand Number<\/th> Player 2<\/th> Player 3<\/th> Player 4<\/th> Win\/Loss<\/th><\/tr><\/thead> 1<\/td> +2<\/td> +1<\/td> +3<\/td> +6<\/td><\/tr> 2<\/td> -1<\/td> +3<\/td> -3<\/td> -1<\/td><\/tr> Totals<\/td> +1<\/td> +4<\/td> 0<\/td> +5<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\nIn this example we would be owed 1 point from player 2, 4 points from Player 3, and 0 points from Player 4 after two complete games of Chinese Poker. Using tally ledgers like this makes it easy for each player to see where they are when it comes time to settle up with opponents after the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Variations Of Chinese Poker – Open Face Chinese<\/h2>\n\n\n\n The most popular variation is Open Face Chinese Poker<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSimilar to standard Chinese Poker, the goal remains the same. Each player needs to make a 3-card top, 5-card middle and 5-card back hand arrangement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are the major differences:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nYou do not receive all your cards at once.<\/li>\n\n\n\n You must make your hand arrangements with your cards \u201cface-up\u201d \u2014 revealed for all other players to see.<\/li>\n\n\n\n You act in turns.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nSo, once you\u2019ve created your hand arrangement, the player to your left will make their hand arrangement next. You do not form your hand arrangement at the same time. Everyone gets a turn that finishes once they declare their hand complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Note: You cannot change your hand arrangement after your turn. Your cards are considered \u201cset\u201d and cannot be rearranged. There are no \u201ctake backs\u201d!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat makes Open Face Chinese Poker intriguing is that you need to make your hands without knowing which cards are coming next \u2014 it adds an element of unpredictability. You are acting with incomplete information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since you are drawing unseen cards, it also increases the likelihood of fouls or miss-sets. Open Face Chinese Poker is much more swingy, making it one of the most popular variations of Chinese Poker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n