Chinese Poker is a fun variation of poker quite different from Stud, Ohmaha and Holdem games. It's not widely available, but one place we enjoy where it can be played for real money or just for fun is at Poker Room. Those comfortable with Caribbean poker may find the game similar in some aspects.

There are a few distinct differences between Chinese Poker and other poker games:

• While most poker games can accomodate at least 6 players to a table, chinese poker is a smaller game played by two to four players.

• While other poker games are played/scored directly with money - Chinese Poker is first played for points, with each point worth a set amount of money.

• You'll play each round by making 3 distinct hands from a total of 13 cards, and a card can only be used in one hand (The cards are literally divided into 3 hands, unlike Hi/Lo games where a card may be used in 2 separate hands.)

For more on the rules of Chinese Poker.

Here's how the game is played:

1. Each player gets thirteen cards dealt to them.

2. Players arrange their cards into three hands, two five card hands and one three card hand. These hands are called the back, middle and front hand.

3. The hands are compared against the corresponding hands of the other players. (back hand vs. back hand, middle vs. middle, front vs. front.)

4. The hands are scored and points are totalled before the next round.

The objective in Chinese Poker is to arrange a set of hands that will beat the other players hands, just like most variations of poker. There are many ways to arrange the thirteen cards given to you and the only rules you have to follow are that the back hand must be of a higher value than the middle hand, and the middle hand must be higher than the front hand.

The value of each hand is determined by standard poker rules - but the front hand (with only three cards) cannot make a flush or straight.

After arranging the hands all players compare their hands to each other and the winner in each individual game receives a number of points, determined by how many hands they have won.

In each round with four players there are six transactions of points:

Player 1 vs. Player 2 Player 1 vs. Player 3 Player 1 vs. Player 4 Player 2 vs. Player 3 Player 2 vs. Player 4 Player 3 vs. Player 4

2-4 Scoring Simplified:
The most common scoring method for Chinese Poker (or common online at least) is called '2-4 scoring'. This scoring may seem complicated, but in general if your hands outrank at least two out of the three hands of another player, you win over that player.

• A player that wins two out of three hands gets two points.
• A player that wins all three hands gets four points.

Simplified Scoring is Based on Full Scoring Rules:

• The player with the higher Back hand gets one point.
• The player with the higher Middle hand gets one point.
• The player with the higher Front hand gets one point.
• Bonus points, if any, are added to each player's total.
• The player with the higher total gets an additional point called the overall point.
• The player with the higher total collects the difference between the two scores.

Without bonuses a player can potentially win 12 points, 4 points from each of the other players.

1-4 scoring
This is the same as 2-4 scoring only there will be no overall point for winning two out of three hands.
(Bonuses always count and surrender always applies, 2 points)

1-6 Scoring
This system is sometime called the 'mandarin way'.
In this system winning two out of three is worth one point and winning all three is worth six points.
(Bonuses always count and surrender always applies, 3 points)

Bonuses
In addition to the basic payoffs described so far, at some tables players pay bonuses for high ranking hands. Typical bonus payments are:

• Straight Flush in back/Middle hand 4 points
• Four of a kind in back/middle hand 3 points
• Three of a kind in front hand 2 points
• Full house in middle hand 1 point

Surrender
Surrender is a scoring option in which a player agrees to throw his hand away and pay a set amount to each opponent. The amount is 2 points for a 2-4 game, 3 points in a 1-6 game. If two players surrender they tie.