If you've never played Chinese poker online, you may want to observe a few rounds before diving in. If you're already familiar with hand rankings in traditional poker, you'll have little trouble assimilating the new rules you'll learn in Chinese poker. Essentially, the games are identical except that Chinese poker deals with three separate hands at a time.
The first of these hands is the front hand, which consists of three cards. The highest-ranking front hand is three aces, followed by three kings, three queens, and so on down the line. The second hand is the middle hand, which is the weaker of two five-card hands. These are scored in the same hierarchy of hands used in standard draw poker. The third and final hand is the backhand, which is the stronger of the two five-card hands.
Betting on Chinese Poker Online
Before each round begins, each player deposits his or her ante in the pot. Whatever the total turns out to be is the winner's final take. There are no bets, raises, checks, and calls. Each player remains in the game until he or she has finished comparing hands with those of the three rival players. It's worth noting that some games consist of more than four players. But four is the average.
The winner is the one who wins the majority of the three hands, be it two or three of them. If it's a two-hand victory, the winner usually receives two points. For a three-hand sweep the winner is awarded four points. Some players, however, prefer the 1-6 system in which those point totals go to two- and three-hand winners respectively. It can seem like a lot to remember at first, which is why it's best to look on before you actually play Chinese poker online.