Open-Face Chinese Poker (OFC) Rules
Last updated: May 26, 2026
Open-Face Chinese Poker (OFC) is a card game where players build 3 separate hands — top (3 cards), middle (5 cards), bottom (5 cards) — from 13 cards dealt face-up one at a time. Unlike regular Chinese Poker, you cannot rearrange cards once placed: each card must be set immediately as it is dealt. The bottom hand must be the strongest, the middle second-strongest, and the top weakest. Violations result in a foul.
Scoring is by row comparison (1 point per row won) plus royalties (bonus points for premium hands) and Fantasyland bonuses. Pineapple OFC — where 3 cards are dealt per round and 1 is discarded — is the dominant competitive variant. Popular in Asia and high-stakes private games.
Rules Overview and Row Placement
OFC is played with a standard 52-card deck, 2-4 players. Each player receives 5 cards face-up to start (in Pineapple, the same opening), which must be placed across the three rows. Once placed, cards cannot be moved. Subsequent cards (1 per round in standard OFC, 3-deal-place-2-discard-1 in Pineapple) are added until all 13 cards are placed and the hand is complete.
The critical constraint is the row-strength ordering: bottom must beat middle, middle must beat top. A foul (mis-set hand) is scored as 0 for all rows — the opponent wins all three rows plus the sweep bonus, typically totaling 6 points. Fouling is catastrophic, which makes aggressive Fantasyland-chasing a high-stakes gamble.
| Row | Strength Requirement | Common Hands |
|---|---|---|
| Bottom (5 cards) | Must be strongest hand | Full house, flush, straight |
| Middle (5 cards) | Must be weaker than bottom | Two pair, one pair, trips |
| Top (3 cards) | Must be weakest hand | Pair, high card — NO straights/flushes (3-card) |
Fantasyland and Scoring Royalties
Fantasyland is the game's signature mechanic. To earn it, you must successfully set QQ or better on your top row without fouling. The reward: next round, all 13 cards are dealt to you face-down simultaneously — you can arrange them fully before revealing. This is a enormous advantage because it eliminates the constraint of blind placement, allowing optimal hand construction. Fantasyland can be retained (stayed) by setting quads or better on bottom, a full house or better on middle, or trips on top in Pineapple.
Royalties are bonus points paid in addition to row-win points for premium hands. A royal flush on the bottom row is worth 25 bonus points — enough to swing an entire session. Even modest royalties (a straight on the bottom for 2 pts) accumulate meaningfully across a multi-hand session.
| Hand | Royalty Points |
|---|---|
| Top — pair of 6s | 1 |
| Top — pair of 7s | 2 |
| Top — pair of 8s through Ks | 3–8 |
| Top — pair of Aces | 9 |
| Top — trips (any) | 10–22 |
| Middle — three of a kind | 2 |
| Middle — straight | 4 |
| Middle — flush | 8 |
| Middle — full house | 12 |
| Middle — four of a kind | 20 |
| Middle — straight flush | 30 |
| Middle — royal flush | 50 |
| Bottom — straight | 2 |
| Bottom — flush | 4 |
| Bottom — full house | 6 |
| Bottom — four of a kind | 10 |
| Bottom — straight flush | 15 |
| Bottom — royal flush | 25 |
OFC vs Regular Chinese Poker vs Pineapple OFC
| Feature | Regular Chinese | OFC | Pineapple OFC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Card deal | All 13 at once, face-down | 5 face-up, then 1 per turn | 5 face-up, then 3 per turn (place 2, discard 1) |
| Re-arrangement | Full (before reveal) | None once placed | None once placed |
| Discard mechanic | None | None | 1 card per turn |
| Skill level | Moderate | High | Highest |
| Speed of play | Fast | Medium | Medium |
Definitions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Open-Face Chinese Poker?
OFC is a card game where each player builds 3 separate hands (top 3 cards, middle 5 cards, bottom 5 cards) from 13 dealt cards. Top hand must be weakest; bottom hand must be strongest. Scoring rewards strong hands per row plus Fantasyland bonuses. Originated in Finland (2010s); popular in Asia and high-stakes private games. Not a betting/showdown game like traditional poker — scoring-based.
How does OFC scoring work?
Compare each row head-to-head with opponents. Win a row = 1 point. Bonus points for premium hands (royalties): straight on bottom = 2 points, flush on bottom = 4 points, etc. Sweep (winning all 3 rows) = +3 bonus. Fantasyland (special bonus) triggered by QQ+ on top row, awarding entire hand dealt face-down next round.
What is Pineapple OFC?
Pineapple is the modern OFC variant. Each round you receive 3 cards but must place only 2 (discard 1). Adds strategic depth — you have flexibility to optimize placements. Most popular OFC variant in 2020s. The standard variant played at high-stakes private games and online specialty rooms.
Is OFC played in casinos?
Rarely. OFC is mostly a private game (home games, online specialty rooms). Some Asian poker rooms offer OFC tables. Online: PokerStars and TonyBet have OFC; specialty sites exist. The lack of broad casino availability reflects OFC's niche status — fun to play but not commercially mainstream.
Is OFC easy to learn?
Easier than poker variants — no betting rounds, no bluffing, just hand-building. Beginners can grasp basic rules in 15 minutes. Strategic depth comes from optimal placement and Fantasyland chasing — these take 50-100 games to master. Good 'gateway' game for non-poker players who want strategic card games.
What are the differences between OFC, Regular Chinese Poker, and Pineapple OFC?
Regular Chinese Poker: all 13 cards dealt face-down at once; player arranges before reveal. Open-Face Chinese Poker: cards dealt one at a time (5 to start, then 1 per round) and placed face-up as received — no re-arrangement allowed. Pineapple OFC: same as OFC but each round deals 3 cards; player places 2 and discards 1, adding a meaningful discard decision. Pineapple is the most skill-intensive variant and the current standard in serious play.
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