Chinese
Poker (Pusoy) is a very famous card game played in Asian
communities. It is very easy to learn and anyone who know the poker
hand rankings by heart can immediately begin to play this game.
Although Chinese Poker is basically a four-player game, it can be
played by 2, 3, 5, or more players. It can be very addictive and
played with a combination of skills and luck.
Chinese Poker Game Rules
Here's a step-by-step lesson on how to play Chinese Poker:
Each player receives 13 cards from a standard 52-card deck
The player now has to divide his cards into 3 poker hands:
the Back (containing 5 cards), Middle (5 cards), and Front (3
cards)
The rule is the Back card hand must outrank the Middle card
hand, which in turn must outrank the Front card hand.
Straights and flushes do not count in the Front card hand
First, the player must choose his Back cards and place them
face down. After which he chooses his Middle hand and place
them face down. Finally, the remaining 3 cards (Front) is again
placed faced down on the table.
When all players have set their hands, the cards are turned
face up and the deal is scored.
The Scoring
Even before the cards are dealt, the players must agree on the stakes.
Usually, for every point collected by the player is equivalent to
a certain money prize.
General Scoring Method
This is the general scoring rule for Chinese Poker (Pusoy)
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 players 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.
2-4 Scoring Method
The 2-4 scoring is a simple scoring rule used in Chinese Poker tournaments:
A player who wins 2 out of 3 hands wins 2 points.
A player who wins all 3 hands wins 4 points (a sweep).
1-6 Scoring Method
In the 1-6 scoring system, winning 2 out of 3 is worth 1 point and
winning all 3 gives 6 points. That simple. This scoring scheme is
common in the card rooms of Southern California.
Bonuses
In addition to the basic scoring schemes described so far, players
may agree to pay bonuses for high ranking hands. Typical bonuses
are:
Straight Flush in Back/Middle Hand: 4 points
Four-of-a-kind in Back/Middle Hand: 3 points
Full House in Middle Hand: 1 point
Three-of-a-kind in Front Hand: 2 points
Variations
There are many variations in the scoring rules. In one example, certain
hands may be considered automatic winners or naturals. In southern
California games, naturals get 3 points and include 3 "straights",
3 "flushes", or 6 pairs. Higher or more
rare hands accumulate more points.
Surrender is a scoring option where a player agrees to throw his hand
away and pay a set amount to each opponent.