Open Face Chinese Poker

[QuikSand]

(reserved for future use as a reference/resource section if this thread develops)

Link to the app: Chinese Open Face Poker Mobile App (http://www.chineseopenfacepoker.com/)

[QuikSand]

I've been playing this game a bit lately... it's oddly addictive. It's become pretty popular among poker players, though the game structure (other than the hand rankings and obvious stuff like that) has rather little to do with conventional poker.

The app takes a convoluted game and makes it very speedy and portable.

I'm personally not so sure that there's a huge differential in expected outcomes between a decent player and an excellent one, but I don't claim any real expertise. It is interesting that there seems to be only a fledgling universe of serious strategy writing out there... I guess it's so intensely situational, it's hard to describe many things generally.

I'd be interested if there's a player community here to have conversation about the game -- variations, strategy, and the like.

Go.

[QuikSand]

Oh, and by the way:

-yes, I am on GameCenter
-no, I don't want to play against you for free
-yes, I do play for some money, but just trivial stakes for now at least

[cartman]

Intriguing. At first glance it looks like Pai Gow on steroids.

[QuikSand]

Article on growing popularity

hxxp://www.pokernews.com/muck/open-face-chinese-poker-growing-at-the-world-series-of-poker.htm

[cartman]

Since you've played a bit, QS, how often does it happen that you end up with an illegal hand? It seems that would be a fairly regular occurrence, since you fill in your hands as you go.

[panerd]

Oh, and by the way:

-yes, I am on GameCenter
-no, I don't want to play against you for free
-yes, I do play for some money, but just trivial stakes for now at least

Never heard of it but it looks promising. Especially with the possibility of eventually playing for money. :)

[cuervo72]

Never heard of it but it looks promising. Especially with the possibility of eventually playing for money. :)

Playing for money, possibly promising. Playing against Quik for money? Less promising.

[MalcPow]

If you can't spot the sucker in your first half hour... it's cool, that's why Quik brought us all together.

[QuikSand]

Since you've played a bit, QS, how often does it happen that you end up with an illegal hand? It seems that would be a fairly regular occurrence, since you fill in your hands as you go.

That's a really big part of the game...it's pretty uncommon to be down to your last card or two and not at least have the potential to foul your hand.

If you like/appreciate things like "counting outs" in poker, that mentality is very much in play in this game. All the time, I'm trying to decide where to place my third-to-last card and having to sort out the count of (sometimes) the good cards left, or (sometimes) the bad cards left as part of that decision.

[digamma]

I am also on GameCenter (sven1400) and can add my endorsement (fwiw) for this game. Now is a good time to get involved as there was an update to the app yesterday with some meaningful updates (adding a chat feature, including a little more game customizability and making one change to the Fantasyland structure).

What is Fantasyland?

Well, those of us who have been have sworn an oath of secrecy....no it is a game variation that gives you a next hand "bonus" for making a very strong 3 card hand. The bonus is getting to look at all of your cards at one time as opposed to one at a time. I think the allure of Fantasyland is one of the best parts of the game.

[QuikSand]

Intriguing. At first glance it looks like Pai Gow on steroids.

That's a fair comparison to the standard game of Chinese Poker...where you get 13 cards at once and set your three ordered hands. Definitely like pai gow or pai gow poker taken to a new level.

The "open face" addition makes the game much, much deeper, and far more strategic. Watching the hands develop as yours does step by step, and the potential to form an illegal hand makes this game really fascinating.

[Subby]

I am in a regular game with MalcPow and digamma and Quik. It was pretty pedestrian until we introduced Fantasyland. Fantasyland is the key to making OFCP awesome. Well, that and playing for money.

[wade moore]

I'm on the "on gamecenter, will play for small cash" bandwagon.

Wam13