Chinese Poker

None of this.

         Whenever I attempt to explain this game, most people's eyes glaze over. Hopefully from now on I can just redirect them to this blog, and save myself the breath. Before we begin, let me assure you, this game does not involve any ancient Chinese proverbs, poorly translated movies, or bizarre finger traps. In fact, there's not much ethnic about this game at all, besides me learning it from my Asian mom, who learned it from her Asian mom. Just saying, I've managed to integrate this game to my white friends, and I think you'll like it, regardless of race.


                                                                     

The Basics:

• 2 standard decks (with jokers) are recommended
• 2-5 players (though we've broken that rule a few times)
• No poker chips needed.
• Objective: get rid of all of your cards first.
• Knowledge of poker hands is a prerequisite (we've got you covered, though! Five card draw guide here.)
• Aces are high or low, straights can go roundabout

Gameplay:

1. The dealer hands out fifteen cards face-down to each player before the game begins. The remaining cards are discarded.

2. As per Chinese custom (I lied, I'm a filthy liar) the player with the three of hearts goes first. If there are multiple 3-hearts out, we go by Chinese Food Friday custom: an intense game of rock-paper-scissors is played until a winner is determined.


3. The first player decides what poker hand to lay down first -i.e. a pair of 6s. (Note: only the pair is played, no other cards.) Play goes clockwise.


4. The next player, in order to play anything, must lay down a better hand of the same kind* -i.e. a pair of 7s. Otherwise, he passes.


5. When everyone passes, the player who laid down the best hand can decide what to play next. Play goes until someone successfully rids their hand of cards.


*The only exception to this rule is if the hand played is a single card. At any point on a single card, a player may play a full house (this is referred to as "stabbing") or a four of a kind with a kicker (this is loosely referred to as "exploding") on top. After that, better five card hands must be played on top.

What now?

The winner of the round gets his very own trump value (first win- 3, last win- Ace). Everyone plays the next round with the trump value being higher than ace (still lower than joker). The goal of the match is to raise your trump value to ace and then win a final time. However, you can stop whenever.


A bit confusing? An example of a real game can be found here: ____________






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Five Card Draw... for Dummies

          To be honest, I don't play poker games (except this) all that much. It's not that they're not fun, I just don't like to gamble away my money on games too often -i.e. I'm spineless. However, this is still a game that everyone should have in their repertoire. For those of you who are a little more daring with your cash, this game can be a great way to have a good time and swindle others out of their money.

The Basics:

• 2-6 players recommended
• The objective is to have the best five-card hand at the table.
• Standard 52-card deck(s)
• Cash, fake or real, required
• A "dealer chip" required

The Gameplay:

1. Each player antes, or puts a set amount of cash into the pot. This is the money to be won by the player with the best poker hand.
2. The cards are dealt out, five to each player.
3. The player to the left of the dealer decides whether to bet, or check (not bet) depending on their cards. Betting goes clockwise, with subsequent players deciding whether to raise call (match) a bet, or fold (give up). This continues until everyone is satisfied with their bets. Note that folding does not result in a refund of one's money.
4. All those who are still playing determine how many of their cards they wish to replace. This is done in a clockwise fashion.
5. Another round of betting occurs, just like in step 2. 
6. The poker hands are turned over, and the player with the best hand wins the pot.

The Hands:

(unless you're this guy)

• Four of a Kind with a Kicker- (ex. K K K K A) Less than 1 in 1000 of your hands should actually produce this. Pretty self-explanatory. If you play against someone with this hand, give up the fight of your life.
• Full House- (ex. 3 3 3 2 2) This hand is rarer than it may seem, and I assure you, it's really quite good. Kick ass and relax with this hand. A triplet and a pair make a really good team.
• Flush - (ex. 2 5 7 J A of hearts) You're pretty well off if you've got this. This trumps everything lower on the list, and consists of five cards of the same suit. In the case of a tie, the highest card of the flush counts for the win, and so on and so forth.
• Straight- (ex. 5 thru 9, off suit) Not a bad hand at all. 5 cards with their values in a row, but not all of the same suit. The highest card in the straight is used as a tie-breaker. 
• Three of a Kind- A fairly uncommon and decent hand that can lure someone with a two pair out of a lot of money. The other two lone cards are used as tie breakers.
• Two Pair- (ex. two 6's, two 9's) A somewhat common hand that can usually win the round. In the case of a dispute, the highest pair overall wins. A single card tiebreaker is used if necessary.
• Double Card/Pair- A very common hand, and therefore the second worst. If the win comes to a tie between pairs, the higher value pair wins. If the pairs are the same value, then the rest of the cards are used in a single card tiebreaker.
• Single Card/High Card- It's  impossible to not have this hand- which is why it is so worthless. If no player has a rarer hand, the winner is determined by who has the highest value single card. If there is a tie, the second highest card is used, then third, etc. On the off-chance that everything is a tie, those two players will split the pot.

Tips and advice to come. Clarifications, questions, or comments? We're always willing to help.