Chinese Poker Rules: 13-Card Guide and Scoring

Chinese Poker, also known as 13-Card Poker, is a strategic card game played with two to four players. Each player receives 13 cards and must arrange them into three distinct hands: front, middle, and back.

Arranging your 13 cards

Each player divides their 13 dealt cards into three separate poker hands:

• Front hand (3 cards): Must be the weakest of your three hands. Only high cards, pairs, and three of a kind can be formed here (straights and flushes do not count in a 3-card hand).
• Middle hand (5 cards): Must be stronger than or equal to the front hand, but weaker than or equal to the back hand.
• Back hand (5 cards): Must be your strongest hand among all three.

The golden rule: Do not foul

The cardinal rule of Chinese Poker is hand hierarchy: Back ≥ Middle ≥ Front. If your front hand beats your middle hand, or your middle hand beats your back hand, your entire board is declared a foul (also called a misset). A fouled player automatically loses all three hands to every opponent who did not foul.

Scoring and comparing hands

Once all players finish setting their hands, players compare hands head-to-head against each opponent:

• 1 unit per hand: Front compares against front, middle against middle, and back against back. The higher-ranking poker hand earns 1 unit from the other player.
• Scoop bonus: If one player beats another in all three hands (front, middle, and back), they achieve a scoop, doubling their points won against that opponent.
• Special hands: A strong hand in the right row, such as three of a kind in front or four of a kind in the back, is worth extra units when that row wins. The table below lists them.

Scoring example

Two players, one unit per row. You win the back and the middle, your opponent wins the front: you score +2 − 1 = +1 unit. Had you won all three rows, that is a scoop: 3 units, doubled to 6 units. With four players, every pair of players is scored this way, so one hand settles six head-to-head matchups at once.

Scooping more than one player pays more. On PokerClub's standard rules, a player who scoops one or two opponents doubles each of those matchups, and a player who scoops all three opponents (in Vietnamese, sập làng) gets four times the units from each of them.

Special hands and their value

Some hands are worth more than one unit when the row they sit in wins. These are PokerClub's standard (South) values; a club owner can switch to another rule set or set their own.

Notice that the same hand is worth more in the middle than in the back. Putting four of a kind in the middle is hard, because the back must still be stronger, so the game rewards it.

Instant wins

Some 13-card hands win at once, without comparing rows. You declare one when you confirm your hand, and on PokerClub your rows must show it (for example, three flushes really laid out as three flushes). Standard values, paid by each opponent:

If two players both hold an instant win, the higher one is paid. A three-card front only counts as a flush or a straight for these instant wins; in normal play the front can only be high card, a pair or three of a kind.

How to set your 13 cards

• Build the back first. Find your strongest five-card hand and put it in the back. Then make the best middle you can from what is left, and the front gets the last three cards.
• Check for a foul before you confirm. A back of two pair with a middle of trips is a foul, and a foul loses every row to every opponent. A weaker legal hand always beats a fouled strong one.
• Balance beats one monster row. Winning two rows out of three scores; one huge back with a weak middle and front often loses two rows. Sometimes it is right to break a hand to make two decent ones.
• A pair in front is valuable. Most fronts are just high card, so even a small pair there wins often. A pair of queens or better in front is a strong row.
• Remember the ace-low straight. On PokerClub's standard rules, A-2-3-4-5 is a straight, and it ranks just below the top straight, 10-J-Q-K-A.

Mau Binh: the Vietnamese version

In Vietnam, 13-card Chinese Poker is called Mậu Binh. The rows, the no-foul rule and the head-to-head scoring are the same. Mau Binh adds the instant wins above, special-hand values by row, and bonuses for scooping several players at once. House rules differ between the South and the North of Vietnam (the North, for example, ranks A-2-3-4-5 as the lowest straight), which is why PokerClub lets each club choose its rule set.

Playing Chinese Poker on PokerClub

A table seats two to four players. Everyone arranges their cards at the same time, on a clock of 60 seconds by default, and the hands are revealed when all players are done. A hand left unfinished when time runs out counts as a foul, so place your cards early and adjust. You can play at Free Play tables or at private club tables with your friends. Every chip is virtual and can never be cashed out.

Chinese Poker questions

How many people can play Chinese Poker?

Two to four. Four players use the whole 52-card deck, 13 cards each. Every player is compared against every other player, so each pair settles its own score.

What is the difference between Chinese Poker and Open-Face Chinese Poker?

In Chinese Poker all 13 cards are dealt at once and set face down before anyone reveals. In Open-Face Chinese, cards arrive a few at a time and are placed face up, one decision at a time. See how to play Pineapple OFC.

Do straights and flushes count in the front hand?

No. The front hand has only three cards, so it can only be a high card, a pair or three of a kind.

What happens if I foul?

Your whole hand loses. A fouled player loses all three hands to every opponent who did not foul, and usually pays the scoop bonus as well.

What is a scoop in Chinese Poker?

Winning all three hands (front, middle and back) against the same opponent. A scoop earns a bonus on top of the three units, often doubling them, depending on the house rules.

Can I play Chinese Poker online on PokerClub?

Yes. PokerClub runs 13-card Chinese Poker (also known as Mau Binh) for two to four players, in private club tables with your friends or at Free Play tables. Every chip is virtual, has no cash value and can never be cashed out.

Next: how to play Pineapple OFC, short deck poker rules, poker hand rankings, or the FAQ.