The objective of the game is for each player to develop over the course of a deal their best 'back' hand of 5 cards, 'middle' hand of 5 cards and 'front' hand of 3 cards from a total of 13 cards. Before playing it is necessary to agree on a stake per point.
The game can be played by 2, 3 or 4 players, each playing for themselves. This page is based on information from Dave Holdsworth. It was introduced to the poker tournament circuit by Russian players in the Aviation Club, Paris in early 2012 and has since become generally popular, and the side-game of choice for professional poker players in the US and Europe. Despite its name, this variant of Chinese Poker, sometimes known as Open Hand Chinese Poker or just as OFCP, originated in Russia and Finland in the early 21st century.
