In Open Face Chinese Poker (OFC), counting points and bonuses fast gives you a big advantage. When you play live, every second is important. If you count too slowly, you lose time, you lose focus, and you make mistakes. OFC is a game where you need 100% of your brain. One small mistake can cost many points.
Here are five simple tips to help you count faster and better in OFC.
Wanna know the way the OFC scoring ? Here is it.
Learn to guess the points quickly
You do not need to know every single point value when you begin. You can often guess the value very fast by using logic. For example: if you know a Three of a Kind with 2s on top is 10 points, then you know immediately that a higher Three of a Kind (3s) is 11 points, and 4s is 12 points. When you learn a few key values, you can guess the points of close hands very easily.
Take your time to learn and start from the bottom
Unless you have a perfect memory, you will not learn all the points in one day. So do not stress at the beginning.
Start by learning the points for the bottom line. This is the line you will count most often in real games. It is less common to put strong pairs on the top line. To place a pair on the top, you need at least two pairs on the bottom (which gives zero points) and two pairs in the middle. Most of the time you won’t get any royalties from the top line.
Train with real cards
Sitting at a real table with real cards is very different from playing OFC on an app. On the app, your brain does nothing because the app calculates all the points for you.
To become faster, you must practice with real cards. The method is simple: deal three boards that do not foul. Imagine different hands: a Four of a Kind on the bottom for Player 1, a flush for Player 2, a straight for Player 3.
Do the same for the middle and top lines. Then try to see who wins each line, and count all royalties. Training in real-life conditions will help you count much faster during real live games.
Repeat the counting exercises often
There is no secret: the human brain learns through repetition. You must repeat the information again and again. In the beginning, plan small training sessions every day. You can do them at your table, or in your head.
When you are in the subway or driving your car, test yourself. “How many points is a Three of a Kind with 10s on top?” “How much is a flush on the middle line?” The more you do these small exercises, the faster counting becomes automatic.
Learn the tricks
There are some tricks in OFC scoring that help you count faster. The most important one is this: points on the bottom line are doubled on the middle line. If a straight is worth 2 points on the bottom line, it is worth 4 on the middle line. A full house is 6 points on the bottom line, so it is 12 points in the middle.
Another important trick: royalties on the top line start at a Pair of 6. A Pair of 5 gives zero points.
The more you practice, the more you will find your own shortcuts and small techniques to count fast. Do not hesitate to invent personal tricks that help your brain calculate quicker.
