Just like we don’t know the true identity of Bitcoin’s inventor (Satoshi Nakamoto is a pseudonym), we don’t know exactly who created Chinese Poker.
The Evolution of Chinese Poker
But that’s not surprising, since there is no official card game authority that states when a new variant is born. Card games often evolve organically, and it’s mostly the players themselves who create new versions—by tweaking a rule, removing one, or inventing a new one.
When it comes to Chinese Poker, there are different theories. One of them suggests it comes from Pai Gow Poker. But it’s kinda hard to believe it’s true when you look at the cards display (picture below). We can’t really see any connection with the three rows of Chinese poker. Will we be able to identify the true origin of Chinese Poker one day?
Chinese Poker at the WSOP
Veteran poker players might remember that the WSOP hosted Chinese Poker (not OFC) tournaments for two consecutive years (1995 and 1996). In 1995, there was the $1,500 Chinese Poker event (won by John Tsagaris) and the $5,000 Chinese Poker with rebuys (won by Steve Zolotow).
Same in 1996: the $1,500 Chinese Poker was won by Greg Grivas, and the $5,000 Chinese Poker with rebuys went to Jim Feldhouse.
But since 1996, Chinese Poker has completely vanished from the WSOP schedule—even as the Open-Face Chinese Poker (OFC) variant has gained major popularity on apps like Pineapple (screenshot below).
The Rise of OFC
In the early 2010s, a new variant of Chinese Poker emerged: Open-Face Chinese Poker (OFC). Learn the rules here.
The earliest traces of OFC lead us to Helsinki, Finland, around 2011–2012. That’s where this version is believed to have been invented before rapidly gaining popularity.
One of the main innovations of this variant is Fantasyland. When a player manages to place a pair of queens or better in the top row (without fouling), they receive 13 cards all at once in the next hand—giving them a massive edge, since they’re guaranteed not to foul.
According to an article on Bluff.com, the Finnish origin is just a theory. The game may very well have been invented in Russia.
Starting in 2012–2013, OFC became popular in the Western poker world. A dedicated strategy thread even appeared on the popular poker forum 2+2. Meanwhile, many high-stakes players fell in love with the game, playing it together in casino VIP rooms.
One player who helped popularize OFC in Moscow’s high-stakes scene is Alex Kravchenko, who famously said that OFC “is spreading like a virus between poker players.”
Among notable fans: Barry Greenstein, Jason Mercier, Daniel Negreanu, Tom Dwan, Viktor Bloom, Gus Hansen, Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, and Isabelle Mercier, who won the first Progressive OFC World Championship in 2015, organized by TonyBet Poker in Prague — TonyBet being the first major online platform for the game.
Did you know that Gus Hansen made a tutorial video to explain the rules of OFC?
According to an article from SoMuchPoker.com, not everyone is a fan. Todd Brunson, for example, strongly dislikes the game, stating:
“Open-face Chinese is a cancer in poker. It does not fall under the definition of poker…. They do not let you play Gin in the poker room for the same reason they shouldn’t let you play Chinese Poker.”
Others, like Shaun Deeb, are enthusiastic about OFC—a game he believes: “It’s here to stay.“
Will the WSOP and Other Pro Circuits Adopt OFC? Time will tell.
