Open-face Chinese poker has been around since the mid-2000’s but the game exploded in popularity over the last few years.

• Pineapple Open Face Chinese Poker Apps
• Pineapple Open Face Chinese Poker Appearance
• Chinese Pineapple Poker
• Open Face Chinese Poker Pineapple Rules

1 Earlier this week, poker pro Nikolai Yakovenko, co-creator of the ABC Open-Face Chinese Poker iPhone app, introduced the 2-7 variant of Open-Face Chinese — a.k.a. '2-7 OFC' or 'Deuce Pineapple.' DH Pineapple Poker, known as the most popular variation of Texas Hold'em Poker, is also called OFC, Open Face Chinese Poker. DH Pineapple Poker gives you the unique experience of poker game,.

Whether it's for dimes or hundreds of dollars a point, OFC is played around kitchen tables, with mobile apps and in poker rooms around the world.

The World Series of Poker even hosted a one-time, non-bracelet OFC event in 2013.

• And no two hands are ever the same.This app supports Regular and Pineapple Open Face Chinese Poker (OFC), and now with Deuce (2-7) Middle Pineapple, with in-app purchase.We also include hand.
• TonyBet Poker launched in December 2013 and became an instant hit thanks to it.

But should Open-Face Chinese Poker be available in poker rooms? We spoke to poker pros Todd Brunson, Paul Volpe and Shaun Deeb to find out. Brunson's opinion fell clearly on one side of the argument.

OFC is a Cancer in Poker

“Open-face Chinese is a cancer in poker. It does not fall under the definition of poker,” Brunson said. “They do not let you play Gin in the poker room for the same reason they shouldn't let you play Chinese Poker.

“You look at your hand and you bet your hand,” he continued. “That’s poker.”

But customers continue to look for live OFC games, rake and all, whether it’s a real poker variant or not.

“Just because they want to do it doesn't mean it should be allowed,” Brunson responded. “The poker room is for poker and this is not poker. Gin is not allowed, backgammon is not allowed because it's not poker.”

Volpe: Why Can't Players Play What They Want?

Not everyone agrees with Brunson’s opinion. New Jersey poker pro Paul Volpe was an early proponent of OFC and plays it frequently both live and online. Volpe has played the game everywhere from Europe to Vegas and has no problem with casinos allowing it in the poker room.

Volpe explains how OFC is sucking money out of other high-stakes poker games.

“I’m ok with it, obviously. If it’s a regulated game, with a standard deck and rake, I don’t see why players shouldn’t able to play it if they want,” Volpe said.

They both agree on one thing, OFC is definitely having an effect on the high-stakes cash-game scene.

“Especially outside of Vegas,” Volpe said. “The [OFC] games in Europe and at the PCA were always running. That takes a lot of money out of normally big live games.”

For some players, OFC becomes an obsession.

Deeb: “OFC is Great for Fish”

Online poker legendun Shaun Deeb has been among Open-Face Chinese's biggest supporters over the last few years and he agrees more with Paul Volpe, although he can see Todd Brunson's point.

“I kind of agree,” Deeb said about the argument that OFC isn't really poker.

“It’s closer to blackjack than any other game and I do understand the merit [of that argument]. But there’s the fact there is hand rankings, a lot of action, there’s betting.

Shaun Deeb won the OFC event at this year's PCA.

“They spread regular Chinese poker for years and it was a much smaller game. All the big mix-game guys, every big name always played Chinese poker and open-face is just a different variant of it.

“It's just like saying, 'Everyone plays Hold’em now so you can’t play Pineapple.' Games progress and they become more complicated and more interesting because obviously the games adapt and change what everyone is doing.

“It went from Limit Hold’em to No-Limit Hold’em and now you look at most of the big games are PLO. There’s always going to be a switch from one game to another. And that’s just what happened.

“I really think the game’s here to stay. People just enjoy the game. It’s great for fish. It’s a spectator sport. Like I said from day one, the thing about open-face is that a complete random can walk up, watch the game, and figure out how to play. He can watch every decision people are making.'

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Table Of Contents

Introduction

Pineapple OFC is a derivative of standard open-face Chinese poker with Fantasyland, the rules for which can be found here.

Just as in regular OFC, the players get several cards in turn, and place them face-up until they make a 13-card hand, consisting of a 'top,' 'middle,' and 'bottom' row of three, five, and five cards, respectively. The players start by placing their first five cards each, but then the “crazy pineapple” part kicks in.

Objective

The first five cards are placed just as in regular OFC, but then players get dealt three cards instead of just one. In turn, each player then places two of the three cards in any of his or her available rows before discarding the third one face down. The procedure is repeated until players have completed their 13-card hands.

It is customary not to show the third card to opponents when discarding, but it should be remembered for your own information. Some players use this hidden information to discard cards purposefully that their opponents need to make their hands. Discarded cards are not shuffled back in the deck.

Scoring

Scoring is the same in Pineapple OFC as it is in regular OFC. You can view the complete scoring rules on our regular OFC rules page.

Fantasyland Changes

The rules for making it to Fantasyland are the same as in regular OFC. You need QxQx or better on top to qualify, and since the players see 50% more cards in Pineapple OFC than in regular OFC, players make it to Fantasyland much more often.

To compensate for the fact that hands are now much stronger than in regular OFC, players who make it to Fantasyland in Pineapple OFC are dealt 14 cards and get to play any 13 of them, discarding one.

Adding that 14th card may not seem like much, but it nearly doubles the chance for a player to stay in Fantasyland by making a big hand in the top, middle, or bottom. See our regular OFC rules for a complete list of hands that allow you to stay in Fantasyland.

Pineapple Open Face Chinese Poker Apps

Conclusion

There you have it. Welcome to Pineapple OFC, the version of Open Face Chinese Poker in which players make hands that are twice as big in half the rounds, where Fantasyland is not just possible but standard, and where you get a 14th chance at quads or a straight flush.

We'll see you in Fantasyland!

Pineapple Open Face Chinese Poker Appearance

OFC rules have been contributed by Nikolai Yakovenko. Known as 'Googles,' Yakovenko is originally from Moscow, Russia and is now a poker player and software developer residing in Brooklyn, New York. Yakovenko has made both World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour final tables. Meanwhile after several years at Google New York working on ranking algorithms, he's been developing independent software projects ever since. He also helped create the ABC Open-Face Chinese Poker iPhone App. You can follow Yakovenko on Twittter at @ivan_bezdomny.

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