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Welcome to Fantasyland !

4 useful tips to know when you start playing Open Face Chinese Poker (OFC)

1/31/2023

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When you start playing Open Face Chinese Poker (OFC), the game can be confusing and nothing abnormal here. This poker format is indeed very different from other ones since you play with almost all cards open (all players see the 13 cards of other players). To help you get started, here are 5 useful tips for OFC beginners.
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1) Look at your board but non only...

When you are a beginner, you tend to focus almost exclusively on your board. It's normal, you try to place your cards not to bust, and it can take a lot of time and attention. However, in OFC, it is also very important to watch what your opponents are doing. The choices you make will depend on the cards that are visible, so you can calculate how many outs you have if you try to put a flush on the bottom line, for example.

If you don't know how many heart are already out (let's suppose it's the suit you're trying to make), you'll bust more frequently. If you look closely at the cards out, you'll be able to change your strategy and give up your flush in favor of a straight or two pairs for example. There is no 100% pre-defined strategy at OFC.

Of course there are basic placements for the first five cards you are dealt (see our openings section to learn more about that), but apart from that, all your options will be determined by your opponents' choices. So the key to have an edge is to observe a lot!
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2) Learn to count the points and the bonuses!

Whether you play online on a platform like CoinPoker or live, it is essential to learn how to count points and bonuses. Sure, when you play online the computer will count the points and bonuses for you, but that doesn't mean you don't need to know the points by heart! It is very important to know the points because it can make you radically change your strategy depending on the points you can make.

One of the main qualities of an OFC player is his ability to adapt.
If you know how to keep score and how many points you can make depending on the bonus you’ll get, you will make more money in the long run. Sometimes it's better to "sacrifice" the bottom line and not make a bonus and to go for a big pair on the top line that will take you to Fantasyland (if it's a pair of queens or better). And if you're playing live, it's a necessity to know how to count because it's not the dealers' job to keep score, so start practicing now!
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3) Don’t hesitate to take (reasonable) risks!

The risk-reward concept at OFC is very different from the one at No Limit Holdem Poker. Why? Because you can't GO ALL IN in an OFC game. You can BE ALL IN, but that only means you've lost all your chips. You don’t choose to go ALL IN, your opponents put you ALL IN! Big difference since it removes the pressure of an aggro opponent. In an OFC game it won’t happen since everyone sees almost all the cards that have been dealt. That said, keep in mind you can nevertheless take risks in an OFC game, but you will do it differently.

Example: if you choose to put three of a kind on the top line when you’re dealt you first 5 cards, you're taking a lot of risk! Less risky option: put that three of a kind on the bottom line in an attempt to make a foul house. With a three of a kind on the top line, you can potentially make a lot of points (10 points for 2-2-2 and 22 points for A-A-A), but this scenario will happen so rarely that it's not a reasonable risk. It's all about experience. It is also tempting when you receive two queens on the first deal to put them on top, but often it’s better to put them on the bottom line.
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4) Adapt your game to your position

As in Hold'em Poker, depending on the position you are in (Button, Button+1 or Button+2), you will not adopt the same strategy. If you're at the button, you have a huge advantage over your opponents because you'll see many more cards than they do on your turn to act. This will help you to take more or less risk depending on the cards that are visible.

If you see that your opponents have been dealt 7 spades - out of the 13 in the deck -, it is not a good idea to try to make a spade flush even if you are dealt three spades because there are only three left in the entire deck. If you are the first to receive your cards, things are different because you don't have as much information and in this case, trying to make a flush with three spades is much more legitimate.

Depending on your position, you will see more or less cards before you make your decision, so take advantage of this!

Want to try a cryptocurrency poker session? Open your account at CoinPoker now and join the action at the Open Face Chinese Poker tables offered by the platform. Missed the cryptocurrency boom? Don't miss out on the crypto-poker revolution. The best is coming!
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4 reasons to start playing Open Face Chinese Poker

1/23/2023

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Tired of playing hold'em poker? Want to take a break and play a fun and original poker game? Here are 4 reasons why you should play Open Face Chinese Poker (OFC):
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Picture: 888 poker

  1. It's a unique and challenging "brain game"
    Indeed, you will be challenged!
    You will receive 14 cards that you will have to place the best way so that you don't bust, but also to make the maximum points. It's quite a challenge, you are faced with millions of possibilities. Your brain will be called upon throughout the game. Open Face Chinese Poker will test your strategic thinking and card-playing skills.

  2. It's a great way to improve concentration
    At a time when you are all hyper connected to our smartphones that have turned into real personal assistants that remember our phone numbers for us, that help us get around in the car, it is nice to take back control. Good OFC players have great concentration cause at OFC, we play all hands, we have to observe the board of the other player(s) to adapt our strategy. In short, your concentration will be required!

  3. It's a fun!
    This is obviously one of the best reasons in the world! Having fun while playing poker, whether you're a pro or an amateur, is paramount! Trying to go to Fantasyland, making the best placements, adapting your strategy to your opponents, trying new variants (deuce-to-seven, turbo, progressive...), all these options make the game really fun and addictive.

  4. Technical level still low = money potential
    While most players are amateurs, there are some OFC pros who make money in cash games, especially on CoinPoker where you can play Open Face Chinese Poker.  OFC is obviously not as popular as Hold'em (yet), which means that there is still a very low technical level. So one can easily find opponents who are still beginners, making tons of mistakes, which is good news for experienced players or just those who want to make some money.

Want to try a cryptocurrency poker session? Open your account at CoinPoker now and join the action at the Open Face Chinese Poker tables offered by the platform. Missed the cryptocurrency boom? Don't miss out on the crypto-poker revolution. The best is coming! 
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Playing Pineapple Poker (OFC) gives you 100% action!

1/16/2023

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Hold’em poker players who play live tournaments or cash game sessions know it well: it can take a looooooooooong time for a player before he can play a hand. This is especially true if the tables are at a full ring table (9 or even 10 players).

And we know the drill!

Jack-2? Fold!
10-5? Fold!
Queen-3? Fold!
Jack-9 suited? Hmmm Fold! Bad position...
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This “folding game” can last an hour or more. But nothing abnormal here cause when you play Hold'em Poker, you have to select your starting hands, you have to be selective. Therefore, unless you are the most aggro player in the world willing to play every hand, folding is part of Hold'em.

Of course you can gamble from time to time and play very speculative hands, but you have to skip your turn most of the time and... start waiting… and waiting… and waiting. If you have a gold medal of patience, that’s a plus!

This inconvenience disappear when Hold'em players play online thanks to multi-tabling that allows them to play multiple tables at the same time (a lot more hands every hour).
OFC poker in Las Vegas
Live OFC in Las Vegas
It's a different story with Pineapple poker (OFC). Why is this so? Simply because in this form of poker you play every single hand, and that makes the whole difference! The dealer deals the cards to all players at the table (from 2 to 4 players max depending on the OFC variant), but unlike what happens at Hold'em, players cannot fold their cards. They MUST place them hoping to go to Fantasyland (a very cool game feature by the way).

There is no waiting time when you play Open Face Chinese Poker as you are constantly thinking about your best strategy. It's very stimulating for the brain. I have done tons of very long OFC cash game sessions on TonyBet Poker a few years ago and now on CoinPoker so I can assure you that you won't get bored playing OFC!

So if you wanna take a break between two Hold’em sessions with a fun game with no waiting time between hands, OFC is definitely a game you should try!

To learn more, check out the tutorial section of the site, where you'll find the rules, some strategies and how to count bonuses. But if you decide playing online at CoinPoker, you won't have to calculate these bonuses, the software will do it automatically fo you!

Have fun!

Want to try a cryptocurrency poker session? Open your account at CoinPoker now and join the action at the Open Face Chinese Poker tables offered by the platform. Missed the cryptocurrency boom? Don't miss out on the crypto-poker revolution. The best is coming! 
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How Bitcoin (BTC) and cryptocurrencies are revolutionizing online poker

1/15/2023

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As the price of Bitcoin (BTC) has just surpassed $20,000 and even reached the $21,000 mark, the legitimacy of cryptocurrencies is becoming more and more obvious. ​In a very pessimistic global economic environment, the status of fiat money no longer seems to be as advantageous as it was a few years ago.
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In January 2009, Bitcoin, the world's first cryptocurrency was born and with it, the concept of decentralization and financial autonomy. If Bitcoin is obviously unique since it doesn't belong to anyone - or rather, it belongs to EVERYONE - it is no less true that it paved the way to a whole crypto world: Ethereum and its smart contracts, the decentralized finance (DeFi) and the NFTs phenomenon.
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Bitcoin Price on Sunday January 15th 2023 (Messari)
Cryptocurrencies are also changing the poker world. First of all, it is now easier for players to exchange large amounts of money (swapping money for tournaments for example).

With the traditional banking system, transferring thousands of dollars (or a few hundred dollars) is a real challenge and it can take time. Cryptocurrencies allow you to exchange money easily and almost instantly.

When you travel a lot to play tournaments around the world as I did a few years ago (long before cryptocurrencies were popular), you need to have cash on you (but a limited amount by customs) or you need to make a bank transfer. This issue has been solved since the arrival of cryptocurrencies and today, many professional poker players exchange large amounts of money using cryptos.

Finally, poker itself is being revolutionized by cryptocurrencies. On CoinPoker, people have been playing in cryptocurrencies for several years now. In CHP (the native token of the platform) in the first times. Today, it is possible to use several other cryptocurrencies to deposit on one's account. It can be done via the Ethereum blockchain (ETH/CHP/USDT), via the Polygon network (MATIC, CHP, USDT) or the BSC network (BNB, BUSD).

Cryptocurrencies and the blockchain also bring more transparency to the game. CoinPoker uses a decentralized RNG (Random Number Generation) that allows players to verify each hand. Once a hand is completed, players can verify the randomness of the deck, as well as see the undealt cards that would have been in play.

All of these benefits are slowly transforming the way poker sites operate, and it's a safe bet to say that more and more online poker rooms will be using cryptocurrencies and all the benefits that virtual currencies offer players.

Want to try a cryptocurrency poker session? Open your account at CoinPoker now and join the action at the Open Face Chinese Poker tables offered by the platform. Missed the cryptocurrency boom? Don't miss out on the crypto-poker revolution. The best is coming! 
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Have you ever seen a live Open Face Chinese Poker game?

1/15/2023

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Have you ever watched a live Open Face Chinese (OFC) game? Here is a video of Jennifer Shahade, Jason Mercier and Marek Kolk playing at the Tony Bet Poker OFC World Championship.

It has nothing to do with Hold'em poker. In OFC, you never wait for a good hand since you literally play EVERY HAND. And that is what is fun about Chine Poker!   

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2023: the year of Open Face Chinese Poker (OFC)!

1/12/2023

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This is what Open Face Chinese Poker looks like in a live game
What if 2023 was the year of Open Face Chinese Poker (OFC)? This exciting game has been around for decades but has yet to achieve the success it deserves. 

Sure many professional players know OFC and have been playing it in their spare time for years. But one must admit that OFC is still an unusual form of poker compared to, say, hold'em. 

But as we all know, nothing lasts forever and fashions change. Let's remember that Hold'em was not popular at all until Chris Moneymaker won the WSOP on May 24th 2003. After his unexpected victory, everyone wanted to play No Limit Hold'em poker. 

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Click on the image to start playing Open Face Chinese on CoinPoker
Open Face Chinese Poker has not yet experienced this extraordinary boom but the game is now played by many people across the planet. Whether apps or online like on CoinPoker, the crypto-platform I'm lucky to be an ambassador for. It's the best place to play Open Face Chinese Poker. 

I will explain to you through the different posts of this blog why this game has all the chances to become more and more popular. Spoiler alert: it's because it's the best card game in the world! 😎

Ready to go to fantasyland and discover OFC and its multiple variants (progressive, 2-7, joker)? ​
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    Isabelle Mercier

    Poker player. Progressive OpenFace Chinese champion, WPT champion.

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