D
DS3
Legend
Loyaler
I have never played Chinese Poker but looked into it a few years ago as there was a buzz around the game generating interest and action for a while.
However once I acquainted myself with the rules I lost interest as essentially all it is is a gamble. All the cards are dealt to four players who form three hands of rising strength - one three card hand and two five card hands.
That's it. No streets or betting, just the cards flipped and the hands compared.
As Phil Ivey was notorious for betting on anything I can understand why it had an appeal to him (and other such gamblers who lean into the gambling side of poker) but it simply felt like rolling dice paying 'craps' to me.
There was a buzz about the game some years ago, huge sums changed hands - I have a clip on file of Helmuth admitting he had lost almost half a million dollars to Ivey in one evening session in the middle of an EPT tourney in Monaco. But it always seemed that the players organized the games themselves rather than being organized by the casinos.
Here's a clip from PokerListings (2017) laying out the basics
Edit - Just checked and Phil Helmuth had lost $536K in that one session to Phil Ivey!
However once I acquainted myself with the rules I lost interest as essentially all it is is a gamble. All the cards are dealt to four players who form three hands of rising strength - one three card hand and two five card hands.
That's it. No streets or betting, just the cards flipped and the hands compared.
As Phil Ivey was notorious for betting on anything I can understand why it had an appeal to him (and other such gamblers who lean into the gambling side of poker) but it simply felt like rolling dice paying 'craps' to me.
There was a buzz about the game some years ago, huge sums changed hands - I have a clip on file of Helmuth admitting he had lost almost half a million dollars to Ivey in one evening session in the middle of an EPT tourney in Monaco. But it always seemed that the players organized the games themselves rather than being organized by the casinos.
Here's a clip from PokerListings (2017) laying out the basics
Edit - Just checked and Phil Helmuth had lost $536K in that one session to Phil Ivey!
Last edited:
frnandoh
Legend
Bronze Level
I prefer "Buraco".
Z
zeist2
Rock Star
Silver Level
I played at Tony Bet, but they do not allow players anymore from The netherlands so i do not know if this is still possible. Was interesting play.