Best Open-Face Chinese & OFC Pineapple Poker Rooms in 2024
One of most rapidly rising poker variants out there is the Open-Face Chinese (OFC) and it’s close cousin OFC Pineapple Poker. Some players love it, some hate it, but most have no clue what is going on with this semi new poker game gaining more and more popularity around the world every day. Is it really poker? Is it even Chinese? This you can find out by continuing reading, and also learn what are the best online poker rooms to play Open-Face Chinese Poker and OFC Pineapple Poker in 2024.
But first, here’s a short introduction from a expert Open-Face Chinese player what the poker variant is all about:
“What I like about Open Face Chinese is that you are constantly part of the action: there is no folding. So if you run good, you are guaranteed to get paid (of course the same also counts when you run bad, you just feel it extra hard).
I’m a huge fan of board games and as there is no real betting and bluffing involved it feels more like a board game than an actual poker game, with the small difference that solid amounts of money are on the line.
As far as the OFC strategy goes, there isn't really a strategy as such because you always have an optimal way to play something - but that depends very much on what exactly you are playing. Also, depending where you are playing, the Fantasy Land rules are slightly different, so going wild for Fantasy Land isn't always the best OFC strategy to go for. OFC Tournaments play very differently from cash games anyway .
And last but not least, the fact that all you need is 2-3 players, a deck and something to keep track of the balance makes it a perfect game for poker degenerates (like myself) looking for some fast paced action.” - Wouter Schuurbiers.
Where to play Open-Face Chinese & OFC Pineapple Poker Online?
Considering everyone has their own taste it's good that now in 2024 we have multiple options where to choose from. I went through the best online poker rooms and researched their OFC Poker options so you could pick the best for you. Check it out!
KKPoker
OFC Poker is gaining popularity not only in the West but also in the East. The forefront of this development is Asia-based online poker room KKPoker offering unique options for Open-Face Chinese and OFC Pineapple Poker, not just online but also in KKPoker live events. It's all about OFC Heads-Ups here which makes KKPoker the go-to online poker room where the “big boys play”.
You can find opponents 24/7 but from early morning (GMT) till mid-day OFC Poker is running hot on KKPoker. During peak hours you'll find OFC tables with limits reaching as high as $1,000 or $2,000 and blinds going up to $5. There's also plenty of action at smaller OFC tables with blinds starting at just $0.01 and $0.02.
What makes Open-Face Chinese Poker and Pineapple Poker so popular at KKPoker? It's a combination of their unique OFC rules and a strong presence at KKLIVE live poker events, contributing to the OFC Poker boom in Asia.
KKPoker stands out with its unique OFC rules - Progressive, Joker, Ultimate, and Ultimate Joker (17-card Fantasy) adding an extra layer of excitement in the game. And lets not forget to give credit to the ancient roots of original Chinese Poker (Pai Gow) in the Asian gaming culture.
Here are the different OFC rules at KKPoker:
Progressive
After entering Fantasy Land with the top row of QQ, KK or AA, players receive 14, 15, or 16 cards respectively, but will receive only 14 cards if they enter re-Fantasy.
Ultimate
Ultimate OFC Rules are almost the same as Progressive OFC rules. The difference is: When players enter re-Fantasy the number of cards dealt will be the same as in Fantasy, rather than just 14 cards
Joker
Joker OFC rules include two Joker cards in the deck that can be used as any other playing card in the deck to form the strongest hand possible.
Ultimate Joker (17-card Fantasy)
In Ultimate Joker OFC or 17-card Fantasy players can receive 17 cards for entering Fantasy Land with Trips in the top row.
SWC Poker
SWC Poker is a poker room where specialists around the world meet and play popular poker variants NLHE, PLO, but also Mixed Games like Sviten Special/Drawmaha, Flop Poker Games, and Open-Face Chinese Poker in multiple rule variations.
The crypto poker site SWC Poker, dedicated to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, is one of the best poker rooms to play OFC Poker. Their poker software is user-friendly and super easy to use (considering we are dealing with crypto poker). Like KKPoker, they have the regular Open-Face Chinese and OFC Pineapple Poker but also their own rule variations OFC/P Progressive and 2-7 Pineapple OFC Poker.
SWC Poker is one of the few global poker rooms. Example, here you have many US players due to the unregulated status of Bitcoin. This lets US players and players in similar situation to play poker online legally and one of the games that is quite popular is OFC and Pineapple Poker. There are always different Open-Face Chinese Poker tables available and opponents ready to get in on the action almost 24/7.
OFC Poker Rule Variations at SWC Poker
Progressive Pineapple OFC Poker
Very much the same as the regular Pineapple OFC Poker with an exception that the top row awards larger bonuses for stronger hands. Other than that, it's business as usual.
OFC/P 2-7
OFC/P 2-7 is a poker game for 2 or 3 players. In this OFC variant the middle hand is played as 2-7 Lowball with a requirement of Ten-low or better. Top hand is played as 3-card poker with requirement to rank lowest with poker hands High Card, Pair, or Three of a Kind. Bottom hand is played as standard 5-card poker hand that must rank the highest.
BetOnline Poker
One of the industry veterans, BetOnline, who might be better known for their award winning sportbook and sometimes even controversial betting options, added OFC Poker and OFC Pineapple Poker to their arsenal just last year, and it's good that they did.
A the BetOnline poker room, OFC Poker is available in the classic Open-Face Chinese cash game format while OFC Pineapple Poker is featured in three-player, fast-paced Windfall Tournaments. Windfall -format is available on other online poker rooms (with a different name) where the prize pool is chosen by random from multiple option.
Available stakes in Open-Face Chinese cash games:
- $0.10
- $0.25
- $0.50
Available buy-ins in OFC Pineapple Windfall Tournaments:
- $3 – max. $1,500 GTD
- $8 – max. $4,000 GTD
- $15 – max. $7,500 GTD
- $30 – max. $15,000 GTD
Tiger Gaming
At Tiger Gaming, OFC Poker is available in the identical format as at BetOnline. The reason for this is that they are operated by the same entity. Of course, not everything is the same between these two online poker rooms but in the case of Open-Face Chinese and OFC Pineapple Poker, it's the same as mentioned above. What makes these two poker rooms different is mainly the promotions.
Open-Face Chinese Poker – Short History
Open-Face Chinese Poker is a modern twist of the Chinese Poker that was once featured in the WSOP 1995 Bracelet Event. However, modern version of Open-Face Chinese Poker was not invented in China but actually in Finland, where in the mid 2000's so far not publicly known poker players crafted it for their own pleasure. Through a twist of fate, OFC Poker came into the hands of poker pro Alex Kravchenko who introduced the game to the Russian high-stakes poker community.
From high stakes, Open-Face Chinese Poker quickly spread around like wildfire, eventually reaching the USA around 2012. Slowly, this unique "board game"-like poker variant rose in popularity also in online poker circles, and now Open-Face Chinese Poker and its multiple rule variants, such as Pineapple Poker, are becoming bigger than ever before. Currently, OFC Poker is available in a few top online poker rooms like the ones mentioned in this article and the game is also featured in various live events, including The Festival Series, Kings Of Tallinn, and KKPoker's KKLIVE events.
