NoMercy OFC Crash Course: Opening with Flushes (Part 3)

Hello everyone! Welcome to my personal blog on OFC Pineapple (Open Face Chinese Poker). Week after week, I’ll go over the history of the game, some basic rules and recommendations, anecdotes from the players, and finally, some more advanced strategies. Today it’s opening with Flushes. Stay tune and enjoy the Fantasy Ride!

As explained earlier we are now covering a crucial subject in OFC: your openings. And this is a part three of blog about opening with Flushes.

Indeed, the way you will chose to place your initial 5 cards will be the foundation of your hand. It therefore represent one of the most important decision you will have to make in Open Face Chinese Poker.

We are studying all the best openings in order of the highest starting hands by ranking, until we reach the very worst opening hand with 5 rags such as 10-7-5-4-3 in 4 different suits.

Remember that one of the ultimate goals in Chinese Poker is to reach Fantasyland (FL), so starting with the most effective placement will greatly help you get there!

We already covered some of the best poker hands as we went over the possible scenarios and draws that concern a Royal Flush, a Straight Flush, Quads and Full Houses.

Let’s look at the next category in order of ranking hands: Opening with Flushes and Flush Draws.

We covered in the last 2 blog posts situations involving 5 cards flush served in opening. We discovered when we should keep it as a made hand in the back for 4 points royalty, versus when to split it in order to have more chances of accessing Fantasyland.

Let’s now move on to openings where you will receive 4 cards to a Flush.

4 Cards Flush Draws in Openings

If you receive 4 cards to a Flush in opening, the best play will be to place these 4 cards on the back and the 5^th card in the middle. Unless it a King or a Queen, in which case this 5^th card will go on top.

This is explained by the fact that your goal is always to access Fantasyland. You do not want to waste these 2 particular Fantasy cards on the middle row.

If you receive 4 cards to a Flush in opening with a big pair, the best play will vary according to that pair:

• AA: You will leave only 3 cards flush in the back and place your AA in the middle
• KK or QQ: you will keep your 4 cards flush in the back and place the K or Q on top

That’s correct, splitting your KK or QQ in order to keep 4 cards to a Flush in the back and placing the remaining Fantasy card on top is the accurate play.

However, you could be tempted to play this opening as you would do with Aces, by leaving only 3 cards Flush in the back and placing your KK and QQ on top.

Well, it wouldn’t be that bad.

Indeed, most of the time, it would not be a big mistake to decide to gamble by placing your KK or QQ on top and leave 3 cards flush in the back. Just as you would do above by placing AA in the middle.

This is why it is very important to remember that this series of advices is based on a heads-up play where you are first to act.

Your decision of keeping a King or a Queen in the back and place the second card on top, versus placing directly this pair on top, can and should be very influenced by all the exposed cards and opening plays of your opponents if you were not last to act.

Also remember that 3 cards flush draw in the back can always end up being trips or even 2 pairs. It might even turn out as a straight if you started with 3 connecting cards!

Be aware of the reasons why you make every single decision in OFC. That’s how you will become a winning player!

Rendezvous next week for the continuation of these series of tips on Open Face Chinese Poker and I hope now you know more when it comes to opening with Flushes!

Meet me at the OFC tables on CoinPoker to practice your skills and enjoy the action. Open yourself a CoinPoker account today. Welcome to Fantasyland!

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Isabelle “No Mercy” Mercier

OFC “Progressive” World Champion

Jump to the next part: Opening with Flushes (Part 4)