{"id":8109,"date":"2025-01-24T21:28:50","date_gmt":"2025-01-24T21:28:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.coinpoker.com\/?p=8109"},"modified":"2025-01-24T21:29:51","modified_gmt":"2025-01-24T21:29:51","slug":"opening-with-two-pairs-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coinpoker.com\/opening-with-two-pairs-ofc-poker\/","title":{"rendered":"OFC Crash Course: Correctly Opening With Two Pairs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I’m Isabelle Mercier, and I’d like to welcome you to my personal blog on OFC Pineapple (Open Face Chinese Poker). We\u2019ll go over the history of the game, basic rules and recommendations, anecdotes from the players, more advanced strategies, hand analysis, and etc. Stay tuned and enjoy the Fantasy-ride! <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To become a strong OFC Poker<\/a> player, openings can make or break your game. The way you will chose to place your initial 5 cards will be the foundation of your hand and it represents a key decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember that one of the ultimate goals in Chinese Poker is to reach Fantasyland, so starting with the most effective placement will greatly help you get there!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s discuss a common situation in OFC poker: opening with two pairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opening with Two Pairs in OFC Poker<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Opening with two pairs in OFC poker already gets more complicated than opening with three of a kind. There are indeed more exceptions that can apply here, and we will look at these.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

COMMON RULE:<\/strong>
In general, you will keep your two pairs together on the bottom line, even if these are two very small pairs.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason for this is because you will complete that line to make a boat in a lot of hands, and this placement covers your middle row, making it ready for draws such as a pair of Aces or a pair of Kings in the middle. When you open with such a placement, you always place the 5th<\/sup> card in the middle, unless it\u2019s a King or a Queen, in which case you place it on top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We say, in general, because there are a few exceptions. Here they are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exception #1: When one of the two pairs is AA along with JJ to 22<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In this case, you always place your pair of Aces in the middle and the other pair in the back. This placement allows you to be in direct position to access Fantasyland. As for the remaining card, it goes in the middle with the Aces, unless it\u2019s a King or a Queen, then it goes on top<\/strong>. This is explained by the fact that you want to keep your back open for a live card to go along with your pair. Running pairs play much easier than trying to create one from thin air by placing a card on your bottom line in opening, in the dark, first to speak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exception #2: When one of the two pairs is AA along KK or QQ<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In this situation, the rule is plain and simple: AA goes in the middle, and your pair of Kings or Queens goes on top. The remaining card will go in the back in 100% of the cases.<\/strong> You have no information about live cards, but as opposed to Exception #1 stated above, you do want here to have some foundation, at least one card, hoping to catch cards that connects, hoping to catch anything that starts looking like a back line. It\u2019s already problematic opening with only one card in the back, don\u2019t even think about opening with zero card there when you\u2019re first to act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exception #3: When the two pairs are KK and QQ<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The same rule as above applies here. You would place KK in the middle and QQ on top, just as you would for AA in the middle and KK or QQ on top, along with the remaining card in the back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s continue on these exceptions in next week\u2019s blog post!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be aware of the reasons why you make every single decision in OFC. That\u2019s how you will become a winning player!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exception #4: When one of the two pairs is KK or QQ and the 5th<\/sup> card is an Ace<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a long title! But you\u2019ll see that it\u2019s not that complicated. We specify in this title that the 5th<\/sup> card must be an Ace or a King along with QQ \/ KK; that\u2019s because if it\u2019s not, we go back to the very first line of that chapter that says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In general, you will keep your two pairs together and place these cards on the bottom line, even if these are two very small pairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As such, you will do it \u201ca fortiori\u201d if these are two big pairs! So, hands like KK88 in the back with a 7 in the middle will play really well on the long run<\/strong>. Similarly, hands like QQ66 in the back with a 9 in the middle will play well. These are strong backs as opponents will often place their King or Queen high card on top. Opening with placements such as 88 in the back, 7 in the middle and KK on top is more or less a suicide mission, so you are better keeping your KK88 in the back, even if it feels counter-intuitive at first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, and this is the issue with this exception, if you open with a draw such as AKK88:<\/p>\n\n\n\n