Pusoy Hand Combinations Explained: Mastering the Art of Chinese Poker

The original Pusoy—also called Chinese Poker—holds a special place among the pantheon of tabletop entertainment.

And while similar to Pusoy Dos, it has its own distinct set of rules that apply even to its modern twists, including Pusoy online.

Let’s break down how Pusoy hand combinations work, how scoring is calculated, and how you can set yourself up to win in this article.

What is Pusoy?

Let’s review the fundamentals of Pusoy

Pusoy is usually played with four players and a standard 52-card deck, with the ace as the highest-ranking card (2 is the highest in Pusoy Dos).

Each player receives 13 cards, and the goal is to arrange them into three separate poker hands:

• Back (5 cards)—The back hand must be made of the strongest poker-like combination.

It is positioned at the bottom of your layout.

• Middle (5 cards)—The middle hand must have the second strongest card combo.

This set should be weaker than the back and stronger than the front.

• Front (3 cards)—The front hand is the weakest hand, comprising only three cards, and is placed at the top of your layout.

It can only hold high cards, pairs, or trips.

Pusoy borrows many pages from the poker rule book, but the caveat lies in how you organize your three hands.

If your hands are set in the wrong order, you’ve “fouled” and automatically lose the round, no matter how strong your cards were.

Poker Hand Rankings

Before we dive into strategies, let’s refresh the poker hand rankings you’ll be working with:

• High Card—lowest ranking (example: Ace high beats King high).

• Pair—Two of the same rank. Example: 8♥ and 8♣

• Two Pair—A pair of the same ranking, regardless of suit. Example: 8♥ + 8♣ and 3♦ + 3♥

• Three-of-a-kind (also called trips)—three cards of the same rank. Example: 8♥ + 8♣ + 8♦

• Straight—Five cards with consecutive ranks, regardless of suit. Example: 5-6-7-8-9

• Flush—Five cards of the same suit, regardless of order. Example: K-10-7-5-4. 

When using aces in a flush, it can be either a low or high card.

But when used with other face cards (king, queen, and jack), it automatically becomes a low card.

• Full House—Five cards comprising a three-of-a-kind plus a pair. Example: 8♥ + 8♣ + 8♦ and 3♦ + 3♥

• Four-of-a-Kind (Quads)—Four cards of the same rank, with the fifth card being any high card. Example: 8♥ + 8♣ + 8♦ + 8♥ and 3♦

• Straight Flush—A straight and flush combined; five cards of the same suit, arranged in ranking order. Example: 2♦ + 3♦ + 4♦ + 5♦ + 7♦.

Note that aces mixed with other face cards and the 10s do not make a valid straight flush.

Unless you’re making a royal flush, aces in a straight flush should always be a low card (example: A♣ + 2♣ + 3♣ + 5♣ + 9♣).

• Royal Flush—A kind of straight flush, where the cards comprise A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit.

Can jokers be used in Pusoy?

Some players incorporate them to spice up the game and allow for five-of-a-kind combinations.

A five-of-a-kind, or quintuplet, is made of four cards of the same rank plus a joker card.

Example: K♥ + K♣ + K♦ + K♥ + J.

Its strength hinges on the ranking of the quad. For example, A♥ + A♣ + A♦ + A♥ + J defeats K♥ + K♣ + K♦ + K♥ + J.

Adding jokers modifies Pusoy to cater to an ever-expanding player base seeking novel ways to exercise their strategies and mental endurance.

Advanced Play: The Psychological Edge of Pusoy

Like any card game, Pusoy isn’t just about math—it’s about reading people and exploiting their tactics to your advantage.

Below are some advanced play strategies you can utilize for offline and online Pusoy games.

• Predict Fouls—If an opponent takes a suspiciously long time arranging their cards, they might be at risk of fouling.

Play accordingly by following the hand hierarchy and making the strongest melds possible.

• Bluff with Table Talk—A bit of misdirection goes a long way. Drop comments about “weak cards” while setting up a monster back.

However, bluff with caution, especially when playing online.

Constantly dropping comments might give your opponents ideas about your tactics.

• Trap with Middle Hands—A sneaky strategy is setting a deceptively strong middle hand to scoop unexpected points.