Pusoy

Pusoy: 13-Card Chinese Poker, Filipino Style

Pusoy is the Filipino name for Chinese Poker. Each player receives 13 cards and arranges them into three poker hands, which are then compared against the opponents' hands. There is no betting during the hand: everything depends on how well you set your cards.

Do not confuse it with Pusoy Dos, a different Filipino game where the goal is to be first to shed all your cards (similar to Big Two). And unlike OFC, in Pusoy you receive all 13 cards at once and set them face down.

IMAGE PROMPT (aspect 3:2, width 75%)
ALT: A Pusoy layout: 13 cards set into three hands of three, five and five cards
PROMPT: Photorealistic image of a Pusoy Chinese Poker hand on a table: thirteen cards arranged into three rows, a front row of three cards, a middle and a back row of five cards each, four players' arrangements around the table, bright festive Filipino atmosphere, no text, no logos

Setting Rules

Two to four people play with a 52-card deck. Each player receives 13 cards and builds three hands:

• Front hand - 3 cards. Only high card, pairs and three of a kind count.

• Middle hand - 5 cards.

• Back hand - 5 cards.

Mandatory order: the back hand must be stronger than the middle hand, and the middle hand stronger than the front. A layout that breaks this order is fouled and loses everything.

Once everyone has finished setting, the cards are revealed, and each hand is compared with the matching hand of every opponent. Standard poker hand rankings apply.

Scoring

• For each hand won, a player collects a point from the opponent; for each hand lost, they pay one.

• A scoop, winning all three hands against one opponent, usually earns extra points.

• Bonuses for strong hands: three of a kind in the front, a full house in the middle, quads or a straight flush in the back.

Bonus sizes depend on the app and table, so check the payout chart before you play.

Special Hands

Some 13-card layouts win automatically without comparing hands. The most common are:

• Dragon - 13 cards of different ranks, from deuce to ace.

• Six pairs plus one card.

• Three flushes or three straights across all three hands.

The list of special hands and their value also varies from platform to platform.

IMAGE PROMPT (aspect 16:9, width 50%)
ALT: Example of a special Pusoy hand: a Dragon of 13 cards from deuce to ace
PROMPT: Elegant illustration of a Dragon hand in Pusoy Chinese Poker: thirteen cards from two to ace of mixed suits laid out in a long arc, a stylized golden oriental dragon in the background, rich red and gold palette, card ranks only, no other text, no logos

Setting Tips

• Start with the back hand. Build your strongest five-card hand first, then distribute the rest.

• Look for balance. Sometimes it pays to weaken the back hand slightly to strengthen the middle and front and win two hands out of three.

• Value a pair in the front. Even a small pair in the three-card hand often beats opponents' high-card fronts.

• Always double-check the order. Fouling through carelessness is the most frustrating and expensive mistake.

• Do not miss special hands. Before setting, check whether your 13 cards qualify for an automatic win.

Where to Play Pusoy

Pusoy is available in apps and club platforms aimed at players from the Philippines and Southeast Asia. Our site's catalog lists clubs that run this game.

If you enjoy Pusoy, try OFC with its face-up layout and Fantasyland, or another Filipino classic, Tongits.