Without money involved and the betting element of poker, the game quickly loses its appeal to many players. Once you have played poker for money, it is very hard to play just for fun and get any enjoyment out of it. Open Face Chinese Poker is a totally different ballgame, however. The framework of the game makes it just as good around the kitchen table with your kids as it does at the Rio against the world’s top poker players for hundreds of dollars a point.

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Games were a big part of my life long before I ever played a hand of poker. I can remember agonizing over what card to play in a hand of Spades, having paid attention to every card played. I remember having to make a gamble on whether the player behind me had the one card that could beat me or if it was in the hand of someone who had already played that round.

A chess match against my uncle was something I always looked forward to, and once I got good enough at pool, the strategy behind what shots to take became more important than ball-striking ability. Not a single dollar was wagered on any of these things.

It didn’t take financial reward and motivation for me to have a strong desire to play and learn about those games. The challenge, competition, and puzzle were more than enough to make me want to play often and regularly, keep me thinking about the game even when I wasn’t playing, and cause me to try to learn any way I could.

Open Face Chinese has that same pull. It brings people in from all walks of life and though it popped up in the poker world and has “poker” in the name, the game itself is pure and can be a staple of game night in America. It can also be the addiction of choice of high-stakes gamblers looking to risk hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Playing with and against other poker players, you will naturally gravitate toward playing for some amount of money, even if it is a token amount. But, don’t be afraid to teach your grandmother OFC and play a few rounds with her.

OFC can be a great thing to introduce to your family. Games were a big part of my life growing up and played a significant role in allowing me to form strong and valuable bonds throughout my immediate and extended family that have served me well over the years. These bonds have given me an extremely strong foundation to build my life on.

We were playing Spades, Risk, Rook, Rummy, Canasta, Monopoly, Chess, and Backgammon, but OFC would have fit right in. It is an easy game to play on the go or when you only have a few minutes.

OFC also seems to work reasonably well as a game that you can go back and forth between playing for money and playing for fun, which isn’t common. The intrigue of the game and the natural element of trying to solve the puzzle are complex enough to be challenging and easy enough to know that right away, players of almost all skill levels and can jump right in and get hooked after a brief explanation of the rules.

Court Harrington has worked on the business side of the poker industry in roles including tournament reporting for PocketFives, radio hosting for PokerRoad Radio, coaching for the WSOP Academy and privately, and a variety of behind-the-scenes responsibilities for poker media businesses. He also plays in cash games and tournaments. Harrington is currently doing consulting work and exploring business opportunities outside of the poker industry. You can contact him at Court@CourtHarrington.com.

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