chinese poker with 2-7 middle (two hands from the same deal)
 

A couple people on this board have mentioned playing Chinese poker will the middle hand being 2-7 lowball instead of normal ranking. I've been playing some sample hands with this variant and came across the following two hands which I thought were interesting. How would you arrange these two?

[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] QJ9854
[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A54
[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] J42
[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 2

[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] AK3
[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] J63
[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] AK7
[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] AQ63

In this variant it is pretty common to see at least a flush in back and a pair or trips in front (or did I get that backwards?)

The other two hands from that deal are listed below in white.

<font color="white">
[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 2
[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] QT9865
[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] KQ8
[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] T84

[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] T76
[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] KJ975
[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] T972
[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 3
</font>

Re: chinese poker with 2-7 middle (two hands from the same deal)
 

[ QUOTE ]
A couple people on this board have mentioned playing Chinese poker will the middle hand being 2-7 lowball instead of normal ranking. I've been playing some sample hands with this variant and came across the following two hands which I thought were interesting. How would you arrange these two?

[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] QJ9854
[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A54
[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] J42
[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 2

[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] AK3
[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] J63
[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] AK7
[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] AQ63

In this variant it is pretty common to see at least a flush in back and a pair or trips in front (or did I get that backwards?)

The other two hands from that deal are listed below in white.

<font color="white">
[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 2
[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] QT9865
[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] KQ8
[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] T84

[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] T76
[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] KJ975
[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] T972
[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 3
</font>

[/ QUOTE ]

those are some ugly hands. #2 I probably do aces full in the back because I really have nothing else that makes sense

Re: chinese poker with 2-7 middle (two hands from the same deal)
 

The thing I don't quite get about playing 2-7 in the middle is how you enforce the back &gt; middle &gt; front rule. Can you have a pair in the middle and trips in the front?

There's certainly no good 2-7 hand in the first example, so I would be tempted to more or less abandon that middle. Flush/AJ522/444 seems like a decent option.

In the second example you're essentially required to give up the middle, as the best possible low you can make is QJ763 and that's just awful. I'd probably go with AAAKK/QJ766/333.

I think this would be more fun if there were penalties for pairs or better in the middle.

Re: chinese poker with 2-7 middle (two hands from the same deal)
 

[ QUOTE ]

In the second example you're essentially required to give up the middle, as the best possible low you can make is QJ763 and that's just awful. I'd probably go with AAAKK/QJ766/333.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm wondering if it makes sense to break up the 3s and 6s and play AAA33/QJ763/KK6. The relative strength of the back is not lowered at all, the front is nearly as strong (the only hands where the change matters are against AAx and 222) and QJ763 is quite a bit stronger than a pair of 6s.

Particularly if the player with #1 puts a pair of twos in the middle, you are losing the back anyway and this switches you from a loss to a win in the middle.

I've been assuming that the rule when using 2-7 in the middle is just that back &gt; front.

Re: chinese poker with 2-7 middle (two hands from the same deal)
 

First hand: Middle:2458J

Front:Ac24s

Back:flush

second hand:
363

Middle:367JQ

Front:336

Back:AAAKK

Ill post the other two later

Re: chinese poker with 2-7 middle (two hands from the same deal)
 

I just stayed with Aces full of Kings in the back but i don't think it matters too much. Your probably righgt though.

Re: chinese poker with 2-7 middle (two hands from the same deal)
 

[ QUOTE ]

I'm wondering if it makes sense to break up the 3s and 6s and play AAA33/QJ763/KK6. The relative strength of the back is not lowered at all, the front is nearly as strong (the only hands where the change matters are against AAx and 222) and QJ763 is quite a bit stronger than a pair of 6s.


[/ QUOTE ]

I think this is good headsup. 4-handed you should be able to assume QJ isn't good enough and go for max value elsewhere. In this case Hand #3 has a natural 9 and #4 has a natural J.

Re: chinese poker with 2-7 middle (two hands from the same deal)
 

[ QUOTE ]

I'm wondering if it makes sense to break up the 3s and 6s and play AAA33/QJ763/KK6. The relative strength of the back is not lowered at all, the front is nearly as strong (the only hands where the change matters are against AAx and 222) and QJ763 is quite a bit stronger than a pair of 6s.


[/ QUOTE ]

In fact, (duh) another player having AA in the front is impossible, so this only reduces your hand strength by one rank. It's odd to be thinking of weak trips as not much stronger than a big pair.

Re: chinese poker with 2-7 middle (two hands from the same deal)
 

[ QUOTE ]
The thing I don't quite get about playing 2-7 in the middle is how you enforce the back &gt; middle &gt; front rule.

[/ QUOTE ]

The rule doesn't apply if you play 2-7 in the middle. The back hand has to be stronger than the front hand, but that's it.

[ QUOTE ]
Can you have a pair in the middle and trips in the front?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, if your back hand is at least a higher three of a kind than the front hand.

Re: chinese poker with 2-7 middle (two hands from the same deal)
 

surprised no one's considered

1. AAA33/QJ763/KK6
or
2. 333KK/QJ766/AAA
rather than
3. AAAKK/QJ766/333

It's dependent on player tendencies of course between two and three but trips aces in front is never going to lose. I think hand 1 is clearly the best way to play it. And if you're pretty sure you're going to lose the middle hand why not play an unbeatable front hand to be sure you don't get swept.