The basics
Pusoy is played with a standard 52-card deck, usually by four players, each dealt 13 cards. No drawing, no discarding. The skill is in the arranging.
Everyone arranges their cards face down, then all hands are revealed at the same time and compared. Because there's no betting round mid-hand, a round is fast. That's why it suits quick sessions.
Quick note: Pusoy Dos is a different game. It's a shedding game (also called Big Two) where you race to get rid of your cards, and it's not covered here.
Back, middle, front
Your 13 cards become three poker hands, ranked from strongest to weakest.
| Hand | Cards | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Back | 5 | Your strongest hand |
| Middle | 5 | Weaker than or equal to the back |
| Front | 3 | Weakest; only high card, pair, or three of a kind count |
The front has only 3 cards, so straights and flushes don't count there. Only three types are possible in the front: high card, pair, or three of a kind.
What a foul is
A foul happens when your hands are in the wrong order. If your middle beats your back, or your front beats your middle, you've fouled.
A fouled hand usually loses all three hands against every opponent, plus any sweep penalty your table uses. Just one wrong arrangement and you lose the whole round. So always double-check before you lock in.
Hand rankings
Pusoy uses standard poker hand rankings, from strongest to weakest:
| # | Hand | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Straight flush (royal flush is the top one) | 9♥ 10♥ J♥ Q♥ K♥ |
| 2 | Four of a kind | 8♠ 8♥ 8♦ 8♣ + any |
| 3 | Full house | Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ 5♣ 5♥ |
| 4 | Flush | Any 5 of the same suit |
| 5 | Straight | 5 in a row, mixed suits |
| 6 | Three of a kind | 7♠ 7♥ 7♦ |
| 7 | Two pair | J♠ J♦ 4♣ 4♥ |
| 8 | One pair | 10♠ 10♥ |
| 9 | High card | Nothing matched |
When two players have the same type of hand, the higher cards win. Some Pinoy tables have extra house rules, like ranking suits, so ask first.
Scoring basics
Each of your three hands is compared with the same hand of each opponent. Back vs back, middle vs middle, front vs front.
- Basic: You win 1 unit for each hand you beat, and lose 1 unit for each hand you lose, against each opponent.
- Sweep or scoop: Many tables pay a bonus when you win all three hands against one player.
- Royalties: Some tables pay extra for strong hands in hard spots, like three of a kind in front or four of a kind in the back.
Scoring varies a lot between tables, apps and sites. Some only crown one overall winner per deal. Read the table's rules before playing, especially if real money is involved.
Simple arranging strategy
Good Pusoy is about balance. You don't need three monster hands; you need three hands that each have a fair chance.
- Build the back first. Look for your best 5-card hand: straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush or straight.
- Then build the middle from what's left. Check that it's not stronger than the back.
- The last 3 go in front. A pair in front is strong. If you don't have one, try to keep an Ace or King there.
- Don't overload the back. If splitting your full house gives you two decent hands instead of one great hand and one weak hand, the split can win more.
- Check for foul every time. Back ≥ middle ≥ front. This is the most important habit.
Example
Say you hold: A♠ A♥, K♦ K♣, 9♠ 9♦ 9♥, 7♣, 6♣, 5♦, 4♥, 3♠, 2♦.
- Option 1: Back = full house (9-9-9 + K-K), middle = A-A-4-3-2 (pair of Aces), front = 7-6-5 high card. Strong back and middle, but the front is weak.
- Option 2: Back = straight (3-4-5-6-7), middle = 9-9-9-K-2 (three of a kind), front = A-A-K (pair of Aces). Three solid hands. Check: straight beats three of a kind, and three of a kind beats a pair. No foul.
Option 2 spreads the strength, so it can compete in all three hands. It isn't always right, but it's the kind of thinking that helps. Practice with free apps or our free demo before playing for money.
Play safely online
If you play Pusoy for real money, play only on PAGCOR-licensed sites. Check any site first with our PAGCOR license checker, or start from our licensed casino reviews.
Deposit only through the site's cashier page using GCash or Maya, never to a personal account. Our Maya casino guide shows how. Even with good strategy, the deal is random and you can lose any round, so set a budget and follow our responsible gaming tips. Prefer rummy-style games? Read our Tongits guide.
Open 24/7. Free and confidential. Players and families can call.
More Pusoy guides
Go deeper on Pusoy:
- Pusoy hand rankings, from royal flush to high card: with probabilities, tie-breakers and the foul rule.
- Is online Pusoy for real money legal?: what the law says, PAGCOR licensing, and private room risks.
FAQ
What's the right way to arrange 13 cards in Pusoy?
Split them into three hands: 5 cards in the back, 5 in the middle, and 3 in the front. The back should be the strongest, then the middle, with the front the weakest.
What happens if I foul in Pusoy?
If the middle is stronger than the back, or the front is stronger than the middle, it's a foul. Usually all three of your hands lose against every opponent in that round.
Can the front hand be a straight or flush?
No. The front has only three cards, so only high card, pair, or three of a kind count there.
Are Pusoy and Pusoy Dos the same?
No. Pusoy is arranging 13 cards into three poker hands. Pusoy Dos, or Big Two, is a different game where you race to get rid of your cards.
Sources
- Pagat.com, Chinese Poker (Pusoy) (hand arrangement, front-hand limits, scoring variations, Pusoy vs Pusoy Dos)
Kassandra Marcos is SugarFun's lead reviewer. She checks every site against PAGCOR's official list and writes our game and responsible gaming guides. How we test