5-card rankings (back and middle)
Your back and middle hands use the full 5-card poker ranking. The rarer it is, the stronger it is. The table shows how many of the 2,598,960 possible 5-card hands fall into each type.
| # | Hand | Example | Combos | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal flush | 10♠ J♠ Q♠ K♠ A♠ | 4 | 0.000154% |
| 2 | Straight flush | 5♥ 6♥ 7♥ 8♥ 9♥ | 36 | 0.00139% |
| 3 | Four of a kind | 8♠ 8♥ 8♦ 8♣ 2♠ | 624 | 0.0240% |
| 4 | Full house | Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ 5♣ 5♥ | 3,744 | 0.144% |
| 5 | Flush | A♣ J♣ 8♣ 4♣ 2♣ | 5,108 | 0.197% |
| 6 | Straight | 6♦ 7♠ 8♥ 9♣ 10♦ | 10,200 | 0.392% |
| 7 | Three of a kind | 7♠ 7♥ 7♦ K♣ 2♥ | 54,912 | 2.11% |
| 8 | Two pair | J♠ J♦ 4♣ 4♥ 9♠ | 123,552 | 4.75% |
| 9 | One pair | 10♠ 10♥ A♦ 6♣ 3♠ | 1,098,240 | 42.3% |
| 10 | High card | A♥ Q♣ 9♦ 6♠ 3♥ | 1,302,540 | 50.1% |
These are the odds of a random 5-card deal. In Pusoy you choose 5 out of 13 cards, so you'll make strong hands more often than the table suggests. The order of strength stays the same, though.
Where the numbers come from
All the numbers in the table are simple counting. Here's the working for a few, so you can check them yourself.
- All 5-card hands: choose 5 from 52 = (52 × 51 × 50 × 49 × 48) ÷ (5 × 4 × 3 × 2 × 1) = 2,598,960.
- Four of a kind: 13 ranks for the four cards × 48 choices for the fifth card = 624.
- Full house: 13 ranks for the three × 4 ways to pick 3 suits × 12 ranks for the pair × 6 ways to pick 2 suits = 3,744.
- Flush: 4 suits × 1,287 ways to pick 5 of 13 ranks = 5,148, minus the 40 straight flushes (including royals) = 5,108.
Probability is just combos ÷ 2,598,960. For example, full house: 3,744 ÷ 2,598,960 ≈ 0.144%.
3-card front rankings
The front hand has only three cards, so only three hand types count. According to Pagat.com, three cards in a row or of the same suit "do not count" in the front.
| # | Front hand | Example | Combos (of 22,100) | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Three of a kind | Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ | 52 | 0.24% |
| 2 | Pair | 9♣ 9♦ K♠ | 3,744 | 16.9% |
| 3 | High card | A♥ 7♣ 4♦ | 18,304 | 82.8% |
The working: there are 22,100 ways to pick 3 cards from 52. Three of a kind = 13 ranks × 4 ways = 52. Pair = 13 ranks × 6 ways to pick 2 suits × 48 other cards = 3,744. Everything else is high card: 22,100 − 52 − 3,744 = 18,304.
That's why any pair in the front is already strong. And a 3-card "straight" like 5-6-7 counts as plain 7-high.
Worked comparisons
When two hands are the same type, the cards that make the hand decide first, then the leftover cards (kickers).
| Hand A | Hand B | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flush A♣ J♣ 8♣ 4♣ 2♣ | Flush A♥ J♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥ | A | Same A and J; 8 beats 7 on the third card |
| Full house 9-9-9-K-K | Full house 8-8-8-A-A | A | The three-of-a-kind part decides: 9s beat 8s |
| Two pair J-J-4-4-9 | Two pair J-J-3-3-A | A | Same top pair; 4s beat 3s before the kicker counts |
| Straight 6 to 10 | Straight 5 to 9 | A | Highest card: 10 beats 9 |
| Front K♠ K♦ 4♣ | Front K♥ K♣ 7♠ | B | Same pair; 7 kicker beats 4 |
Tie-breakers and suits
If two hands are exactly equal in rank, it's usually a tie. Pagat.com's rules say: "When the hands are equal you neither win nor lose."
- Suits. Standard poker doesn't rank suits. But some Pinoy tables use a suit order so there are no ties. Ask first.
- Ace-low straight. In standard poker, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest straight. Some Pusoy tables treat Ace as high only. That's a house rule, so check.
- 2 as high card. That's a Pusoy Dos (Big Two) rule. In Pusoy, the 2 is the lowest card.
The foul rule
Your three hands must go back ≥ middle ≥ front, using the same rankings above. If the order is wrong, it's a foul.
- Example 1: Back = one pair of Aces, middle = two pair. Foul, because two pair beats one pair.
- Example 2: Middle = pair of 9s, front = pair of Jacks. Foul, because the front is stronger.
- Example 3: Middle = K♠ K♦ 4♣ 3♥ 2♠, front = K♥ K♣ 7♠. The pair is the same, so kickers decide: the front's 7 beats the middle's 4. This is risky; many tables will treat it as a foul.
The penalty isn't the same everywhere. Many tables count a fouled hand as losing all three hands to every opponent, and some add a sweep penalty. Read the table's rules before you lock in.
Special hands and bonuses
Bonuses are house rules, not part of the rankings. Pagat.com notes they "vary by region." Common types:
- Royalties for strong hands in hard spots, like three of a kind in front, a full house in the middle, or four of a kind and straight flushes in the back.
- Naturals, or special 13-card hands, like six pairs, three straights, three flushes, or a complete A-to-K "dragon." These often win automatically.
- Sweep or scoop bonuses for beating one player in all three hands.
The exact payouts vary by app and site, so there's no standard number here.
For rules and basic strategy, go back to our Pusoy guide. If real money is involved, first read the guide on whether online Pusoy is legal and check the site with our PAGCOR license checker. Prefer rummy? Try our Tongits tips. And keep it fun with our responsible gaming tips.
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FAQ
What's the strongest hand in Pusoy?
Royal flush, or 10-J-Q-K-A in one suit. Next come straight flush, four of a kind and full house. But some tables have special 13-card hands that win automatically.
Can the front hand be a straight or flush?
No. The front has only three cards, so only three of a kind, pair and high card count. A 5-6-7 of the same suit is just 7-high.
What if two players both have a flush?
Compare the highest card. If it's the same, the next card, and so on down. Suits don't count under standard rules.
What is a foul in Pusoy?
It's a foul when the middle is stronger than the back, or the front is stronger than the middle. At many tables, all three of your hands lose against every opponent, but the penalty varies.
Sources
- Pagat.com, Chinese Poker (Pusoy) (hand ranking, front-hand limits, ties, royalties and special hands vary by region)
- Wikipedia, Poker probability (5-card hand frequencies)
- Wikipedia, Chinese poker (misset hands penalised; royalties and naturals examples)
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