Player Guide

Start here: understand the OFC board

The minimum you need to play a hand confidently: rows, objective, and foul basics.

This page includes mock visuals and concrete board examples to make each rule easier to understand.

Source: docs/rules/01-glossary.md, docs/rules/02-core-flow.md, docs/rules/04-validity-and-foul.md

If you are new to OFC, keep this core idea first: you build 3 rows and they must end in the correct strength order.

1) Board structure in one view

• TOP (front): 3 cards
• MIDDLE: 5 cards
• BOTTOM (back): 5 cards

2) Primary objective

In standard profile, your hand is valid if:

• TOP <= MIDDLE <= BOTTOM

Meaning bottom must be strongest, then middle, then top.

3) Quick example: valid vs foul

• Valid example:
  • TOP: As Jd 8c (high card)
  • MIDDLE: 9s 9d Kc 7h 2c (pair)
  • BOTTOM: Qs Qd 8h 8c 3s (two pair)
• Foul example:
  • TOP: Qs Qd 5c (pair Q)
  • MIDDLE: 9s 9d Kc 7h 2c (pair 9)
  • TOP is stronger than MIDDLE.

Next, open the hand-flow chapter to understand when and how many cards you place each street.

Back to rules overview