21+For adults 21 and over. Play within your limits. Free 24/7 PAGCOR gambling helpline: (02) 8248-9568
Color GameBaccaratSlotsE-BingoTongitsPusoyFishing GamesPCSO LottoBonus RulesWithdrawal HelpGCashMaya

How to Play Pusoy: Rules, Hand Rankings & Scoring

By Updated 6 min read

Thirteen cards, three hands, and one rule that can sink you instantly. Here's pusoy explained step by step — plus how to arrange a hand without fouling.

Short answer

Pusoy (Chinese poker) deals each player 13 cards to split into three poker hands: a 5-card back, a 5-card middle and a 3-card front. The back must beat the middle and the middle must beat the front, or the hand is fouled and loses. Each of your three hands is then scored against the matching hand of every opponent.

Arranging your 13 cards

Each player (up to four) gets 13 cards and secretly builds three hands:

  • Back: 5 cards — your strongest hand.
  • Middle: 5 cards — weaker than the back.
  • Front: 3 cards — your weakest hand.

Break that order and the whole arrangement is fouled, which loses to every opponent.

Pusoy hand rankings

  1. Straight flush
  2. Four of a kind
  3. Full house
  4. Flush
  5. Straight
  6. Three of a kind
  7. Two pair
  8. One pair
  9. High card

With only three cards, the front hand can be three of a kind, a pair, or high card — nothing else.

How pusoy is scored

Your back is compared with each opponent's back, your middle with their middle, your front with their front. Each win is +1 and each loss −1. Many tables pay a bonus for winning all three (a "sweep") or for special hands. House rules differ, so read the table rules before your first deal.

Tips for beginners

  • Build the back first, then the middle, then the front.
  • Never stretch for a strong front if it risks a foul.
  • Balanced hands often score better than one monster hand and two weak ones.
  • Pusoy Dos is a different game — a shedding game, not an arranging game.
✅ OK rule: Set your session budget in the Play Budget Planner before you open the game, and stop when it's spent — no reloads. Free 24/7 helpline: (02) 8248-9568.

Frequently asked questions

Is pusoy the same as Chinese poker?
Yes. Pusoy is the Filipino name for Chinese poker. Pusoy Dos is a separate shedding game with different rules.
What happens if my pusoy hand is fouled?
A fouled arrangement — where the back isn't stronger than the middle, or the middle isn't stronger than the front — automatically loses against every opponent.

Tongits

Full tongits rules for beginners: dealing, sets and runs, sapaw, calling a draw (laban), burned hands, scoring, and simple strategy for online tongits.

Read guide →

Baccarat

Online baccarat explained for Filipino players: card values, third-card rules, Banker vs Player odds, why Tie is a trap, and the 5% commission.

Read guide →

PCSO Lotto

PCSO Lotto in one guide: jackpot odds for 6/42 to 6/58, usual draw days, ticket buying, the 20% prize tax, where to claim, and the one-year deadline.

Read guide →

Play Safe

Responsible gaming in the Philippines: warning signs of problem gambling, deposit limits, cool-offs, PAGCOR self-exclusion, and the 24/7 helpline (02) 8248-9568.

Read guide →