If you can’t get access to any of the major casinos that offer regular Open-Face Chinese Poker games and tournaments, or you want to practice the game in-between these games, then the popular choice is to invest in an app. There are many out there and the market is growing day by day as developers jump on the OFC bandwagon. It doesn’t matter where you have an Android or an Apple device, and whether you want to play on your smartphone or tablet, there are apps for all operating systems and all devices. Many of them are free, but bear in mind that free apps are always supported by ads (the developers need to make money somehow) and these can range from harmless and barely noticeable, to incredibly annoying. So just because an app comes with a price tag, doesn’t mean you should dismiss it out of hand.
In this article we will take a look at the best and worst OFC apps for your Android and Apple devices.
Game Name: ABC Chinese Poker – Open Face
Score: 8/10
Operation Systems: Apple
Price: Free
Link: Click Here
Developed by PokerPoker, LLC, and claimed by those developers to be a game “for poker players by poker players” ABC Chinese Poker – Open Face is a fairly comprehensive game that works with Apple devices and is available for download in the Apple App store. The game has been out for some time and the developers do a good job of updating it regularly, fixing problems, removing bugs and adding extras where necessary. The latest editions of ABC Chinese Poker – Open Face include a version of Pineapple Poker, which is quickly becoming the most popular way to play this game.
Players can play against their friends through the Apple Game Centre, although this is not widely used and many Apple users haven’t even set up there Game Centre profiles. The game can also be played offline. It is very intuitive, very slick and very well designed. It can be a little simplistic in places, and doesn’t have social media support — which is why we haven’t given it top marks. It has also scored very highly with other users and is one of the most popular Open-Face Chinese Poker apps available in the App store.
Game Name: OFC Pineapple Poker
Score: 10/10
Operation Systems: Android
Price: Free
Link: Click Here
This is easily one of the most complete and interesting Open Face Chinese apps on the Android operating system. The graphics are stunning and the developers have really gone out of their way to make this app stand out without allowing those features to get in the way of the actual game. This game focusses on Pineapple OFC, but it has a standard OFC variant as well.
As well as a great choice for a single player games, this app is also the best one we have found for online play. The online features let you test your skills against your friends, keeping track of all scores in a leaderboard. There are also chat features in the game and there is even a game tutorial for those who are brand new to Open Face Chinese and want to learn how to play.
Developed by Oye Games, OFC Pineapple Poker is one of the most popular Open Face Chinese Poker apps available in the Google Play Store, and once you sit down and play it for a few minutes it’s easy to see why.
Game Name: Open Face Chinese Poker by MWSGames
Score: 6/10
Operation Systems: Android
Price: Free
Link: Click Here
This game advertises itself as the first Open Face Chinese Poker with free online play, which would be great if there was anyone online playing this game. It is a very neat app with a very simplistic design. There are no pointless graphics getting in the way or making things unnecessarily cluttered, and the app itself is very smooth and easy to play, but it is not the most popular app on the market and this means that there are very few opponents playing the game in the online multiplayer mode.
If you have no desire to play Open Face Chinese Poker online and simply want to practice or learn the game then this could be a great app to do so, but if you’re looking to play with your friends or others then you should look elsewhere.
Game Name: Open Face Chinese Poker by Golden Labs
Score: 4/10
Operation Systems: Android
Price: Free
Link: Click Here
This game is great on the face of it. The screenshots look very nice and the game itself seems to be one of the most graphically advanced that there is, but the actual interface is very confusing and the game itself does not live up to the screenshots and the synopsis. There is some very nice social media support and the ability to keep track of your scores against all of your friends, but whilst this is great in theory, in reality it doesn’t actually work. Many users had issues with this aspect of the game and as it is the one thing that truly sets it apart from the other apps on the market, it looks pretty standard and bleak without it.
Game Name: Open Face Chinese Poker Free by Pocket Cowboys
Score: 8/10
Operation Systems: Android & Apple
Price: Free with Ads; $3 without ads.
Link: Android: Click Here
Apple: Click Here
This game is actually one of the lowest rated games of all of the ones on this list, and that was something that took us by surprise when seeing the rating after we had played the game. This is the game that we play the most when looking for a simple offline game of Open Face Chinese Poker. The setup is very smooth and the game itself runs quickly and well. This is the game we would recommend for Android users looking to improve their play. It doesn’t have Pineapple OFC support but that is sure to comer with a later update.
To be fair, and perhaps to side with those who have rated it poorly, this app isn’t the best when it comes to online play, but at the same time the game itself is better than any of the other we have played. So choose this app if you want to play offline, perhaps when you don’t have access to an internet connection or just want some single player games, but opt for others when you want to play with your friends or other OFC players around the world.
Game Name: Open Face Chinese Poker Free by Pocket Cowboys
Score: 3/10
Operation Systems: Apple
Price: Free with many in-app purchases
Link: Click Here
Although lacking on the aesthetics that many other games on this list excel at, this game is promising, but it falls flat in so many areas. It allows for offline and online play and it is available as a free download, which is a plus considering that there are far fewer Apple OFC Poker games than there are Android ones, but this game has a lot of expensive in-app purchases, some of which might be considered essential. The main issues though are the bugs, and the fact that there are so many and that they can render the game unplayable.
These bugs range from not forfeiting offline games (even though it warns players that if they don’t make a move then their hand will be forfeited within 24 hours) to constant crashes more. The app has gone through many updates but many of these bugs have been there since the beginning. This app is not very popular and although that is not always an indication of its true worth, it is in this case.
Game Name: Chinese 13 Card Poker
Score: 6/10
Operation Systems: Apple
Price: $4.99
Link: Click Here
Although not strictly an Open-Face Chinese Poker app, Chinese 13 Card Poker can serve as a great introduction to the world of Chinese Poker. It’s available in the Apple App Store, which has fewer OFC Poker apps than its Android alternative, and is a very well made app that has been expertly designed. Players can play offline by themselves or online with friends, and the offline game is a great way to pass the time or to learn how to play Chinese Poker.
The only downside with this app is the price. At $4.99 it is considerably more than any of the other apps on this list, but if you have an Apple device and if you want to learn more about the game from which Open Face Chinese Poker was developed, then give Chinese 13 Card Poker a go.