If youāve spent any time in the poker Twitch world, chances are you already know Scott āPokerbrahsā Kenyon. A Twitch Partner since 2020, Scott has streamed nearly 10,000 hours to a loyal community of almost 14,000 followers, showcasing his deep love for poker and especially the world of Mixed Games.
Scottās poker journey stretches back nearly 25 years, with highlights that include becoming the EPT 8-Game Champion in 2011 for a $54,000 score, an achievement that cemented his reputation as a skilled and versatile player. Whether itās Razz, Stud, or Omaha, Scott thrives in the complexity and creativity of Mixed Games, always bringing sharp strategy with a touch of humor.
Currently residing in Gibraltar, Pokerbrahs has taken his love of poker global, mixing both online and live play. His favorite poker room? Phenom Poker, where the high-stakes mixed cash action gives him nostalgic āFull Tiltā vibes.
Outside of poker, Scottās passions include football (a devoted Manchester United supporter), karaoke nights, and a strong appreciation for music ranging from The Weeknd to Eminem. Heās also a big fan of South Park, Dexter, and the occasional Breaking Bad rewatch.
Pokerbrahs streams with no delay, giving fans a real-time, authentic connection to his thought process and personality. Heās known for keeping things fun, interactive, and approachable, making his channel a welcoming spot for both casual fans and serious grinders.
Weāre incredibly excited to welcome Pokerbrahs to Team Phenom Poker. With his years of experience, passion for Mixed Games, and vibrant community presence, heās the perfect fit to help showcase everything Phenom has to offer. Scott brings not just talent, but a genuine love for the game and weāre thrilled to have him on board!
Open-Face Chinese (OFC) Beginner Strategy Guide & The Power of Jokers! By Scott Kenyon
If you have been tuning into my streams lately, you know I have been grinding a ton of Open-Face Chinese Poker (OFC). It is an incredibly fun, highly strategic game, and with the recent updates on Phenom Poker, the action has never been better.
Unlike traditional poker, OFC is all about building three separate hands simultaneously without breaking the rules (which we call "fouling").
The board structure is simple:
- Bottom Row: Your strongest hand (5 cards)
- Middle Row: Your second strongest hand (5 cards)
- Top Row: Your weakest hand (3 cards)
To dominate the tables, your biggest goals are straightforward: Don't foul your hand, win as many rows as possible, and play hard for Fantasyland.
Whether you are playing your very first hand or looking to sharpen your fundamentals before jumping into my next stream, here is my essential guide to crushing OFC.
1. Don't Foul Your Hand
The absolute number one mistake I see beginners make is creating an invalid hand. You must always make sure your board strictly follows the rule: Bottom > Middle > Top. If your Middle hand ends up stronger than your Bottom hand, you foul and take a major point penalty. A safe hand is almost always better than taking a risky gamble that could ruin your entire board.
2. Build from the Bottom Up
Your Bottom hand has the most room to become a massive poker hand. Whenever possible, stick to this formula: strong cards belong on the Bottom, medium-strength cards belong in the Middle, and weaker cards should be saved for the Top.
3. Play HARD for Fantasyland
Fantasyland is the ultimate advantage in OFC, granting you all your cards at once for massive scoring potential. Many beginners completely underestimate this stage. My biggest piece of advice? You need to play hard for Fantasyland.
Always play for an AA+ Fantasy qualifier rather than just settling for building a "strong hand" (like Quads+) on the Bottom. Fantasyland is WAY more valuable because once you are in it, you will hit those strong back-row combos again and again.
4. Play Safe Early
Your first placement involves setting your initial five cards. After this step, you want to leave yourself plenty of options for the upcoming draws. Avoid locking yourself into one highly specific draw too early. Flexible boards are much easier to complete and manage.
5. Keep Your Hand Balanced
Don't fall into the trap of making one amazing hand while completely ignoring the other two rows. A balanced board wins much more often than a board with one huge hand and two incredibly weak ones.
6. Bad Starting Cards? Stay Patient
When you start with weak cards, shift your mindset immediately: stay patient and focus on simply making a valid hand. Try to win at least one row to prevent a sweep, and avoid unnecessary risks. Limiting your losses is often the absolute best play you can make when the deck is cold.
7. Some other tips
Space is your friend: Always leave your front (Top) row with open space if possible. This prevents you from being forced to place a bad last card there and fouling your whole board.
Watch the board: Always pay attention to your opponents' boards to see which of your draws are being blocked by dead cards.
š Mastering "Refantasies"
When you successfully reach Fantasyland, your strategy shifts. You must do everything you can to find a combo to refantasy first (which requires Quads+ on the Bottom or Trips on the Top).
Here is my favorite strategy hack: If you have Quads in your Fantasyland cards, but you are able to arrange your hand so they play as Trips on the Top row, it often benefits your points to do so. Quads on the Bottom is worth a flat 10 points. Trips on the Top row range from 10 points (for 222) all the way up to a massive 22 points (for AAA)! Always maximize those royalties.
š BIG NEWS: Ultimate Progressive Jokers OFC!
I am thrilled to announce that Jokers have officially arrived at the OFC tables! Jokers are fully wild and can represent any rank or suit you need. This completely changes the dynamic of the game.
Prioritize your Jokers for:
- Completing monster hands in the Bottom or Middle rows.
- Pairing high cards on the Top row to unlock Fantasyland.
- Insurance against devastating fouls.
- Crucial Rule: Donāt waste them on marginal improvements!
Game Selection: Time Limits & Swings
With Jokers in play, Fantasies and refantasies are way more common. Because of this, it is very easy to get locked into a 3-way game for a LONG time, making it hard to leave the table.
If you are on a limited amount of time and don't want to get locked into an endless string of Fantasyland hands, check out our Heads-Up tables. Playing Heads-Up prevents massive time commitments and offers lower swings and variance, as you are only paying out one other person instead of two!
The tables are open! Jump into the action today, and I'll see you in Fantasyland!
