Open-Face Chinese Poker traces its roots back to traditional Chinese poker, which was played with 13 cards dealt to each player. However, the modern version that has gained widespread recognition was popularized in the mid-2000s and is often attributed to Alex "Kilgore" Pineiro. The game's distinguishing feature is that players construct three separate hands – a top, middle, and bottom hand – using a total of 13 cards. The top hand contains just three cards, while the middle and bottom hands have five cards each.