What are the Rules of Pineapple & Crazy Pineapple?

Basic Gameplay

As we mentioned In Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple has identical gameplay with the only difference in the timing of when you discard a card. In Pineapple you discard one card pre-flop after the first betting round is completed and in Crazy Pineapple you instead discard one card after the second betting round is completed post-flop.

Blinds and Hole cards: Pineapple is played with blinds, where the two players to the left of the dealer button posts small and big blind. After the blinds are posted each player is dealt three individual cards (hole cards) faced-down.

First betting round (Pre-Flop): The player directly to the left of the big blind begins to act, with the option to call (match the big blind), raise or fold. The betting rounds continues clockwise around the table until all players have acted. After the first betting round is complete each player now has to discard one card and continue the rest of the hand as Texas Hold’em according to the rules of Pineapple.

Second betting round (The Flop): Before the second round starts three community cards will be dealt out faced-up on the board which all players can combine with their hole cards. The three community cards represent the flop, players now have the option to check, call, raise or fold depending on previous action. If you are playing Crazy Pineapple now is the time to discard one of the three hole cards, so you will continue the rest of the hand as Texas Hold’em.

Third betting round (The Turn): In both variants you now have two-hole cards, just like Texas Hold’em. Before the third betting round starts a fourth community card called the turn will be placed next to the flop. Players now have the option to check, call, raise or fold depending on previous action.

Fourth betting round (The River): The fifth and final community card is called the river, it will be placed next to the turn-card on the board. The board of community cards are now complete and the final betting round begins where all players have the option to check, call, raise or fold depending on previous action.

Showdown: After the final betting round is complete the player with the highest five-card hand (hole cards combined with community cards) wins the pot.

Key Terminology

Blinds: Just like Texas Hold’em Pineapple games uses force bets called Blinds, the two players directly to the left of the dealer needs to post the blinds before any cards are dealt. The player directly left from the button posts the small blind and the player to the left of him posts the big blind, typically double the amount of the small blind. The blinds follow the rotation of the dealer button clockwise around the table, ensuring that all players are contributing to the pot. The purpose of the blinds is mainly to ensure there is something to play for in each hand.

Hole cards: In Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple before the first betting rounds starts each player will be dealt three individual cards called hole cards, hidden from the other players. In Pineapple you will discard one of your hole cards Pre-Flop and in Crazy Pineapple you will discard one hole card after the Flop.

Community cards: The three streets in Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple consists of community cards which follows the same structure of Texas Hold’em, the flop (three cards), the turn (one card) and the river (one card). At showdown you can combine your two individual cards (hole cards) with the community cards to create the best possible five-card poker hand according to traditional poker rules.

Betting Structure

The betting structure of Pineapple games can just like Texas Hold’em vary. Any of the betting structures no-limit, pot-limit or fixed-limit can be applied to Pineapple, but like Texas Hold’em the no-limit structure where players can bet any amount at anytime is the most popular. Pineapple poker is an action game and the no-limit format allows for more bluffing and bigger pots, generally what players seek in a game like Pineapple.

Winning Hands

A procedure called showdown will determine the winning hand if two or more players still remain after the final betting round is completed. If the remaining players want to claim the pot, they need to reveal their cards. The player with the highest ranked five-card poker hand (hole cards combined with community cards) according to traditional poker rules wins the pot.

What makes Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple Special?

Unique Rules

The additional hole card that’s given in both Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple adds an extra layer of excitement for players that used to the game format of Texas Hold’em. The similarities of the poker variants the makes it an easy transition for Texas Hold’em players and the addition of the third hole card creates new opportunities for strategy. The additional card whether you will discard it pre-flop (as in Pineapple) or post-flop (as in Crazy Pineapple) creates stronger starting hands which generally leads to more action and bigger pots.

Strategic Depth

As we mentioned the additional card affects both variants positively if you are looking for more action and bigger pots, however the slight difference whether you discard the card before or after the flop affects the strategy. Pineapple is slightly closer to Texas Hold’em with an element of uncertainty to solely base decision which card to discard on the hole cards. In Pineapple with limited information, it’s especially important to pay attention to players pre-flop tendencies and betting patterns because of the lack of post-flop information. Hand selection needs to be stricter in Pineapple compared to Crazy Pineapple where you can be slightly looser if you can compensate that with post-flop skills.

In Crazy Pineapple you have more transparency where players can make informed decisions based how their hole cards connect with the board. This increases the depth of strategy when you both have to consider hand strength and assess how potential draws and combinations might evolve on later streets. Hand reading in Crazy Pineapple should be focused on how players react to the flop and based on their actions make educated guesses how they connected with the board.

Player Popularity

Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple is not a mainstream poker variant like Texas Hold’em or Omaha but it is one of the more popular variants of Texas Hold’em. The easy transition from Texas Hold’em to just add an extra card whether it is pre- or post-flop makes the game accessible to a broad audience. Furthermore, the additional hole card the discard mechanic is a fun and appreciated twist that also creates more action and bigger pots. For this reason, Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple thrive as thrilling alternatives especially suited for casual home games.

Where can You Play Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple Online?

Best Online Platforms

PokerStars

One of the biggest and most reputable online poker sites with the largest player base and the most comprehensive selection of poker games. PokerStars doesn’t offer regular cash games for Pineapple in their main lobby but the site offers feature for home games which can be customized for Pineapple games. Pineapple can also be offered during special event series or during special promotions.

888poker

888poker is one of the leading online poker sites especially known for its user-friendly interface. 888poker is mainly focusing on mainstream poker variants like Texas Hold’em and Omaha but they include niche games like Pineapple or Crazy Pineapple during promotion or special events.

PartyPoker

PartyPoker has since launch in 2001 been regarded as one of the most trusted and user-friendly online poker sites. The sites primarily focus on Texas Hold’em and Omaha but it does occasionally include Pineapple or Crazy Pineapple during special events.

Availability of Tournaments

It’s hardly any regular tournaments running for a niche game like Pineapple but when the major poker sites are running their bigger tournament series, variants of Pineapple are occasionally included. With buy-in options suited for both low- and high stakes players. If you are looking Pineapple tournaments you should especially look for PokerStars special event series: World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) or Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) which both offers a wide range of poker variants including Pineapple.

Special Promotions

It’s rare that the major online poker sites offer poker bonuses or promotions specifically for Pineapple games, however many general bonuses and promotion can be applied to Pineapple games. General bonuses and promotions that can be used for Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple are: welcome bonuses, reload bonuses, special event promotions, cash back rewards, freerolls or satellites.

Key Tips to Succeed in Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple

Starting Hand Selection

In both Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple, a strict starting hand selection is key to success, however in Crazy Pineapple you can be little more flexible with your starting hands since you can discard one card after the seeing the flop. In general, the starting hand selection for both variants closely relates to how you play Texas Hold’em where high pairs (AA, KK, QQ), high Broadway cards (AK, AQ, KQ) cards and suited connectors (QJs, J10s,109s) being strong starting hands. Ideally you also have a strong side card that matches with the two other hole cards and gives you more opportunities. The third additional card is more important in Crazy Pineapple because you have the option to keep it to the flop. Suited Connected cards like 987s or A109s goes up in value in Crazy Pineapple, they are strong hands with lots of potential and flexibility to fit the board.

Betting Strategy

The betting strategy in both Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple are strongly impacted by the additional card which increases the chances of strong hands and the importance of pre-flop aggression. Bet for value with premium hands and play strong drawing hands aggressively. Post-flop you will have to evaluate if you should continue betting or now depending on board texture, how well you connect with the board and how many players you are up against. Dry unconnected boards and draw-heavy boards that connects with your hand is good boards to continue betting on. On the turn and river key concepts for betting goes generally towards maximizing value or minimizing losses, depending on hand strength and board texture. Bet for value with strong hands and control the size of the pot with marginal hands. For balance you also need to mix in betting with semi-bluffs with drawing hands and occasionally some bold bluffs in the right spots. If you have a marginal hand on the river but you have a strong read that you have the best hand you shouldn’t be afraid to go for a thin bet for value.

Common Mistakes

Overvaluing starting hands are one of the most common mistakes in Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple mostly due to the fact that players are dealt three cards instead of two. Crazy Pineapple allows us to widen our starting range a bit, but we still need to be selective. Stick to premium hands, high Broadway cards and suited connectors with high potential for straights and flushes. Discarding the wrong card in Crazy Pineapple is another common mistake. Knowing which card to discard comes with experience, most of the time it’s an easy decision but there are situations where you will be faced with different opportunities when it’s not so obvious which card to discard. Knowing which card to discard can be the difference between winning and losing. To avoid making this mistake you need to consider how the board texture matches with your hand, your potential outs and your opponent’s likely hands, and discard the card that doesn’t fit the rest of your hand.

Advanced Strategies

An aggressive approach is generally a good idea in Pineapple games, the additional card provides with more opportunities for hand improvements but it also means that your opponents have stronger hands more often sou you need to be cautious. But you should always aim to be in control in the hand by starting to put money in the pot when you have a positional advantage or if you have strong starting hands. It’s important to know the reason why you bet and not just bet because theory says so. The reason to play these hands or situations aggressively preflop is to put as much money in the pot with your strong hands while you still are ahead, to thin out the field by preventing players to see the flop for a discounted price and to control the action. After the flop you will have to evaluate if you should proceed with your aggression or not depending of board texture and how your range hits the board compared to your opponents perceived range. The more players that follow to the flop, the better you need to connect with the board to be able to continue betting profitably.

Final Thoughts on Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple

Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple may not be the most well-known game that you will find available online at any given time, but for those players who found the game they usually become dedicate fans who appreciate the blend of strategy and excitement these variants offer. Pineapple and Crazy Pineapples unique mix of the additional hole card and the discard mechanic makes it unpredictable and exciting. Moreover, with three individual cards players will more often make stronger hands which leads to more action and bigger pots The structure of the game also makes it an easy transition for Texas Hold’em players to quickly adapt to this engaging poker variant. If you want to spicy up your home game, why not add Pineapple or Crazy Pineapple in the mix? It could be a refreshing twist for players that are familiar with Texas Hold’em. If you prefer to play online you can also customize private Pineapples games in PokerStars home game feature.