[agalvan]

Played this last night for the first time. It was a blast. I may try to do a Crazy Pineapple tournament after we play this a few more times in cash games.

One interesting hand I had K Q 10 . The flop came out J 9 8 . A player went all in and I had to call. I discarded the K, but kept it off to the side so I could show everybody after the had was over. My straight held up against the other player's 2 pair.

Here is the game description that I sent out to the players before the game (I borrowed it from UltimateBet's site):

$5 Min Buyin / $25 Max Buyin / $0.50 Show 'Em Chips
Reload anytime between hands.
10¢ / 25¢ No Limit Crazy Pineapple
Blinds will be 10¢ / 25¢

Crazy Pineapple is a hold'em game very similar to regular Texas Hold'em.

There are only two significant differences in pineapple hold'em, however, which do change the game a lot.

DIFFERENCE #1: YOU START WITH THREE HOLE CARDS
In regular hold'em, you start with two hole cards. In Pineapple, you start with three, creating many more possible good starting hands, and many more hands that can work with the flop.

DIFFERENCE #2: IN PINEAPPLE, YOU THROW A HOLE CARD AWAY!
Just as in regular hold'em, there is a betting round after you receive your hole cards, and another betting round after you see the flop. However, in Pineapple a very important change happens here. AFTER betting on the flop is completed, you must discard one of your hole cards.

For example, if you start with a hand of (8h 8s Jh) and then see a flop of 10h 9h 8d, you have a pretty big decision to make. If you want to keep your open-ended straight flush draw, you're going to have to discard one of your trip eights (a pleasant dilemma, but a dilemma nonetheless). If you want to keep the trips, you need to throw away the the key card in the straight flush draw.

Pineapple really is an odd hybrid of hold'em and Omaha. The average winning hands are stronger in Pineapple than they are in hold'em, because you get to look at more combinations on the flop. Occasionally you will make a stronger hand in Pineapple than you would have in Omaha, even though you get four hole cards in Omaha, because Pineapple does not share the Omaha "you must use two and exactly two of your hole cards in your final hand" rule.

For example, if your Omaha hand was Ac Qd Jc 10d, and the final community board was Ah As 5c 5h 8c, you do NOT have a full house, but rather only trip aces with a Q-8 kicker, because you must play at least two cards from your hand and can't just add the ace in your hand to the two pair on board to make aces full of fives. In pineapple, had you kept an ace in your hand after the post-flop discard, the five on the turn would have given you a full house, just as if you'd started with A-J or A-Q in hold'em.

You'll find Pineapple a fun game to play, because of the extra strong flops and extra key decision about what cards to keep after the flop.

[Jambine]

I LOVE pineapple. And I’m not crazy...…much

[Deuce]

I dont get it....

.25c/.50c NL with .10c/.25c blinds

[jdunford]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand that "pineapple" has 3 hole cards but no discard, while "crazy pineapple" adds the post-flop discard. I don't think this contradicts anything posted above, as agalvan was playing "crazy pineapple". I just wasn't sure if anyone else has heard of this distinction (and if I've got it right)?

I generally host NL Texas Hold'em tournaments and NL or limit cash games (sint & go), but am interested in trying Omaha and pineapple games to shake things up a bit. And thanks for the concise game description with examples, agalvan.

[agalvan]

Originally Posted by Deuce

I dont get it....

.25c/.50c NL with .10c/.25c blinds

Woops! Good catch. I'll have to fix that for next time. I forgot to change that line that when we played Limit Hold 'Em 2 weeks ago.

[agalvan]

Originally Posted by jdunford

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand that "pineapple" has 3 hole cards but no discard, while "crazy pineapple" adds the post-flop discard. I don't think this contradicts anything posted above, as agalvan was playing "crazy pineapple". I just wasn't sure if anyone else has heard of this distinction (and if I've got it right)?

I generally host NL Texas Hold'em tournaments and NL or limit cash games (sint & go), but am interested in trying Omaha and pineapple games to shake things up a bit. And thanks for the concise game description with examples, agalvan.

**Edited** see smore's post below for correct answer (I should probably think before I type)

I highly recommend adding this game to the mix. It was super fun. We've also played Omaha in the past, but it was just too crazy for me. Crazy Pineapple is a nice medium between Holdem and Omaha.

[smoore]

FWIR, Pineapple discard BEFORE postflop betting round, crazy pineapple discard AFTER postflop betting round. This gives you less info about whether you should keep the big draw or the big pair. Lots of callers? keep the draw... HU? Keep that pair.

Originally Posted by jdunford

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand that "pineapple" has 3 hole cards but no discard, while "crazy pineapple" adds the post-flop discard. I don't think this contradicts anything posted above, as agalvan was playing "crazy pineapple". I just wasn't sure if anyone else has heard of this distinction (and if I've got it right)?

I generally host NL Texas Hold'em tournaments and NL or limit cash games (sint & go), but am interested in trying Omaha and pineapple games to shake things up a bit. And thanks for the concise game description with examples, agalvan.

[hachkc]

Actually, Pineapple has a discard but you discard before the flop while Crazy Pineapple has the discard after the flop.

Much less kicking yourself in regular Pineapple vs. Crazy.

Also, we occasionally play Crazy Pineapple Omaha (H or H/L). Get 5 cards and discard one after the flop but only max 8 or maybe 9 can play if you don't use one of the burn cards.

EDIT: Mr. Letterman, oops I mean smoore beat me to it.

[agalvan]

Originally Posted by smoore

FWIR, Pineapple discard BEFORE postflop betting round, crazy pineapple discard AFTER postflop betting round. This gives you less info about whether you should keep the big draw or the big pair. Lots of callers? keep the draw... HU? Keep that pair.

smoore is right.

[smoore]

wait, which is it? do you discard preflop or postflop before the betting? I've never sat and played it but I was under the impression that you see the flop before a discard in both situations. All I've played is "crazy"

Originally Posted by hachkc

Actually, Pineapple has a discard but you discard before the flop while Crazy Pineapple has the discard after the flop.

Much less kicking yourself in regular Pineapple vs. Crazy.

Also, we occasionally play Crazy Pineapple Omaha (H or H/L). Get 5 cards and discard one after the flop but only max 8 or maybe 9 can play if you don't use one of the burn cards.

EDIT: Mr. Letterman, oops I mean smoore beat me to it.