Pineapple Poker

I have a question for the forum. Have you heard of the poker variant Pineapple? If so, do you know how to play it? In answering, please briefly describe your experience with poker in general, for example, do you know how to play Texas Hold 'Em? Multiple votes allowed in the poll.

I'm trying to get at how familiar casino players are to the game.

I will put in a spoiler tag below how to play it, but please answer based on what you know before clicking it or doing any searching.

Quote: Wizard

I have a question for the forum. Have you heard of the poker variant Pineapple? If so, do you know how to play it? In answering, please briefly describe your experience with poker in general, for example, do you know how to play Texas Hold 'Em? Multiple votes allowed in the poll.

I'm trying to get at how familiar casino players are to the game.

I will put in a spoiler tag below how to play it, but please answer based on what you know before clicking it or doing any searching.

Pineapple

Pineapple plays like Texas Hold 'Em, except each player gets three hole cards and must immediately discard one. Thus, it is heartbreaking to get a three of a kind. After the discard, play proceeds as in Texas Hold 'Em.

Crazy Pineapple is the same, except the discard is made after the flop.

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If it is a real casino game, where is it played? Does one play against the house or other players?

tuttigym

Quote: tuttigym

If it is a real casino game, where is it played? Does one play against the house or other players?

tuttigym
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I'm going to put my answer in spoiler tags because I want an unbiased answer about what y'all know without any research.

Quote: Wizard

Quote: tuttigym

If it is a real casino game, where is it played? Does one play against the house or other players?

tuttigym
link to original post

I'm going to put my answer in spoiler tags because I want an unbiased answer about what y'all know without any research.

Answer

It's a player against player form of poker. I have never heard of a casino offering it. It is more of a home poker variant you might see called in "dealer's choice" games.

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Perhaps another "poll" choice. This thread is irrelevant. Yes or No.

tuttigym

Quote: Wizard

I have a question for the forum. Have you heard of the poker variant Pineapple? If so, do you know how to play it? In answering, please briefly describe your experience with poker in general, for example, do you know how to play Texas Hold 'Em? Multiple votes allowed in the poll.

I'm trying to get at how familiar casino players are to the game.

I will put in a spoiler tag below how to play it, but please answer based on what you know before clicking it or doing any searching.

Pineapple

Pineapple plays like Texas Hold 'Em, except each player gets three hole cards and must immediately discard one. Thus, it is heartbreaking to get a three of a kind. After the discard, play proceeds as in Texas Hold 'Em.

Crazy Pineapple is the same, except the discard is made after the flop.

link to original post

Will hide answer in spoiler to not influence others

Yes I know how to play. Several years ago I played regularly with a group of friends on an app after we got sick of regular OFC.

I’ve played poker since I was a child, first with family, then friends, then at home games and then in poker rooms and casinos.

ETA: after reading your spoiler I see I made the incorrect assumption you meant OFC Pineapple, but yes I have also played

Yes, I play Pineapple regularly in a cash game where we play one orbit of whatever game is declared, with the right to declare the game rotating around the table.

Years ago (25-30?) I saw it being dealt at a casino in Vegas, downtown I think

i have played Crazy Pineapple but never regular Pineapple.

Thank you for all the responses so far. Please keep them coming.

We play crazy pineapple in a dealer's choice game. I've seen a 2/5 PLO/Pineapple mixed game at Foxwoods.

For regular pineapple I always forget if the discard comes before or after the flop is exposed.

At a game I used to play we had a player who liked pineapple a lot. We had a night of just pineapple in her honor. I wrote a poem for her birthday:


Crazy Pineapple

Tearing across the country on the back of a Harley,
A blossom of the Flower Power Age upon her throne,
Broken hearts strewn among the petals in her wake.
Math, Harvard, PhD.
To estimate the devastation wrought upon the heart of the American male.
Finally turning her power on the unsuspecting gamblers in our fair city.

The hopeful fish admires the three kings sitting in his hand.
Aha! The game is pineapple.
One-outer in the window,
The fleeting quads trip and fail.
Felted. His face and her cards flush.

Quote: Wizard

Have you heard of the poker variant Pineapple?

just the name, so I'm not sure that counts

Quote:

If so, do you know how to play it? In answering, please briefly describe your experience with poker in general, for example, do you know how to play Texas Hold 'Em? Multiple votes allowed in the poll.

don't know how to play it and I have played texas hold em and all the games that home poker players will play

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PS after looking at the rules you show, I will try it soon at a home game. Any strategy tips would be much appreciated.

To answer your questions, Wiz, I have played Crazy Pineapple, but not straight Pineapple, but am familiar with both. As far as my poker experience, I remember playing stud and draw games as far back as elementary school. I learned Holdem games in the early 2000's. I have played all of the above in card rooms and online.

In general, I would guess that very, very few casino goers would know anything about Pineapple.

Quote: RideTheEdge

For regular pineapple I always forget if the discard comes before or after the flop is exposed.

I have never played it but I think you discard one card before the flop and one after.

Quote: Wizard

I have a question for the forum. Have you heard of the poker variant Pineapple? If so, do you know how to play it? In answering, please briefly describe your experience with poker in general, for example, do you know how to play Texas Hold 'Em? Multiple votes allowed in the poll.

I'm trying to get at how familiar casino players are to the game.

I will put in a spoiler tag below how to play it, but please answer based on what you know before clicking it or doing any searching.

Pineapple

Pineapple plays like Texas Hold 'Em, except each player gets three hole cards and must immediately discard one. Thus, it is heartbreaking to get a three of a kind. After the discard, play proceeds as in Texas Hold 'Em.

Crazy Pineapple is the same, except the discard is made after the flop.

link to original post

Yes, I know the rules, have played poker online and live since around 2004, started with limit holdem, 7-card stud, and stud hi-lo, and now play no-limit holdem and a little PLO. I've played crazy pineapple online a few times, but never read up on strategy. It's mostly annoying because of the regret factor, which makes it great for home games. It's probably higher variance than holdem, but lower than PLO. High pairs and high-card hands will still dominate worse hands, so hand equities won't be as close as PLO.

For the last couple of years at least, the WSOP has run a flip and go tournament, with the first round a single all-in (crazy?) pineapple hand, and the winner of each first round table advancing to the main tournament and automatically making the money. The rest of the tournament is played as no-limit holdem.

Quote: DRich

Quote: RideTheEdge

For regular pineapple I always forget if the discard comes before or after the flop is exposed.

I have never played it but I think you discard one card before the flop and one after.
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Nope, only 1 discard. There are 3 potential times to make the discard. Before the flop, after flop but before betting. After betting on the flop but before the turn. 2 of these are Pineapple variants.

Speaking of variations, I played in a cardroom in Montana where you kept all three cards until showdown. You could play 0, 1, ot 2 cards from your hand. This was a dealer's choice game where you declared your choice by saying 2, 3, 4, or 5. 2 meant hold'em. 3 was that pineapple variant. 4 was PLO, and 5 was 5 card PLO hi/lo.

Apologies if I defeated the intent of Wizard's spoiler.

If this mysterious project is still alive, here is more input. I did introduce Pineapple to a dealer’s choice home poker game last night. I’d have to say it was a bust and after thinking about it, I’m not surprised. Texas Holdem is usually a bust at any home poker game I’ve been involved with. I know one guy who insists on a ‘round’ of Holdem where we do the whole nine yards, with big and small blind, that moving around the table until all have been both big and small blind. This is a violation of the ‘dealer’s choice’ concept but he insists and this has gone on before I ever was invited to play in this group. I guess I don’t mind as it refreshes my mind on the rules and strategies for the game played that way … I don’t know when I’ll play again with those rules, last time was a charity tournament.

Otherwise I am one of the anti-Holdem types at home poker games, here is why. In my view, Holdem was invented I know not by who, but casinos glommed on to it. It is just perfect for them … 52 cards in a deck but 10 players want to play? No problem for Holdem! The house loves it! And we all know how it has dominated the WSOP tournaments, for the same reason maybe. [I think they would love 5 card stud just as much for the same reasons, but that ran it’s course long ago?] If you want to prove to yourself how much Holdem dominates the poker world, search the internet for advice on how to play poker. You will find 99% of the advice is totally tailored to Holdem strategies.

Then you play at a home poker game. There are a lot of really fun games to play, no doubt about it. Then some guy gets the bright idea to play Pineapple poker or something [there is actually no need to do big/small blind style, just everybody ante btw]. You play it out and someone wins, fine, but you look around and everybody is giving you the silent wtf look. Bottom line: compared to the other games, it’s just kind of boring!

Well maybe that was more input than the Wizard wanted! If I have more to say about home poker games I’ll blog about it

There did once exist a table game that was essentially Ultimate Crazy Pineapple. It was called "Hawaiian Hold'em", and it was a licensed game in Washington State. The game's rules are no longer on the WSGC website, and I have no idea if the game was ever actually installed anywhere.

The OP spoiler regarding the rules is 100% correct.

I heard about both versions years before the only time I played it. It wasn't until I played it that I learned which was which.

That was about a year ago at Sahara. They offer Crazy Pineapple as a tournament for $60 at 4pm on Thursdays and 8pm on Sundays. It was only one table and I was the first to bust out, rebuy and bust out again.

I think I'll stick to regular Hold Em.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

The OP spoiler regarding the rules is 100% correct.

I heard about both versions years before the only time I played it. It wasn't until I played it that I learned which was which.

That was about a year ago at Sahara. They offer Crazy Pineapple as a tournament for $60 at 4pm on Thursdays and 8pm on Sundays. It was only one table and I was the first to bust out, rebuy and bust out again.

I think I'll stick to regular Hold Em.
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The general rule is the more cards you start with before the first decision point, the FEWER hands you should play. This trips up a lot of Holdem players when they start into Omaha also.

Thank you for all the responses everyone.

In my recent attention to the game, I realized I never actually put together a Pineapple video I shot with Angela with her sister and husband back in 2021 I think. Here it is. Enjoy!



Direct link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBs5bk_ZOiY

Quote: unJon

Quote: DJTeddyBear

The OP spoiler regarding the rules is 100% correct.

I heard about both versions years before the only time I played it. It wasn't until I played it that I learned which was which.

That was about a year ago at Sahara. They offer Crazy Pineapple as a tournament for $60 at 4pm on Thursdays and 8pm on Sundays. It was only one table and I was the first to bust out, rebuy and bust out again.

I think I'll stick to regular Hold Em.
link to original post

The general rule is the more cards you start with before the first decision point, the FEWER hands you should play. This trips up a lot of Holdem players when they start into Omaha also.
link to original post

Sound advice. Similar to having more wild cards…

Quote: Wizard

Thank you for all the responses everyone.

In my recent attention to the game, I realized I never actually put together a Pineapple video I shot with Angela with her sister and husband back in 2021 I think. Here it is. Enjoy!

Direct link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBs5bk_ZOiY
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I'd like to get in your poker games if I get to be the dealer in that game the whole time

you can have the dealer-in-theory change each time even if you only wanted one person to be dealer-in-fact

I'd use fixed decks for this purpose