1. Crazy Pineapple Poker Rules How To Play
2. Crazy Pineapple Poker Rules Poker
3. Crazy Pineapple Poker Rules For Beginners

Crazy Pineapple Rules Like Texas Hold 'em, the objective of Crazy Pineapple is to make the best possible poker hand using a combination of pocket cards and community cards. The hand begins with players being dealt three pocket cards face down, which is unlike the two cards that players receive in Texas Hold 'em. Crazy Pineapple is a variation of Texas Hold Em with a few twists. It’s not available to play in many of the online poker rooms but it is an exciting game and favoured by beginners and those who just want to play something a little different. Here’s the basic Crazy Pineapple Rules and how to play. Give it a go, it’s fun!

Long before he took home over $150,000 for his 2nd place finish in the $3,000 limit hold'em event at the 2006 World Series of Poker, Jerrod Ankenman got his start playing poker at low-limit games in Southern California cardrooms. A longtime member of the rec.gambling.poker and BARGE online communities, 29-year old Ankenman is also the co-author of the acclaimed book 'The Mathematics of Poker' and has tournament cashes in games as varied as deuce-to-seven lowball, stud 8 or better, razz, and yes, Crazy Pineapple. Jerrod joins us this week to talk Pineapple strategy, specifically that for the 8 or better version of the game. (For a quick refresher on the rules and the basics, take a look at my earlier piece on Pineapple).

Nicole Gordon: Where and when were you first exposed to Crazy Pineapple?

Jerrod Ankenman: Well, it's commonly spread at low limits in the Los Angeles area cardrooms (where I used to live), so I was originally exposed to it that way. At some point I wrote a spoof on the 2+2 'for Advanced Players' series about the game, where I tried to stick some good information in amongst making fun of Mason (Malmuth).

NG: In terms of hand values, one or two pair can often be a winning hand in hold'em and Omaha players are almost always gunning for the stone-cold nuts for both high and low. How different are hand values in Crazy Pineapple? Facing action on the flop, should I feel as uncomfortable with trips or a set and a second or third nut low draw in Crazy Pineapple as I do, say in Omaha 8 or better?

JA: Well, you can't really have those hands, right? It's pretty hard to make a real two-way hand apart from low straights and flushes and hands where there's no low on the board, where you have a two-way hand by default. I think generally speaking, the quality of hands is of course better in Crazy Pineapple because everyone gets to match up three cards to the flop. However, the lack of counterfeit protection makes Crazy Pineapple a lot different than Omaha. In Omaha you can often trail along with some kind of good draw one way and back into a hand for the opposite way. In CP you don't really do this, because you have to discard your third card.

NG: What are some of the more common mistakes you see from novice Pineapple players?

JA: Well, playing too many hands, but that works for any poker game pretty much. Overplaying top pair, top kicker, especially on two-high boards. In tighter games, failing to manipulate the action to drive players out or keep them in. Crazy Pineapple is a pretty tactical game, because there are lots of situations where if you get heads-up you are in great shape but in a three-way pot you're probably in trouble. When you have an ace and a middle low card kicker (like a 7), playing heads-up is great, because you rarely get scooped. So when I play Crazy Pineapple, I like to try to get people's money in pre-flop and then push them out on the flop by making them face two bets cold liberally with hands that are mediocre both ways.

NG: What are some marginal starting hands beginning players should avoid and/or only play using extreme caution?

JA: Well, a general rule is that hands without an ace are pretty bad. Obviously there are some exceptions, but I think most players overvalue medium pairs (which are pretty bad except for the set-flopping aspect) and little cards with no ace like 2-3-5, which are OK, but just not that good. Also hands like Q-Q-7 are just pretty yucky, but I see people getting excited because they see the Q-Q and think of hold'em. Remember, in Crazy Pineapple your opponents will be profitably in there with A-x all the time; this in contrast to most hold'em games where the A-xs will often fold pre-flop.

NG: How important is it for starting hands to contain a strong low feature?

JA: Well, it's nice, but I'd hardly say it's important, except that your hand has to have something to make it good. Hands like A-K-J are fine, but I'd rather have A-J-8, frankly. Making the most out of weak low draws and ace-high is, I think, key to beating a game that isn't really loose. In really loose games, you just try to make flushes and nut low and stuff, like a sort of less extreme Omaha. So A-2 is great, of course. But don't overlook the value of A-5.

NG: Let's say I'm in the cutoff seat with the . Two loose players limp in and I decide to raise. An aggressive, tricky player on the button three-bets, the small blind folds, the big blind throws in two bets, the limpers fold, and I call putting 11.5 small bets in the pot. The flop is the . The big blind bets, I raise and the button re-raises. How should I be feeling about my hand at this moment, and which card would you discard on the flop given the action?

JA: I'm not crazy about my hand here; the button's action on the flop is fairly often going to be aces or A-2, and against neither of those am I very happy. At least I know he can't have . With the big blind also betting out, my guess would be to draw for the flush and hope to get to the river for one bet on the turn.

NG: Pre-flop, it's a multi-way limped pot and I have the in the small blind. I complete the bet, the big blind checks, and four of us go to a flop of , giving me top pair, top kicker, a backdoor nut flush draw and a low draw. I decide to check, intending to check-raise a bet from one of the loose late position players. Instead, I check, the big blind checks, a middle position player bets and the button raises. Ai-yah, what do I do now? Am I just crushed here by a set or two pair? (And would I have been better off leading on the flop despite being out of position?)

JA: I don't know, I still like my hand here. I'd three-bet and see if the guy in the middle folds. If he does and the raiser just calls, then it's probably surprisingly close between playing the A-Q and playing the A-4. A-4 in this spot has some things going for it:

1) If you miss your low completely, you don't have to pay off on the river.

2) If you hit a low spade on the turn, you can play pretty fast on the turn.

But then again, A-Q is top pair, top kicker and it's heads-up, so I'd probably play that.

If they both play, though, I'm pretty much playing the A4 and hoping no one limped in with A-3, or better yet, the will hit the turn.

NG: In a three-way limped pot, I check the big blind with and land a dream flop of . The small blind checks, I bet, the third player raises, the small blind folds, I re-raise, and the third player calls. When it comes time to discard, is it better to hang on to the after the flop for its backdoor low possibilities or should I keep the king just in case I have to fight a kicker battle with that third player who re-raised me on the flop?

JA: I'd usually keep the deuce, because of the backdoor low possibilities — it's hard for your opponent to have hit a seven and not have an ace in his hand. Maybe some hand like 8-8-7? I don't know, but generally speaking I think the backdoor low is worth more than the kicker win, because the kicker win comes up quite infrequently.

Ed note: Want to play Crazy Pineapple online? Download Ultimate Bet and sign up today.

Crazy Pineapple Poker is currently one of the hottest new games in the poker world today but for some reason it is played on very few legitimate online websites. Part of that has to do with the extra programming it requires to cover all of the additional variables, but mostly it is because the majority of the people out there have no idea what it even is .This article wild introduce you to the wild world of Crazy Pineapple Poker and where you can go to play it.

Crazy Pineapple Poker Rules

Crazy Pineapple is a Hi/Lo game, meaning that the pot is split between the best and worst possible hands at the table. The betting rounds are identical to Texas Hold’em where wagers are placed pre-flop (including the blinds), plus on the flop, river, and turn, so most people figure that it is nothing more than a variation of Omaha. There’s just one catch that makes this like nothing you’ve ever played before, however, and that’s an additional card dealt to you pre-flop.

Pre-Flop

So when the hand starts out, each player is dealt three hole cards. Don’t get too comfortable with them because you’ll have to discard one of the three cards after the flop, but just having that one extra card during the first two rounds of play gives each player a number of additional possibilities. In fact, seeing a single pair win a pot is actually a pretty rare occurrence at Crazy Pineapple Poker sites; most of the time the winning hand is two pairs or better on average. You’ll also have a lot more opportunities to chase those straights and flushes as well, so you can actually weaken your hand by choosing poorly early in the match.

After the Flop

After each player makes their wagers and discards one of their three hole cards, the rest of the game is played identical to Texas Hold’em. You’ll then bet the turn and the river, and if there’s still two or more players standing then the dealer will decide the high and low winners.

Crazy Pineapple Strategy

The number one thing to remember is that this is a Hi/Lo game, meaning that the best hand only takes 50% of the pot if there are two or more players remaining at the end. The other fifty percent would go to the player with the lowest possible hand; which is sort of a double edged sword for inexperienced players. It is very common for gamblers to think, “Well, my hand stinks but I should stick around for the Lo.” This is a crucial mistake if you did not make a discard for the low hand in the beginning; if your hand is weak (but not lower than the board) then you should fold.

Crazy Pineapple Poker Rules How To Play

As far as the three hole cards go, you’ll be looking for three possible options after each deal. A high pair is always a great starting hand, but three suited connectors are also often worth seeing the flop if the table is not extremely aggressive (which is usually the case in any Hi/Lo game). The trick is to decide early if you have a legitimate shot at the Hi hand, the Lo hand, or a sellable bluff; forget about value bets and sticking around to see one more card.

Playing the Hi Hands

Playing at Crazy Pineapple Poker sites is also about making tough decisions on the fly. For example, if you start out with the king of clubs, the king of diamonds, and the queen of diamonds, then you should definitely be betting aggressively pre-flop. If the flop comes out with the ten of diamonds, the jack of diamonds, and the king of hearts, then there’s quite a decision to make….chase the straight flush/royal flush or hope the trip kings hold out.

The correct move would solely depend on the table. If you bet strong and get slapped by a big re-raise, there’s a possibility that you’re not the current leader. Remember, each player started with three hole cards so there’s probably already someone with a straight…so you’re either winning by a lot or you’re already way behind. At certain tables a case could be made for keeping the kings, keeping the diamonds, or even folding in this scenario….except that it’s so darn hard to fold a royal flush draw. I personally can not do it, but hopefully you’re a better player than me.

Crazy Pineapple Poker Rules Poker

Deciding on Hi or Lo

Let’s look at another pre-flop- ten/three/two; all different suits. The flop comes out ten/five/seven, so you’ll have to choose between a near lock on the Lo by keeping the 2/3 or hoping that your lone 10’s can somehow hold out. Top pair is always a strong hand but there’s plenty who will be drawing for a straight or a flush on the turn as well, so what’s the appropriate bet?

In this instance, your only move is to bet big. Not only will you chase the folks out who are chasing those straights and flushes, but if you get re-raised then you know to discard your ten and settle for half of the pot. There is a good chance that the entire table folds and you win the Hi and the Lo by default. The only problem comes when one or two people simply call…then you have a tough decision to make.

Play Crazy Pineapple Online

In six months we will probably be able to tell you a dozen or more Crazy Pineapple Poker sites, so if you truly enjoy the game like we do then we’re counting on you to contact the customer service desks at places like Sportsbook Poker, Players Only, Absolute Poker, and Bet365 to ask them to add it to their lineup.

For now, the only place you can enjoy Crazy Pineapple Poker is at Ultimate Bet, which works out well since they are one of the most popular poker sites on the net. If you dedicate some time towards mastering this game there is a tremendous amount of money to be won at UB since many really do not understand the possibilities of each hand, so when you win big be sure to send us an email to share with our other readers.

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