How to Play Pineapple Poker

Pineapple poker, also known as Pineapple Ofc, is a variant similar to Texas hold 'em and Omaha Poker. Among the minor differences, players here begin with three-hole cards instead of two. This version is more of a private poker game and can also be found in online poker games.

You can play pineapple poker as a no-limit poker game, but in some cases, you can change it to a pot-limit game. It is a fun game if you play responsibly.

Pineapple Poker Rules

As mentioned before, the setup of Pineapple poker follows similar rules to those of Texas hold'em. Here, as the players start playing, they receive three cards instead of two. This proceeds to the pre-flop betting round, beginning with the player sitting to the dealer's left.

Like in Texas Hold'em poker, the player has to put out blinds in the Pineapple game. The player sitting directly to the dealer's left is the small blind, and the player on their left is the big blind. Both players have to place a bet before they get any cards.

Players discard one hole card before the flop is dealt. The game continues with the rest of the betting rounds after the flop, the turn, and the river.

During betting, players may fold, call, or raise:

Fold: When you surrender your cards to the dealer and forfeit the betting round. No money is lost if one of them folds their cards in the first round of betting.

Call: The act of matching the most recent bet on the table.

Raise: When you double the amount of the most recent bet.

After the last betting round (played after the river), the player with the highest ranking hand wins the entire pot.

Pineapple Poker Starting Hands

High pairs and connected cards will make your gameplay effective. A pair of aces and the third card (preferably suited) is the most potent combination for Pineapple poker. Interestingly, Ao-As-Ts and even Ao-As-5s are a little stronger than Ao-As-Ks.

Another way is to have Broadway pocket pairs coming with a suited card followed by Broadway with a high, non-suited card. The term "Broadway" indicates high cards and the highest possible straight hand.

How to Play Pineapple Poker:

Objective of Pineapple Poker: Players must form the best hand with the available hole cards and community cards to win the pot in the showdown.

Number of Players: Generally played between 2-4 players, it can go up to 8 players as well

Number of Cards: A standard 52-card deck

Rank of the Cards: A (high), K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2

The playing terms of pineapple poker are alike. Here is a concise method of how the game is played:

The Position of the Dealer

Generally, in poker games, one player is chosen as the dealer with a random shuffle and deal. The player receiving the highest cards starts as the dealer. The dealer's position is assigned with a button, which is passed to the left after each hand. The player with the dealer's button in poker rooms doesn't deal.

Setting up of the Blinds

The player sitting to the dealer's immediate left places a forced wager called a small blind. The next player sitting to the left places another forced wager/bet called the big blind. The small blind is always half of the big blind, and the amount depends on the table limits and the stakes.

Like the no-limit Texas hold 'em game, the blinds are set up by the house and often have a percentage of the maximum buy-in.

The Player receives 3 Cards

Beginning with the small blind, each player gets three cards once you place the bets. Once you get all the cards, each player discards one of their cards.

In a regular pineapple poker game, the player to the left of the big blind then either folds, calls the big blind, or makes a raise. The game continues to the left until all the players have either folded or called the most recent wager.

The Flop is Dealt

The dealer deals three cards, the flop, face up in the table's center. All the players use these community cards in combination with the hole cards to make the best possible poker hand consisting of five cards.

In pineapple ofc, you have to use the standard poker hand strengths to declare the winner at the showdown, and depending on the game's variation, you can use the required number of hole cards.

The first player remaining in hand to the dealer's left is the first to act on the next round of betting. The player can decide whether to check or bet. The pineapple game continues to the left.

The Next Round- Turn and The River

Once the flop betting round is over, the dealer puts one more card next to the flop. This is the turn card. After completing another betting round, the river card (final community card) is kept face up next to the four other cards. The last betting round ensues.

The Final Showdown

After the final round, each player uses the given combination of the five community cards and their two-hole cards to make the best five-hand card. They can use both the hole cards, one hole cards or neither of their hole cards, just like standard texas hold'em.

This rule is important because many players confuse it with Omaha. After all, you must use two of your hole cards and three community cards to make your hand.

Pineapple Poker Strategy

Typical Holdem strategies do not work in pineapple poker. If you are a high-stakes player, adding an unusual card can change the way you can play the pineapple game. You also need to fold better hands than you generally do at Texas hold'em.

Keep your eyes open for connected hands, either by value or suit. High pairs have a good starting hand but know that as a poker player, lower pairs, you can only win by hitting a set.

For most Pineapple poker games, Texas hold 'em poker strategy works. Only concentrate on better hands than the regular texas hold'em hands. You can also keep in mind a few general tips to play poker while playing. 

Types of Pineapple Poker

Crazy Pineapple Poker

In the Crazy pineapple poker game, players have the choice to customise their hands. The player puts a pre-flop betting round on each of their cards. After that, they can place a bet on their cards and do not discard them. The games continue like a standard Texas Hold'em match. The player can consider discarding as a possibility in a regular pineapple game. They will usually discard the cards that could've been kept intact.

Lazy Pineapple Poker

In Lazy pineapple poker, also called the Tahoe pineapple game, players can keep three cards throughout. They keep waiting until they get the best chance to discard the cards. They can play one of three different cards to complete their last hand. Hence, they have the opportunity to play as many cards as they can. For most players, the fun in this version lies in discarding a few items before they're even thrown.

Super Hold 'em

Super hold'em is a Hold'em variation that is grouped with the family of Pineapple poker games. Like Lazy pineapple poker, players use all three cards.

Here, however, players are allowed to use any combination of all the three cards in the river. They can use three, two, or just one card to make their final hand at the showdown. This game is similar to Omaha, the only difference being in Omaha, players must use two of their cards and three of their community cards. Player use a betting structure akin to a typical Texas hold 'em game.

Hi-Lo

Hi-Lo games split the pot between the highest and the lowest ranking hands. Any of the above games, including the regular one, can be played in Hi-Lo 8 or better.

Pineapple Poker vs. Texas Hold'em.

The pineapple games are slightly different from typical Texas hold 'em game. The advantage of having a third card is that you can create unique poker hands and opt for big hands as well. Your chances of getting flushes on the board will lessen if you get two cards of the same colour. For this flush to occur, you'll take the cards out of the deck.

The variation of the pineapple game depends on the third card. Like Texas hold 'em, you can play this game as a pot limit, limit, or no limit.