For many online poker players, Texas Hold ‘em is the gateway to many other games.  Some go for Omaha, some go towards stud poker games like 7 Card Stud, and still others go for the games that start at Texas Hold ‘Em and then suddenly veer off into crazy land.  One of those is Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple poker.

Just like in Texas Hold Em, the two players to the left of the dealer post the Small Blind and Big Blind.  Then things get a little crazy.  Instead of two cards being dealt to each player, everyone at the table received three hole cards.  Betting continues through the preflop round in the normal manner, which players betting based on the three cards they’re holding.

Now here’s where it gets “Crazy” – after the second round of betting is done, all players choose one card from their hole cards and discard it.  This means you can have three Aces and you now have to throw one back.  This means that players go back to the traditional Texas holdem format for the game.

From here, the game is identical to Texas Hold’em. The turn is dealt, a round of betting happens, the river is dealt, another betting round, and then there’s the showdown. Players can use any combination of the 2 hole cards in their hands and the 5 board or community cards on the table to make the best hand, and the best hand wins the pot.

It’s a simple change, but it really ups the pre-flop action and engages players immediately in the game versus the lull that occurs in a lot of pre-flop poker rounds.  Try out Crazy Pineapple with your friends and see if you agree!  It’s a great way to add a spin on your regular poker night and it helps you play better poker by teaching you to think on your feet.  That’s one important reason that we recommend all poker players try different versions of the game: by engaging different rules and comparing them to your usual experience, you start to look at your own Texas Hold Em or Omaha game from a different angle.  Visit your favorite online poker room and try their pineapple tables then go back to Texas Hold Em and you’ll see what we mean.