Crazy Pineapple Poker

For players looking for a break from non-stop Texas Holdem, there exists another game that offers a similar format but with a "crazy" twist. Crazy Pineapple Poker is one of the more unusual poker variants.

Whether you like to play poker for fun or for high stakes, our quick poker tutorial will cover the Crazy Pineapple Poker rules, strategies and history behind this fun and exciting game.

Crazy Pineapple Poker Rules

Crazy Pineapple Poker rules closely resemble those of more popular poker variants, such as Texas Holdem and Omaha. The players to the left of the dealer button post blind bets before the cards are dealt.

In Crazy Pineapple, each player receives three facedown cards. The dealer then deals three community cards (the "flop") to the center of the table. Like Texas Holdem and Omaha, the "flop" is followed by another round of betting.

Before the dealer lays out the fourth card (the "turn"), players must discard one of their three cards.

From this point on, the game is exactly like Texas Holdem.

Strategy for Playing Crazy Pineapple Poker

Crazy Pineapple Poker rules allow for a bit more strategy before the flop. This is one of the rare poker variants that combine the best of both Texas Holdem and Omaha. In Omaha, players can only play two of their four cards to make a hand. In Crazy Pineapple, players start out with three cards and must choose which two they'll play after the flop.

Skills and Challenges of Crazy Pineapple Poker Games

Many players who are accustomed to Texas Holdem will find Crazy Pineapple to be a challenge, especially those used to playing aggressively pre-flop. Just as in the more popular versions of the game, the flop determines much of the decision-making process during a hand.

In this case, the first three cards have the most influence on which card the player will throw away. Although a useful poker tutorial on Crazy Pineapple is not easy to find, players who are well versed in Omaha are usually the most practiced at deciding which cards to keep.

Low Stakes in Crazy Pineapple Poker

Players who love to play poker for the fun and camaraderie of the game enjoy playing Crazy Pineapple. The decision-making process behind the game adds a new dimension more often seen in kitchen-table games rather than in high-stakes casino action. Most casinos do not offer Crazy Pineapple games, preferring the more traditional games like Texas Holdem and Seven Card Stud.

Where to Play Crazy Pineapple Poker Tournaments

Despite its interesting and challenging nature, Crazy Pineapple has never been featured in major poker tournament series. In the forty-plus-year history of the World Series of Poker, there has never been a Crazy Pineapple event.

Crazy Pineapple Poker is much more popular in the casinos of Lake Tahoe than on the Las Vegas Strip. In 2009, a local player named Tom Christopher won just over $3000 and the title of Crazy Pineapple World Champion.

Internet Poker: Crazy Pineapple Poker Online

Millions of players started learning to play poker games by playing online. Crazy Pineapple is no exception. A few online poker sites offer Crazy Pineapple Poker rules, as well as a simple poker tutorial, to get players started in the game.

These sites offer free "play money" games for players to learn the basic actions of the game. When the player is ready, the site also provides cash games with limit betting structures.