Poker guide
Pineapple vs Crazy Pineapple (and where Super Hold'em fits)
Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple are the two most-played ways of giving Hold'em a third hole card. They differ in exactly one thing, the moment you discard, and that one difference changes how you choose a starting hand and how you play the flop.
This guide compares the two, then places Super Hold'em, a different kind of Hold'em twist that changes the end of the hand rather than the start.
The one difference
| Pineapple | Crazy Pineapple | |
|---|---|---|
| Hole cards dealt | 3 | 3 |
| When you discard one | After preflop betting, before the flop | After flop betting, before the turn |
| Cards held on the flop | 2 | 3 |
| Cards held from the turn | 2 | 2 |
| Showdown | Hold'em: any 0, 1 or 2 hole cards | Hold'em: any 0, 1 or 2 hole cards |
| Betting on SophiesPick | No-Limit | No-Limit |
| Seats | 2-7 | 2-7 |
In both games the discarded card is permanently dead and opponents never see it; only the count of discards is public.
How the timing changes the game
In Pineapple the discard is a pre-flop decision, so it is really a starting-hand decision: you keep the best two-card Hold'em hand from your three and play Hold'em from there. Pairs with a third card of the same suit, and connected cards with a backup, are the hands that gain the most, because you choose the two that fit together before any community card is seen. Once the flop comes, Pineapple is Hold'em with slightly stronger hands around the table.
In Crazy Pineapple you see the flop with all three cards and bet with all three before discarding. That makes the flop far more connected for everyone: three cards hit a flop much more often than two, so sets, two pairs and strong draws are common, and the discard becomes a reading exercise. You keep the two cards that make the best hand or draw against the board you can see, and you must remember that every opponent did the same. Hands that look strong on a Hold'em flop are often second best here.
Which one to play
- Pineapple when the table wants Hold'em with a small upgrade and a quick decision. It teaches in one hand.
- Crazy Pineapple when the table wants more action and more decisions per hand, and accepts that the flop is a trap for Hold'em instincts.
- Both suit a Dealer's Choice pool with Hold'em, because they share its showdown and betting structure; see the best games to play with friends.
Where Super Hold'em fits
Super Hold'em is often listed alongside the Pineapple games as a Hold'em variant, but it changes the other end of the hand. It deals two hole cards, plays exactly like No-Limit Hold'em through river betting, then deals one sixth community card and goes straight to showdown with no betting on it. You make the best five from two hole cards and six board cards. On SophiesPick that is the whole rule; the three-hole-card game sometimes sold under the same name elsewhere is a different variant.
Pineapple games change which two cards you hold; Super Hold'em changes how many board cards you can choose from. A table that likes one usually likes the other, and all three fit a Hold'em-based rotation.
Common mistakes
- Holding three cards into the flop in Pineapple, or discarding before the flop in Crazy Pineapple; the timing is the game.
- Playing a Crazy Pineapple flop with Hold'em hand values; three-card holdings connect far more often.
- Treating a discarded card as live or expecting to see opponents' discards.
- In Super Hold'em, expecting a betting round after the sixth card; river betting is the last action.
Games in this guide
FAQ
How do Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple differ?
Only in the timing of the discard. In Pineapple you discard one of three cards after preflop betting, before the flop. In Crazy Pineapple you keep all three through flop betting and discard before the turn.
Do you use all three cards at showdown?
No. In both games you hold two cards from the turn onward and showdown follows Hold'em rules.
Is Super Hold'em a Pineapple game?
No. Super Hold'em deals two hole cards and adds a sixth community card after river betting with no further betting. It changes the end of the hand, not the start.
Which is better for beginners?
Pineapple. The single pre-flop discard is the only new decision, and the rest is Hold'em.