Texas Hold’em Poker – Pineapple

In Texas Hold'em, each player is dealt two private cards (known as ‘hole cards’) that belong to them alone. Five community cards are dealt face-up, to form the ‘board’. All players in the game use these shared community cards in conjunction with their own hole cards to each make their best possible five-card poker hand. In Hold'em, a player may use any combination of the seven cards available to make the best possible five-card poker hand, using zero, one or two of their private hole cards.

Variation – Pineapple

Changes

In Texas Hold'em variation Pineapple, players are dealt three cards pre-flop and must discard one card after the pre-flop betting is concluded. All other rules for Texas Hold’em remain unchanged.

How to Play Texas Hold'em – Pineapple

The Blinds

In Hold'em, a marker called ‘the button’ or ‘the dealer button’ indicates which player is the nominal dealer for the current game. Before the game begins, the player immediately clockwise from the button posts the "small blind", the first forced bet. The player immediately clockwise from the small blind posts the "big blind", which is typically twice the size of the small blind, but the blinds can vary depending on the stakes and betting structure being played.

In Limit games, the big blind is the same as the small bet, and the small blind is typically half the size of the big blind but may be larger depending on the stakes. For example, in a $2/$4 Limit game the small blind is $1 and the big blind is $2.

In Pot Limit and No Limit games, the games are referred to by the size of their blinds. For example, a $1/$2 game has a small blind of $1 and a big blind of $2.

Depending on the exact structure of the game, each player, or an individual player, may also be required to post an ‘ante’ (another type of forced bet, posted before cards are dealt) into the pot.

Now, each player receives his or her three hole cards. Betting action proceeds clockwise around the table, starting with the player ‘under the gun’ (immediately clockwise from the big blind).

Player Betting Options

In Hold'em, as with other forms of poker, the available actions are ‘fold’, ‘check’, ‘bet’, ‘call’ or ‘raise’. Exactly which options are available depends on the action taken by the previous players. Each poker player always has the option to fold, to discard their cards and give up any interest in the pot. If nobody has yet made a bet, then a player may either check (decline to bet but keep their cards) or bet. If a player has bet, then subsequent players can fold, call or raise. To call is to match the amount the previous player has bet. To raise is to not only match the previous bet, but to also increase it.

Pre-Flop

After seeing his or her hole cards, each player now has the option to play his or her hand by calling or raising the big blind. The action begins to the left of the big blind, which is considered a ‘live’ bet on this round. That player has the option to fold, call or raise. For example, if the big blind was $2, it would cost $2 to call, or at least $4 to raise. Action then proceeds clockwise around the table. Betting continues until all active players (who have not folded) have placed equal bets in the pot.

The Discard

Once the round of betting pre-flop is complete, there is a discard by all active players. That is, each player selects a card he or she wishes to discard. Discarding takes place in order, clockwise from the dealer button with each player placing their discard directly in front of them. The dealer will collect the discards and play will continue to the Flop.

The Flop

Now, three cards are dealt face-up on the board. This is known as ‘the flop’. In Hold'em, the three cards on the flop are community cards, available to all players still in the hand. Betting on the flop begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button. The betting options are similar to pre-flop, however if nobody has previously bet, players may opt to check, passing the action to the next active player clockwise. In Fixed Limit Hold’em, all bets and raises occur in increments of the small bet (for example, $2 in a $2/$4 game). Betting continues until all active players (who have not folded) have placed equal bets in the pot (this includes all active players checking).

The Turn

When the betting action is completed for the flop round, the ‘turn’ is dealt face-up on the board. The turn is the fourth community card in Hold'em (and is sometimes also called ‘Fourth Street’). Another round of betting ensues, beginning with the active player immediately clockwise from the button. In Fixed Limit Hold’em, bets and raises on the turn are in increments of the big bet (for example, $4 in a $2/$4 game). Betting continues until all active players (who have not folded) have placed equal bets in the pot (this includes all active players checking).

The River

When betting action is completed for the turn round, the ‘river’ or ‘Fifth Street’ is dealt face-up on the board. The river is the fifth and final community card in a Hold'em game. Betting again begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button, and the same betting rules apply as they do for the flop and turn, as explained above.

The Showdown

If there is more than one remaining player when the final betting round is complete, the last person to bet or raise shows their cards, unless there was no bet on the final round in which case the player immediately clockwise from the button shows their cards first. The player with the best five-card poker hand wins the pot. In the event of identical hands, the pot will be equally divided between the players with the best hands. In the event of an odd chip during the split, it is awarded to the first active player immediately clockwise from the button.

After the pot is awarded, a new hand of Hold'em is ready to be played. The button now moves clockwise to the next player, blinds and antes are once again posted, and new hands are dealt to each player.

Limit, No Limit, and Pot Limit Texas Hold'em – Pineapple

Hold'em rules remain the same for Limit, No Limit and Pot Limit poker games, with a few exceptions:

• Fixed Limit Texas Hold'em

Betting in Limit Hold'em is in pre-determined, structured amounts. Pre-flop and on the flop, all bets and raises are of the same amount as the big blind. On the turn and the river, the size of all bets and raises doubles. In Limit Hold'em, up to four bets are allowed per player during each betting round. This includes a (1) bet, (2) raise, (3) re-raise, and (4) cap (final raise).

• No Limit Texas Hold'em

The minimum bet in No Limit Hold'em is the same as the size of the big blind, but players can always bet as much as they want, up to all of their chips.

Minimum raise: In No Limit Hold'em, the raise amount must be at least as much as the previous bet or raise in the same round. As an example, if the first player to act bets $5 then the second player must raise a minimum of $5 (total bet of $10).

Maximum raise: The size of your stack (your chips on the table).

In No Limit Hold'em, there is no ‘cap’ on the number of raises allowed.

• Pot Limit Texas Hold'em

The minimum bet in Pot Limit Hold'em is the same as the size of the big blind, but players can always bet up to the size of the pot.

Minimum raise: The raise amount must be at least as much as the previous bet or raise in the same round.

Maximum raise: The size of the pot, which is defined as the total of the active pot plus all bets on the table plus the amount the active player must first call before raising.

Example: If the size of the pot is $100, and there is no previous action on a particular betting round, a player may bet a maximum of $100. After that bet, the action moves to the next player clockwise. That player can either fold, call $100, or raise any amount between the minimum ($100 more) and the maximum. The maximum bet in this case is $400 - the raiser would first call $100, bringing the pot size to $300, and then raise $300 more, making a total bet of $400.

In Pot Limit Hold'em, there is no ‘cap’ on the number of raises allowed.