Reverse Pineapple turns the Pineapple idea around. Instead of starting with extra cards and throwing them away, you start with one card and get another on every street. By the river you have four cards and the whole board to choose from.
How a hand plays
- Blinds. Small and big blind, as in Hold'em.
- One card each. Everyone gets a single card face down, and there is a round of betting.
- The flop. Three board cards, and everyone still in gets a second card of their own. Round of betting.
- The turn. One board card and a third card for each player. Round of betting.
- The river. The last board card and a fourth card each. Final round of betting.
- Showdown. Your hand is the best five cards from any of your four and the five on the board.
You can use any mix of your cards and the board, as in Hold'em. There is no rule that you must use a set number of your own cards.
What it feels like
The first betting round is played on one card, which is close to guessing. An ace is the best start, because it is the best high card and can still make the nut flush. After that, every street gives you new cards that nobody else can see, so hands change a lot between the flop and the river.
By showdown each player is choosing from nine cards. That makes strong hands common:
- Two pair and trips show up all the time.
- Straights and flushes are much more likely than in Hold'em.
- A single pair rarely wins a pot that went to the river.
An example hand
You start with A♦. The flop comes K♦ 8♣ 3♦ and you get the 5♦. You now have the nut flush draw. The turn is the J♠ and you get the Q♣. The river is the 2♥ and your last card is the 9♦.
Your best five are A♦ K♦ 9♦ 5♦ 3♦: an ace high flush, using three of your cards and two from the board.
Tips
- Play the early streets cheap. With one or two cards, nobody knows much. Save the big bets for when you have a hand.
- Raise the bar for showdown. Ask what a typical river hand looks like in this game, not in Hold'em. It's usually two pair or better.
- Watch the board for flushes and straights. With four private cards each, any three of a suit on the board probably gave someone a flush.
Play it
Play Reverse Pineapple on Bink with friends in your browser, for chips. If you like it, try Pineapple and Donkey Pineapple too.