Pineapple Hi/Lo Rules

Pineapple Hi/Lo (or Crazy Pineapple Hi/Lo, Pineapple/8, crazy 8's or better) is a high low split, community card poker game based on Texas Hold'em. It is played exactly like "regualar" Pineapple until the winning hand is declared. There are four betting rounds. Community cards are cards dealt face up to the center of the table (five in total) and are shared by all players. Each player is privately dealt an incomplete hand (of three cards, whereof one has to be discarded after the flop), which is then combined with the community cards to make a complete hand.

As a matter of fact two hands and not one hand is created, which bring us to the high low split part of the game. First a quick highlight of what distinguishes a Pineapple game: three pocket cards are dealt but one has to be discarded after the second betting round.

Hi/Lo
Pineapple Hi/Lo is a high-low split pot game, that is the "best" (best high) and the "worst" (best low) hand split the pot between them. If one player has the best high hand and another player has the best low hand the pot is quite simply split between them. If one player has both the best high hand and the best low hand, that player scoops the entire pot. If there is a tie for one of the parts of the pot, it can be a bit more intricate. But the cardinal rule is that half the pot is reserved for the best high hand(s) and the other half is reserved for the best low hand(s).

One final example on the splitting of the pot: If two players are tied for the best high hand then these players get ¼ of the pot each and if in the same pot there is another single player who has the best low hand, then that player gets ½ of the pot. Should the player being tied for the best high hand and the player who has the best low hand be one and the same, then that player gets ¼ + ½ = ¾ of the pot.

Unless otherwise stated a qualifier of 8-or-better for low applies to Pineapple Hi/Lo. That is a player must have five cards of different ranks that are an eight or lower in rank in order to able to contest the low half of the pot. The lower the highest card is, the better. Straight or flushes do not count against the low hand. An ace may be used for high or low. For a more detailed discussion on this, please see the section on hand rankings for low. If there are no qualifying low hands, then the whole pot is awarded to the best high hand.

Final Hand
At the showdown, each player's hands are the best five-card combinations constructed by any mix of the seven remaining cards. The same or different combinations can be used for the different pot halves.

Sequence of Game Play

1. Dealer One player is the nominal dealer for the hand. The dealers position moves clockwise at the end of each hand; the dealers seat is indicated by a dealers button.
2. Blinds The two players to the left of the dealer, posts the small- and big blind respectively.
3. Pocket cards Each player receives three cards face down (the players own cards are also known as hole cards as well as pocket cards).

4. First betting round The action starts with the player to the left of the big blind, and continues clockwise.
5. Flop Three community cards are turned face up on the table.

6. Second betting round The action starts with the first player to the left of the dealer who is still in the hand, and continues clockwise.
7. Discard One of the pocket cards is discarded.

8. Turn Another (the fourth) community card is turned face up on the table.
 
9. Third betting round The betting advance as before. (In a fixed limit betting structure the bets are now doubled.)
10. River The final (the fifth) community card is turned face up on the table.
  
11. Last betting round The betting advance as before.
12. Showdown If more than one player reaches this stage, all remaining players show their hands. The first bettor or last raiser shows first, and then only those who beat that hand (for any part of the pot) has to show. The best ranked high hand wins the high half of the pot. The best ranked (qualifying) low hand wins the low half of the pot.

Example

Player A's pocket cards

Player B's pocket cards

Player C's pocket cards

The Board


At the showdown there are two parts of the pot to compete for. First lets look at the high part of the pot. Player A and B uses both their remaining pocket cards to create their final high hand. Player A's two pair, aces up, beats player B's two pair eight high. Player C can use the pocket six to improve the board, but an ace high hand looses to a two pair. Player A wins the high half of the pot.

Player A's final high hand

Player B's final high hand

Player C's final high hand


For the low half of the pot, player C makes a six high. Netither player A or B has a qualifying low hand. There are four low cards on the board (8 or lower). Both player A and B has two low cards in the hole, but they are all duplicated by the board. Therefore they can not produce five separately ranked cards 8 and lower. It is a walk over, player C wins the low half of the pot.

Player A's and B's final non-qualifying low hand

Player C's final qualifying low hand


Player A has the best high hand and player C the best low hand and the pot is split.

In Depth Issues

Odd chip When the pot is split, there are sometimes an odd chip left over. First off, any leftover odd chip goes to the high half of the pot. If two or more players tie for the high side of the pot and there is an odd chip, the player with the highest card in their hand is awarded the odd chip. If they have the same high valued cards, the suit takes preference going from spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs. When two or more low hands split the lower half of the pot, the odd chip in this half goes to the player with the lowest card by suit, thus in the order: clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades.