Pot Limit Crazy Pineapple: Decision with AA9

This hand is from a home game played tonight by four 2+2er's- myself, Clarkmeister, D.Andrew, and Riff Raff (report in News, Views, & Gossip).


Just in case players aren't familar with Crazy Pineapple, here are the basic rules. Each player is dealt three cards face down (like Hold'em or Omaha). There is a pre-flop betting round. The flop is dealt and there is another betting round. Then each player who calls the flop bet discards one of their hole cards. The rest of the game plays like Hold'em with the remaining two hole cards.


D. Andrew and Riff Raff fold pre-flop (rare) to me on the button. I've got AdAh9c and raise the pot (There is just one $1 blind) to put a total of $4 in the pot. Clarkmeister has been playing EVERY hand and always defends his blinds against a raise. He calls the additional $3.


The pot is $8.


The flop is: Qd,Qh,3d


Clarkmeister leads out with a small $4 bet. I get the fealing he is just testing the waters. Of course, I think he may also be trying for a 3-bet with a Queen or is on flush draw. I decided to just call the bet and raise the turn.


The pot is $16.


We both discard a card. Of coruse, I discard the 9 and keep my AdAh.


The turn is: Qd,Qh,3d,8d


Clarkmeister leads into me with a pot size bet. I'm somewhat concerned by this bet. Clarkmeister hasn't been getting into big confrontations with me unless he's got a strong hand. My call of the flop has to tell him I had a hand. With the nut flush draw, I thought a call was easy. Since I've only played limit poker prior to tonight, I think I overvalued my AA and flush draw here


The pot is $32 and I have to call $16


Should I be calling a pot size bet here? Or should I follow through with my plan and make a pot-size reraise? Or is a fold in order?

in PLO8, PLO, and PL pineapple. Why you ask? Because you can bust big stacks when they overplay them. In this spot I would FOLD. I don't have to tell a player as good as you that you may be drawing dead. In the big blind he may have 33,Q3,or Q8. You may only have two outs(As,Ac). Even if you aren't drawing dead 2-1 odds isn't good enough in this spot.

I called on the turn- mostly because I just wasn't willing to let Clarkmeister push me around. I figured any diamond would be good.


The river is: Qd,Qh,3d,8d,Qs


Clarkmeister checked. I bet and he folded. He showed his hand (because it was a friendly home game)- 33 for a flopped full-house.

I'm not sure I like your bet on the end. It may be one of those situations where you only get called (or raised) if you're beat.


Like thebroker, I seek out PLCP players who will overplay big pairs. Big pairs are nice if they hit the flop, but can be traps if they don't. A 3-card pineapple hand can form three hold 'em hands, but functionally they often form only two. (your AA9 forms an AA and duplicate A9o's.) So a four-handed CP game has your two hands competing against six others- roughly the equivalent of 8- or 9-handed hold 'em.


When you get it heads up, your AA is still very strong, but with a scare flop and a strong opponent, you have to proceed with caution. If you decide on the flop that you have the best hand, you might consider trying to get it all in then if stack sizes were appropriate, and while it was still possible to get away from the hand if he comes over the top.


Another point. Be sure to mix up your preflop play with AA. If a player can be identified as having a big pair BTF because that's all he raises with, then he becomes a sitting target for someone flopping two pair or better...

You are the second poster who acts like this is common. Is there a large network of private PL games somewhere?


What a fun game, btw.

Texas. Lots of NL and PL Hold 'em, Omaha, Big Mitt and the ocassional Crazy Pineapple.

I'd be willing to start up a PL Crazy Pineapple game on some weeknight. I'm sure the Mirage or Bellagio would be willing to let us play rake-free if it's just 4-handed and take a small rake while it's either 5 or 6 handed.

I don't know about Bellagio, but the Mirage isn't at all accomadating with spreading non-standard Mirage games. We had an entire table agree to change the 6-12 to a full kill game one night, and they wouldn't let us, even though it was 100% in favor. I have also been shot down trying to get a 3-6 pineapple interest list going as well.


The shoe might do it though. They spread $1/point chinese poker the other day in the LL section.