Tahoe Pineapple Poker
Dear Mark,
At our Thursday night "friendly" poker game, we play just about every form of poker imaginable. A newcomer to our game introduced a new version when it was his deal and he called it Tahoe Pineapple. The dealer stated you play it the same way you play Pineapple (which I've never played) and only the name Tahoe is added. Being that you once lived at Lake Tahoe, have you ever heard of such a game, and is it exactly the same as Pineapple? - Dusty R.
Ah, Tahoe! "Every day a picnic, every night a party," -- a quote, by the way, I coined years ago, perhaps eventually to appear on my tombstone, and the only quotation I would ever want attributed to my name. Damn, do I miss the Lake. Back in the day, it was like living in a beer commercial.
Anyhow, yep, Dusty, there is such a game, also aptly called, for those of us ski bums who live/lived there, Lazy Pineapple. And yes, there is a difference, so it's best I first describe the rules of Pineapple, then sketch in the slight distinction of the variant.
Pineapple is a form of Hold 'em in which each player begins with three downcards, followed by a round of betting. After the first round of wagering has occurred, each player discards one of the downcards, and then the first three community cards are flopped. At this point, the game resumes like run-of-the mill Hold 'em.
The variant of Pineapple called Tahoe Pineapple has the exact same rules with but one exception. Players do not discard any of their three downcards. At the showdown, players can use none, one, or two of their downcards, but not all three to form, in combination with the five community cards, their best five-card hand.
Tahoe High-Low is Tahoe Pineapple played high-low split. When played this way, a different set of cards can be used for each direction, but no more than two for either direction.
Dear Mark,
In a poker room, is a player ever allowed to make decisions regarding rules of the game? I have actually seen it happen where a dealer let a bossy player settle a dispute. I am curious as to who is in charge settling disagreements. - John P.
You didn't mention, John, the particular cardroom or casino where you witnessed this occurrence, but I can tell you with reasonable certainty, that the inmates don't get to run the asylum.
In gamblese, this type of overbearing meathead is called a " Table Captain," a tongue-in-cheek term denoting the player who takes it upon him-or-herself to mediate all disputes and officiate in all other matters requiring interpretation of the rules and the wise crafting of decisions.
Those of us who enjoy a private game around our kitchen table all know, and quite possibly dislike, such an officious player. Fortunately in a cardroom, games are dealt by house dealers, whose handicraft is not only to pitch cards, but also to settle squabbles. If his or her decisions are challenged, a floor supervisor is always there to arbitrate any quibbles players may have.
Gambling Quotes
"Life is a gamble, like crossing the road. One day chicken, next day feathers."- Unknown
"Having an ATM in a casino is like having a lap-dancer at a Hell's Angels Convention. - McAvoy Layne
"Gambling has held human beings in thrall for millennia. It has been engaged in everywhere, from the dregs of society to the most respectable circles."- Peter L. Bernstein
Besides lovemaking and singing in the shower, there aren't many human activities where there is a greater difference between a person's self-delusional ability and actual ability than in poker.- Steve Badget
"Betting is the only moral thing you can do. It is an intellectual pursuit, as good as The Times crossword. For millions, it is the only uninfluenced democratic decision they take."- Lord Wyatt