Not everything called poker works like Hold’em. Some forms change discarding, others arrangement or the role of the opponent. This overview introduces further important families and specifies the limits of each comparison.
In this guide
Pineapple and crazy pineapple
Pineapple starts with three hole cards and discards one before the flop. Crazy pineapple delays the discard until the flop. Specify its timing relative to flop betting: BCLC rules and other providers use different procedures. After discarding, two hole cards remain with a Hold’em-style board.
Further reading: BCLC: Poker rules, Pineapple / Crazy Pineapple, Michael Shackleford: Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple rules
Chinese poker and open-face arrangement
Chinese poker arranges 13 cards into a three-card front and two five-card rows. The back must not be weaker than the middle, nor the middle weaker than the front. Corresponding rows are compared rather than competing for a shared Hold’em pot. Open-face forms build the arrangement progressively.
Further reading: PokerStars Learn: Chinese Poker
Pineapple OFC uses the name differently
The linked California face-up pineapple rules begin with five cards, then deal three at a time, placing two and discarding one face down until 13 are placed. An invalid row order is a foul. Points, bonuses and fantasyland requirements belong to the particular rules, not a universal poker pay table.
Further reading: California DOJ / 101 Casino: Face-Up Pineapple Chinese Poker (2014)
Three-card poker faces the bank
Three-card poker uses three-card hands against the dealer. After the ante and your cards, the main choice is to fold or place the required play wager. Dealer qualification and additional payouts have separate rules. A three-card straight ranks above a flush. Pair Plus separately wagers on your own hand.
The play wager equals the ante; the named dealer qualifier is queen-high or better.
Further reading: MLGCA: Three Card Poker, version 1.4
Ultimate Texas Hold’em is not a player pot
Ultimate Texas Hold’em uses two private and five shared cards against the dealer. Ante and blind are placed initially. Under the named standard rules, a play wager may be larger earlier or smaller later; it is not raised repeatedly on every street. Dealer qualification, blind payout and optional trips are settled separately.
Before the flop, play is three or four times ante; after the flop twice; on the river once or fold.
Further reading: MLGCA: Ultimate Texas Hold’em, version 1.5
Pai gow poker splits seven cards
The described pai gow poker rules deal seven cards from a deck with a restricted-use joker. Arrange a higher five-card hand and a lower two-card hand. Both compare with the corresponding bank hands. Win, loss or push depends on both comparisons, and the bank wins tied comparisons.
Win both comparisons to win; lose both to lose. One win and one loss returns the stake.
Further reading: MLGCA: Pai Gow Poker, version 1.1
Caribbean stud: five cards against the bank
Caribbean stud deals five player cards against five dealer cards, one exposed. After the ante, fold or add a wager twice the ante. The dealer qualifies with ace-king or better; qualification and hand strength determine settlement. There is no draw.
Further reading: New Jersey DGE: Rules of the Games, Baccarat / Caribbean Stud
Video poker and jacks or better
Video poker compares a final hand with a pay table rather than an opponent. In jacks or better, receive five cards, hold a selection and replace the others once. The named IGT edition starts paying at a pair of jacks or higher. Other pay tables and bonus features require separate reading.
Further reading: IGT / Danske Spil: Game King Jacks or Better rules
Deuces wild: twos are wild
The linked deuces wild rules make twos wild and use a distinct pay table. A natural royal, a wild royal and four deuces are different events. Jacks-or-better strategy cannot be transferred unchanged. This explanation does not enable a video-poker mode on GameFinder.pro.
Further reading: PokerStars game rules: Deuces Wild
Read complete pay tables
For a banked game, identify required wagers, folding point, dealer qualification, ties and each separate pay table. A multiplier may mean net profit or total return. Work through a hypothetical ten-unit round before comparing tables. These forms expand the reference library; they are not additional modes in our browser poker.