PLAYING TIPS for PYRAMID POKER
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HOW TO PLAY PYRAMID POKER:
Deal each player 4 hole cards. The board cards are placed face down and consist of 6 cards arranged in the shape of a pyramid of 3 horizontal levels or rows. The bottom level has 3 cards, the middle level 2 cards and at the top is a single card. Players make their hand by using exactly 2 of their hole cards plus just 1 card from each of the levels (ie. 1 card of 3 from the bottom level, 1 of 2 cards from the middle level plus the sole card at the top level.) Reveal each level starting with the bottom 3, then middle 2 and, finally, the top card, with a round of betting between. May be played high-low split, but it is preferable to avoid 8 or better versions as a qualifying low is completely dependent on the single top card. |
SUMMARY of ACTION
Deal 4 hole cards to each player. Arrange board cards. Bet Reveal 3 cards of the bottom row. Bet Reveal 2 cards of the middle row. Bet Reveal single card of the top row. Bet High only or Hi-Lo Cards Speak: Showdown High-Low Declaration: Declare Bet Showdown |
PLAYING TIPS
In Pyramid all hands must include the single top card of the pyramid so that card assumes the greatest importance of all the board cards. Because of that it is often more difficult to draw to straights or flushes and that single top card can counterfeit what was up to then the best low. That single top card will usually dictate the winning hand and it seems just as often ruins a promising draw as it makes it.
STARTING HAND SELECTION
As with most high-low split games you want to have been dealt a hand that gives multiple possibilities of winning so combining elements of good starting low and high hands gives you the best shot.
For high having one or two high pair is a good start. (You will be dealt any 2 pair about 3% of the time and any one pair about 30%.) Should you then flop a set you now have a good draw to a full house or better. This will require that an eligible pair appear on the board. (An eligible or qualifying pair is one where the 2 paired cards appear in different rows.) But, be careful if that pair is of a rank higher than your trips. Several connected cards are helpful for straights and a straight is often the best possible hand. Flushes occur infrequently so suited cards, though better than unsuited, are only marginally more valuable. If you catch a flush that is not the nuts be careful. Trips in you hand are worthless since you can only use 2 cards.
For low 2A is the best start. 3A or 32 gives you a one card draw to the nuts, which you will hit about 37% of the time (but, your hand could still be ruined if one of your 2 hole cards appears on the board-especially the single top card). Unfortunately, when you have only 2 low cards in your hand there is about a 63% probability that one of them will appear among the 6 board cards. That does not always mean it counterfeits your low as there are other cards that could come to save it. But, it does mean there is a high probability your low is dead. For that reason a protected low like 32A or 42A is a far better hand. Whenever you hold one of these low hands with an ace you'd prefer the ace to be suited to one of your other cards.
In Pyramid all hands must include the single top card of the pyramid so that card assumes the greatest importance of all the board cards. Because of that it is often more difficult to draw to straights or flushes and that single top card can counterfeit what was up to then the best low. That single top card will usually dictate the winning hand and it seems just as often ruins a promising draw as it makes it.
STARTING HAND SELECTION
As with most high-low split games you want to have been dealt a hand that gives multiple possibilities of winning so combining elements of good starting low and high hands gives you the best shot.
For high having one or two high pair is a good start. (You will be dealt any 2 pair about 3% of the time and any one pair about 30%.) Should you then flop a set you now have a good draw to a full house or better. This will require that an eligible pair appear on the board. (An eligible or qualifying pair is one where the 2 paired cards appear in different rows.) But, be careful if that pair is of a rank higher than your trips. Several connected cards are helpful for straights and a straight is often the best possible hand. Flushes occur infrequently so suited cards, though better than unsuited, are only marginally more valuable. If you catch a flush that is not the nuts be careful. Trips in you hand are worthless since you can only use 2 cards.
For low 2A is the best start. 3A or 32 gives you a one card draw to the nuts, which you will hit about 37% of the time (but, your hand could still be ruined if one of your 2 hole cards appears on the board-especially the single top card). Unfortunately, when you have only 2 low cards in your hand there is about a 63% probability that one of them will appear among the 6 board cards. That does not always mean it counterfeits your low as there are other cards that could come to save it. But, it does mean there is a high probability your low is dead. For that reason a protected low like 32A or 42A is a far better hand. Whenever you hold one of these low hands with an ace you'd prefer the ace to be suited to one of your other cards.