What is Short-Deck Poker?
Short-deck poker, also called six-plus hold’em, is a newer version of Texas Hold’em. It is mostly like regular hold’em but uses a smaller deck of cards. Instead of the full 52-card deck, short-deck poker uses only 36 cards. The 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s are removed, leaving cards from 6 up to Ace.
Short-deck poker first became popular in high-stakes cash games in Macau, and now you can play it online too.
How to Play Short-Deck Poker
Short-deck poker works like regular Texas Hold’em. Each player gets two hole cards, and there are five community cards on the table. Players make the best five-card hand using their cards and the community cards.
The game has four rounds of betting:
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Pre-flop – after players get their hole cards.
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Flop – three community cards are revealed.
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Turn – the fourth community card is revealed.
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River – the fifth community card is revealed (or players get a third hole card in some variations).
Aces can be high or low for straights. The lowest straight is A-6-7-8-9 in short-deck poker.
Short-Deck Poker Hand Rankings
In most games, hand rankings are the same as regular hold’em. However, many short-deck games use alternate rankings because the smaller deck changes the odds of certain hands.
Standard Hand Rankings:
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High card
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One pair
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Two pair
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Three-of-a-kind
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Straight
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Flush
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Full house
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Four-of-a-kind
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Straight flush
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Royal flush
Alternate Short-Deck Rankings:
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Three-of-a-kind beats a straight
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A flush beats a full house
These changes make sense because it is harder to get certain hands with fewer cards in the deck.
Short-Deck Poker Strategy
Short-deck poker is faster and more action-packed than regular hold’em. Here are some tips:
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Top pair or strong kicker is less powerful since two-pair hands are easier to make.
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Straights and full houses appear more often, so adjust your hand strength accordingly.
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Pocket aces are more common, making them even stronger than in regular hold’em.
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If using a third hole card instead of a fifth community card, think carefully about which cards to combine to make the best hand.
The smaller deck increases the odds of hitting strong hands, so players should be prepared for more aggressive betting and higher action.
Conclusion
Short-deck poker is an exciting variation of Texas Hold’em. The smaller deck changes hand values and increases action, making games faster and more fun. It is easy to learn if you know regular hold’em, and it offers a fresh, action-packed alternative for poker players.
What is different about short-deck poker?
Short-deck poker uses a smaller deck of 36 cards instead of 52. This changes hand probabilities and rankings, making the game faster and more action-packed.
What are short-deck poker rules?
The rules are mostly like Texas Hold’em. Each player gets two hole cards, and there are five community cards. Players try to make the best five-card hand. Betting happens in four rounds: pre-flop, flop, turn, and river.
What beats what in short-deck poker?
Short-deck poker sometimes uses different hand rankings. For example, in many games, three-of-a-kind beats a straight, and a flush beats a full house. Standard poker rankings can also be used depending on the site.
What cards are taken out in a short deck?
All 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s are removed from the deck. This leaves cards from 6 up to Ace.
