Short Deck Hand Ranking Change: Straight Flush < Four of a Kind

I. Definition: Introduction to Short Deck Poker

Short Deck, also known as 6+ Hold'em, is a variant of Texas Hold'em played with a 36-card deck (all cards 2 through 5 are removed). Due to the reduced number of cards, hand rankings and probabilities change significantly. The most notable change is that a Straight Flush is ranked lower than Four of a Kind. This article explains in detail the rationale behind this ranking change and its practical impact.

II. Principle: Why Straight Flush < Four of a Kind?

In standard Texas Hold'em, a straight flush is the top hand because its probability is extremely low (approximately 0.0279%). However, in Short Deck, the reduced card pool redistributes the likelihood of making various hands. The specific reasons are as follows:

1. Forming a straight becomes easier: With low cards 2–5 removed, the number of combinations for straights increases relatively. For example, A-6-7-8-9 can form a straight, and there are more connected card opportunities in the middle. Consequently, the probability of making a straight flush in Short Deck is higher than in standard Texas Hold'em.

2. The probability of making Four of a Kind is relatively lower: Four of a kind requires four cards of the same rank between the hole cards and community cards. Since the deck is reduced from 52 to 36 cards, each rank has only four cards, and there are only nine ranks (A, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K). The number of combinations for four of a kind is limited, and due to the overall reduction, its frequency decreases more noticeably than that of a straight flush.

3. Mathematical statistics: According to industry consensus, in Short Deck, the probability of making a straight flush (including Royal Flush) is about 0.1%, while the probability of four of a kind is roughly 0.05%. Therefore, four of a kind is rarer and naturally ranks higher than a straight flush.

It is important to emphasize that this ranking applies only to Short Deck rules and has been adopted by most major platforms (e.g., Triton Poker Series).

III. Practical Example

Suppose in a Short Deck game, the community cards are A♥ K♥ Q♥ J♥ 10♠ (note: this board is possible because 2–5 are removed). Player A holds 9♥ 8♥, forming a straight flush from 9♥ to K♥. Player B holds A♠ A♦, forming four of a kind Aces. According to Short Deck rankings, four of a kind Aces beats the straight flush, so Player B wins.

This example illustrates that even a seemingly extremely rare straight flush is not the strongest hand in Short Deck. Players must reevaluate hand strength and avoid overvaluing straight flush-type hands.

IV. Common Misconceptions

1. Misconception: A straight flush is always the nuts. This is not true in Short Deck; four of a kind outranks a straight flush. Players must remember this change, especially when the board texture suggests a possible four of a kind.
2. Misconception: The value of straight draws remains unchanged. Due to the altered deck, straight draws become more likely in Short Deck, but the implied odds of a straight flush decrease because even if you make it, you might lose to four of a kind.
3. Misconception: All platforms follow the same Short Deck rules. Different platforms (online, live) may have slight variations, but hand rankings universally follow straight flush < four of a kind. It is advisable to confirm the rules before playing.

V. Summary

Short Deck changes the core probabilities of traditional poker by reducing the number of cards, leading to a swap in the status of straight flushes and four of a kind. Players must adapt to this change, giving more strategic weight to high pairs, three of a kind, and four of a kind, while being cautious with all straight/straight flush hands, especially in multi-way pots and deep-stacked situations. Mastering this knowledge is a key step in getting started with Short Deck.