Poker Term

Short Deck Rules

Short Deck Rules

A poker variant (also known as 6+ Hold'em) played with a 36-card deck (removing all 2s through 5s) where hand rankings are modified—a flush beats a full house, and three-of-a-kind beats a straight.

Overview

Short Deck Rules, also called 6+ Hold'em or Short Deck Poker, is a variant of Texas Hold'em played with a reduced deck of 36 cards (all ranks 2 through 5 are removed). The game retains the same basic structure of two hole cards and five community cards, but key rule changes affect hand rankings and some strategic considerations.

Deck Composition

  • 36 cards: ranks 6 through Ace (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A) in all four suits.
  • No deuces, treys, fours, or fives. This increases the probability of high-card hands and draws.

Hand Rankings (Different from Standard Hold'em)

  1. Royal Flush (unchanged)
  2. Straight Flush (unchanged)
  3. Four of a Kind (unchanged)
  4. Flush beats Full House (due to increased flush frequency)
  5. Full House
  6. Three of a Kind beats a Straight (three-of-a-kind becomes more common than a straight)
  7. Straight
  8. Two Pair
  9. One Pair
  10. High Card

Note: Aces can be used as low in straights (A-6-7-8-9) or as high (10-J-Q-K-A).

Betting and Gameplay

Short Deck follows the standard Hold'em betting rounds: preflop, flop, turn, river. However, due to the smaller deck:

  • Preflop action tends to be more aggressive because hands like K-K, Q-Q, and A-K gain equity against A-A.
  • Blinds are often structured differently; some games use a single blind (ante) or a button blind.
  • Limit vs. No-Limit: Both are common, but no-limit is more popular in cash games and tournaments.

Common Rule Variations

  • Ante-based: Each player posts an ante, and the button may act as a single blind. This is the most common format, often used in high-stakes cash games (e.g., in Asia and online).
  • Two-blind structure: Small blind and big blind, similar to standard Hold'em, but with adjusted sizes (e.g., 1-2 blinds instead of 1-2).
  • Ace-to-five straights: Some variants allow A-6-7-8-9 as a straight (Ace low), but this is the dominant rule.

Strategic Considerations

  • Hand values shift: Suited connectors like 6-7 suited become stronger, and high pairs (J-J, Q-Q) lose value against draws.
  • Flushes are stronger: Since drawing to a flush is easier (9 outs from 36 cards vs. 9 from 52), hands with suited cards gain premium value.
  • Bluffing frequency: Because more hands connect with the board (higher card density), bluffs need to be carefully chosen.
  • Equity realization: Many hands have over 50% equity preflop, leading to more all-in confrontations.

Where Short Deck is Played

Short Deck has gained popularity in high-stakes cash games, notably in Asian poker rooms and online platforms (e.g., Triton Poker Series, PokerStars). The World Series of Poker (WSOP) has occasionally featured Short Deck events, but it remains a niche variant.

Key Takeaways

  • Short Deck uses a 36-card deck (no 2-5).
  • Hand rankings differ: flush > full house, three-of-a-kind > straight.
  • Aggressive preflop play is common due to higher card equity.
  • Players should adjust strategy for increased flush and straight draws.