Six Plus Hold'em
Six Plus Hold'em
The key difference is that all cards from 2 to 5 are removed from the deck, leaving only 36 cards 6 through Ace. The Ace can act as both the highest card and as a low card to complete a straight. In practice, because there are fewer cards, the probability of making a hand increases significantly. Players are more likely to get strong hands like straights, flushes, and full houses, so the strategy is more aggressive, with increased frequency of pre-flop raises and post-flop value bets. A typical scenario: the flop is 8-9-10, and a player holding A-7 can make a straight of A-6-7-8-9 because the Ace can serve as a low card. Meanwhile, the frequency of flushes and full houses is about 30% higher than in standard Hold'em, forcing players to adjust their starting hand selection and focus more on high card connectors and suited hands.
Overview
Six Plus Hold'em is a variant of Texas Hold'em that originated in high-stakes Asian cash games and gradually became popular. Its core change is removing all 2, 3, 4, and 5 cards from the deck, leaving only 36 cards from 6 to Ace. Due to the reduced number of cards, hand values, drawing probabilities, and strategies differ significantly from traditional Texas Hold'em.
Hand Rankings
- Deck: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A, four of each suit, totaling 36 cards.
- Hand rankings: Mostly the same as traditional Hold'em, but the definition of a straight changes. Since 2 through 5 are removed, Ace can act as both high (A) and low (equivalent to 5) to complete a straight. For example, A-6-7-8-9 is the smallest straight, and 10-J-Q-K-A is the largest straight.
- Flush probability: Due to fewer cards, flushes become more common, so a flush is ranked below a full house (traditionally a flush beats a full house). The specific ranking from highest to lowest is: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, High Card.
Strategy Differences
- Starting hand value: High cards (A, K, Q) and suited connectors (e.g., A-K suited) increase in value because they are more likely to form strong hands. Small pairs (e.g., 66) decrease in value because the probability of flopping a set is lower.
- Drawing probabilities: For example, the chance of hitting a pair on the flop is about 32% (traditionally about 29%), and flush draws have a higher probability. Therefore, aggressive play is more common.
- Position and ranges: Due to the shifted hand strength distribution, players often enter pots with wider ranges, especially from the button and small blind.
Notes
Six Plus Hold'em has not been officially adopted by major poker events (e.g., WSOP) and is primarily popular on online platforms and in home games. Rules may vary by platform, such as whether Ace can be used as a low card. It is recommended to confirm the specific rules before playing.