WE EXPLAIN HOW TO PLAY SHORT DECK POKER

A BRIEF HISTORY OF SHORT DECK POKER

Short deck poker, which is also commonly referred to as six plus hold’em, has become extremely popular in Asia, more specifically, casinos in Macau. Paul Phua and Richard Yong were the masterminds behind short deck, and the short deck game was designed to create high octane action for poker players.

Phua and Yong used the Triton Poker Tour in 2018 as a means to test out short deck poker, and it was well received. The short deck game exploded in popularity, and in 2019, the WSOP added short deck as a bracelet event in 2019.

WHY SHORT DECK?

With short deck hold’em, there are various reasons as to why some players might find it more appealing. Firstly, there are more playable starting hands that can be paired or connected more often which can make it more fun than a full deck game.

More crucially, with fewer cards in the deck compared to a standard deck, this may suit both recreational players and high rollers alike, especially with the latter who will look to maximise value in a high stakes game.

As such with less cards in short deck poker, this will help players to hit their outs more often at short deck tables. For example, hitting an open ended straight draw by the river for short deck poker stands at 45.5%, whereas hitting an open ended straight draw in regular Texas Hold’Em drops to 31.5%.

While playing short deck poker, you will also notice that you are more likely to flop a flush draw, because if you flop a flush draw, you will have a 30% chance of hitting it by the river compared to 35% for a full deck game.

In the following sections, we will get to grips with the short deck poker rules, suggests what a typical short deck hold’em hand looks like, and the differences between short deck and regular Texas Hold’Em.

WHAT CARDS ARE MISSING IN A SHORT DECK?

In six plus hold’em, it will be a stripped down deck, and there will be just 36 cards used. And all cards from 2s through to 5s will be removed from the deck.

With fewer cards, this will ultimately have a big impact on short deck poker strategy, as well as hand rankings, and this is something players will have to be aware of.

MOST IMPORTANT SHORT DECK POKER RULES

Short deck, unlike traditional Hold’Em continues less cards (36), and later in this guide, we have explored the hand rankings for short deck hold’em.

In terms of main house rules, the one thing to bear in mind is that in short deck, a flush beats a full house. Also, with a reduced number of cards, this leads to fewer changes in hands, however, you will need to adjust quickly if you wish to make the most of this fun variation of limit hold’em.

In other versions of short deck hold’em, which are scarcer, a three of a kind will beat a straight flush. This is despite straights being more common within the game than a three of a kind.

WHAT DOES A HAND LOOK LIKE AT SHORT DECK POKER?

With the hole cards 2 through to 5s removed from short deck hold’em deck, this creates a smaller deck. That said, there are still some premium hands that can be made. As mentioned, a flush beats a full house, and there are plenty of winning hands that can be assembled.

For example, TJQKA remains the high straight for six plus hold’em, while an AH, 6H, 7H, 8H, and 9H would represent a low straight flush.

THE MOST IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SHORT DECK AND TEXAS HOLD IN POKER

Short deck, unlike traditional Hold’Em continues less cards (36), and one clear distinction is the hand rankings.

We have explored later on in this guide the hand rankings for short deck hold’em, but in terms of rules, a flush will beat a full house in a short deck.

The second thing you need to keep in mind is when you are dealt pocket aces. Short deck hold’em dictates that pocket aces can be both high and low, meaning that in short deck, you can get an A-6-7-8-9 straight.

HAND RANKING FOR SHORT DECK POKER

Below, we have provided a full list of the rankings for poker hands playing short deck hold’em:

• Royal Flush
• Straight Flush
• Four of a Kind
• Flush
• Full House
• Three of a Kind
• Straight
• Two Pair
• Pair
• High Card

HOW TO PLAY SHORT DECK POKER?

Short deck poker will be played with antes and a double ante on the button. Play will normally start to the left of the dealer button, with subsequent players choosing to either fold, match the second ante, or raise.

It will then continue to follow the same manner as Texas Hold’Em, with a flop, turn, and river, and things can get quite exciting especially in high stakes games.

We have outlined how short deck works when playing before the flop or playing after the flop.

PLAYING BEFORE THE FLOP

Once all the antes have been gathered, every player will be dealt two cards and face down, so nothing changes in terms of dynamics when looking at short deck hold’em compared to regular hold’em games.

The action will begin with the player to the left of the dealer button like regular hold’em, and will continue in a clockwise manner. You will need to be trained in which hands to show during cash games if you want to extract money from the pot.

So, for example, flopping a set may seem like a good feeling, but boating up trips could see your hand beaten in a game by stronger post flop hands, such as a full house.

PLAYING AFTER THE FLOP

In the post flop stages for short deck hold’em, you will need to have an understanding of what cards you want to hold onto, and which of the community cards you want to toss away.

So, for example, in high stakes cash games, a hand such as QH and 9H will be fine to deploy in the late positions as you can make straights and full houses.

But while some offsuited poker hands are not terrible for stealing in the game, especially if you have the lowest straight, ideally you will want to avoid a pair on the flop or having no draw to the nuts.

ODDS AND PROBABILITIES

While in some variations of short deck hold’em, a three of a kind will beat some flush draws, it is worth considering the short deck hold’em odds and probabilities.

We have produced a table below showing the percentages of landing certain hands in short deck hold’em compared to other no limit hold’em games.

Short deck Hold’em hands chart

As you can see from the table above, whether it is landing a pocket pair, top pair, or even a royal flush, short deck limit hold’em games can be more profitable than no limit hold’em games in terms of what happens when players draw certain cards.

BASIC STRATEGY FOR SHORT DECK POKER

Strategy for any poker game is advised for players, and the same principle applies for short deck, so let’s share a few short deck poker strategy tips for you:

Be aware of fold equity – Although there are more all-ins with this game, you will ultimately have less fold equity, so make sure you are aware of this before you pay rake. This is something regular hold’em players will need to attend to too.

Recognise strong hands – There is significant differences between strong hands pre flop, such as suited hole cards or pocket pairs in short deck compared to regular hold’em games, and this needs to be factored into your short deck hold’em strategy.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF THE SHORT DECK

Let’s now run through the advantages and disadvantages of this game compared to traditional hold’em.

ADVANTAGES

• Quicker play – With less cards available, betting rounds are more quick fire, making it entertaining for novices and high rollers.
• Easy to understand – Compared to regular hold’em, it is easy to understand which community cards will provide the keys to success, and you can learn the hand rankings too.
• Can use normal hold’em tactics – Those who have played regular hold’em or no limit hold’em will be able to apply similar tactics. While they don’t all have the same rules, the principles are still relevant.

DISADVANTAGES

• Have to be even tighter – Poker is all about range, and for those less experienced players, trying to pull out a pocket pair or pocket pairs in a game can be tough.
• Too many options available – This is the case for certain hands come the showdown, which can be a source of frustration for some players.

BEST TIPS FOR SHORT DECK FROM ENERGYCASINO

Poker is a zero sum game, but to get the most out of short deck, we have shared a few useful tips, especially if you want to land a royal flush.

Stick to your guns – While it can be tempting to change tack in an effort to capture more money from the pot, make sure you have a concrete strategy and see it through until the end.

Changing things during betting rounds for example will only create confusion.

Have a post-flop plan – Short deck is almost like a coin flip, and things can fall on a split decision. Don’t leave things to chance and make sure you can put yourself in a position to counter what your opponent has. The same strategy could be used for pot limit Omaha games.

Establish a budget – Wherever you wish to play short deck poker or another version, have a budget in mind, and if things go against you, walk away. Within this, take advantage of any bonuses or special promos available at online casinos to enrich your gaming experience.

Remember though, if you tilt, you will only incur more losses in the long term.

CONCLUSION

As we have tried to show, short deck is energetic and high octane. It isn’t for the faint-hearted, but it can provide a lot of fun.

If you can use the tips and advice shared in this guide, including hand rankings, then you will be well on your way to mastering this game. Good luck!