Thinking of trying your hand at Short Deck Poker? This is no surprise, as this Texas Hold’em variant has become increasingly popular recently. However, if you think that your experience and knowledge of Texas Hold’em is enough to win a game of Short Deck, think again. So, how do you play Short Deck Poker? How is it different from Texas Hold’em? We’ll answer those questions and more in this ABC8 guide.
What is Short Deck Poker?
Sometimes called Six Plus Hold’em or 6+ Poker, Short Deck emerged around 2017 in Macau. Its name comes from the fact that the game is played with a deck of cards reduced to just 36 cards, with all cards from 2 to 5 removed.
This makes the game much faster and more exciting than traditional Texas Hold’em. It also reduces the number of preflop cards, while also giving players a wider range of hands to play.
Short Deck Hold’em vs No Limit Hold’em
The rules of Short Deck poker are pretty much the same as a standard game of Texas Hold’em. However, there are a few notable exceptions.
First, there is the reduced deck, as we mentioned. This dramatically changes the odds of certain hands coming up. That’s why in Short Deck poker, a flush will beat a full house, while J-10 will beat A-K in a 50:50 situation. We’ll discuss these probabilities in more detail later in this guide.
Short Deck Poker Hand RankingsSimilar to Hold’em, the Ace acts as both a high card and a low card in Short Deck poker. But since there are no cards from 2 to 5, the lowest hand may look a little strange. Beginners to Short Deck may find it a bit difficult to get used to the hand consisting of 9-8-7-6-A!
How to Play Short Deck Hold’em: Rules and Hand Rankings
To play Short Deck Poker, you need a deck of 36 cards instead of 52. As mentioned, in this game, all 2, 3, 4, and 5 cards are removed. Aside from this change, a Short Deck game plays out very similarly to a No-Limit game, in that:
Each player receives two hole cards.
There are four betting rounds – pre-flop, flop, turn, and river.
Players form hands using both their hole cards and the community cards.
To start a standard game of Short Deck poker, everyone must post a bet called an “ante.” Whoever has the dealer button in front of them must also post a bet called a “second ante,” which triggers the pre-flop action. This is known as a “button blind” structure.
It is also possible to play Short Deck poker using the traditional Small and Big Blind system. But this button blind and ante structure is the most popular method.
How to Play Short Deck Poker
Let’s take a quick look at how to play a game of Short Deck poker. As mentioned, the gameplay is not much different from Texas Hold’em.
Before the Flop
After collecting the antes, the dealer will deal two cards to each player, just like in regular No Limit Hold’em. The person sitting immediately to the left of the dealer (“under the gun”) is the first to act. Their options are as follows:
Call: In Short Deck poker, the button player always has to place a second ante bet. So, for the next player to continue the hand, they match this bet.
Fold: If a player does not want to continue playing, they can fold. Of course, they will lose their ante bet.
Raise: When a player likes their hand, they may want to increase the size of their bet. This forces the players after them to pay more to continue. The minimum raise is double the ante bet.
Once the player under the gun has decided what to do, play continues to the left again. The next player is faced with the same three options: call, raise, or fold. Things continue around the table until everyone has called the highest bet, and we move to the flop.
After the flop
Short Deck poker uses community cards, like Hold’em or Omaha. The first three cards are dealt at once, known as the “flop”. A further round of betting occurs, led by the player to the left of the dealer.
Since no forced bets are placed on the flop, this player has the option to “check”. This simply means declining to bet, but keeping the hand. If everyone checks, we move to the turn. But if someone bets, everyone must call (call the bet) to stay in the pot.
After the flop betting is complete, a fourth community card is dealt, called the “turn”. Another round of betting takes place before we receive the “river”, which is the fifth and final card. At this point, there is a final round of betting.
Showdown
If there is more than one player left, they must reveal their cards, starting with the player to the left of the dealer. This round is called the “showdown”. Whoever has the strongest hand wins the pot. If two or more players have the same hand value, the chips are split equally.
