Learn to Play Short Deck Hold'em Poker
Texas Hold'em has long been the reigning king of the poker world, but it can get slow and uneventful, especially at higher levels. To shake things up, a group of poker enthusiasts created a new version called 6+ Hold'em, also known as Short Deck Poker. This game is played with only 36 cards instead of a full deck, with cards from 2 to 5 removed. The probability of a player getting a strong hand with fewer cards increases dramatically, as do the chances of making sets, straights, and other powerful combinations after the flop.
6+ Hold'em may resemble Texas Hold'em in many ways, but its shorter deck makes it an entirely new experience. The new game has gained popularity due to its exciting nature and the fact that most players are still learning how to play it.
Rules of Short Deck Poker
Having the basic rules down is key before sitting down at a 6+ Hold'em table. Though similar to No-Limit Texas Hold'em, there are some key differences in the game flow. Each player pays an ante and the button pays a double ante each hand. This blind structure encourages players to try and see a flop cheaply by simply calling the size of another ante. However, paying an ante on each hand means bleeding chips quickly if playing too tight. Consequently, a typical game of Short Deck Poker will see a lot of limping and raising big hands.
Once the pre-flop action is complete, the game follows the usual no-limit style, ending with the player on the button.
masters of No-Limit Texas Hold'em, switching to Short Deck Poker should not be too difficult. The game flows similarly to its older sibling. However, there are other differences.
Hand Rankings in 6+ Hold'em Poker
The shorter deck size is the most noticeable difference between Texas Hold'em and 6+ Hold'em. There are also significant changes in the way hands are ranked. Flushes now rank higher than full houses. This change is universal in short deck games because making a full house is easier than a flush in 6+ Hold'em.
Another change can depend on the rules of the specific game. In some, a three-of-a-kind can sometimes beat a straight, while others maintain that a straight beats a three-of-a-kind. The official games in Macau and Las Vegas still play with a straight beating three of a kind. This rule shields flopped straights from being drawing dead against flopped sets, keeping the value of trying to make a straight alive.
Finally, the ace card in 6+ Hold'em can be used to make a low straight. Thus, a player holding A 6 7 8 9 has a straight, although it may seem counterintuitive.
Current official hand rankings for Short Deck Poker are as follows:
- Royal Flush
- Straight Flush
- Four of a Kind
- Flush
- Full House
- Straight
- Three of a Kind
- Two Pair
- One Pair
- High Card
Odds and Futures in Short Deck Poker
I've covered the general rules of Short Deck Poker, but how do the fewer cards affect your odds? The changes are substantial. Draws become much more powerful, while hands like one pair lose their value. Making one pair is so common that you're more likely to have a pair than not by the river.
Having fewer low cards also increases the chances of hitting a set, giving errors a more significant effect on the game. Additionally, players have more chances of backdoor flush draws, making betting on the turn and river more exciting.
The popularity of Short Deck Poker lies in these exciting changes and the fact that most players are still learning how to play it well.
When you look at the simplest of odds, it's important to recognize how much simpler it is to obtain good starting hands in Short Deck Poker. The chances of being dealt a hand such as pocket aces or pocket kings are doubled in this game, which means you'll have many more opportunities to engage in hands with premium holdings. However, it's equally important to bear in mind that hands like AA or KK are no longer the dominant forces they were in standard poker. Since one pair is rarely enough to win, pocket pairs lose a lot of their value.
Creating a set in 6+ Hold'em is also quite a bit easier, with fewer cards remaining in the deck by the time a flop is dealt out, making your two outs for the set more likely to come out. When calculating the odds of making a straight, a flush, or a full house, you can now use the rule of 3 and 6 instead of the rule of 2 and 4 you've learned in the past. This means you'll be multiplying your outs by a factor of 6 if you're drawing on the flop or a factor of 3 if you're drawing on the turn to determine your odds of making the hand.
Here are some interesting odds that are significantly different in Short Deck Poker:
- There is a 22.9% chance of being dealt connectors or a suited hand
- There is an 8.6% chance of being dealt a pocket pair
- There is nearly a 1% chance of being dealt pocket aces
Basic 6+ Hold'em Strategy
Now that you're familiar with the fundamentals of Short Deck Poker, it's time to think about a strategy. What makes this game so exciting is the fact that it's not yet "solved," meaning there are various ways to play it, and there's no one who can say with certainty which way is the best.
Some known facts:
- It's easier to flop a set or a straight in 6+ Hold'em
- It's more difficult to make a flush in 6+ Hold'em
- Pocket pairs are more prevalent in 6+ Hold'em
These basic facts play a major role in developing a winning strategy for the game. We can say for certain that one pair hands are much less potent in this variant of the game, causing pocket aces and kings to lose a considerable portion of their value. Pocket kings, queens, and jacks all lose a significant amount of their strength compared to Texas Hold'em, as they no longer win the pot unimproved as frequently as they do in Texas Hold'em.
Suited connected hands like KQs, JTs, and T9s, on the other hand, gain considerable value, as they have a high probability of making a straight, two pairs, or a full house.
The basic strategy you should likely stick to is one that encourages playing draws aggressively and playing weak made hands passively, often folding them. A big draw might only be a coin flip against one pair in Texas Hold'em, but having 12 outs against your opponent's hand in Short Deck Hold'em will make you a 63% favorite on the flop, while the mighty open-ended straight flush draw (15 outs) will give you nearly a 75% chance in the hand.
Another crucial element to consider when formulating your 6+ Hold'em strategy is position, as this game heavily relies on it. Just like Pot Limit Omaha, Short Deck Poker is all about playing aggressively in position and staying out of the way when out of position.
Playing aggressively in position and being cautious when out of position is the key. The tricky part is balancing how you play in the early positions, considering the favorable price you'll get on limping when first in. Personally, I suggest folding many hands in an early position and limping the ones you choose to play to avoid unfavorable reverse implied odds situations later on and save yourself from having to make difficult post-flop plays.
Can I Win at Short Deck Poker?
Many poker players probably wonder when they first encounter Short Deck Hold'em: Can I actually win at this game?
The high-stakes gambling nature of the game makes it a high-variance prospect, to say the least. However, it also has the potential to be highly profitable, similar to Pot Limit Omaha. Players who have mastered the rules of Short Deck Hold'em and developed a strong winning strategy can expect a high win rate in this game, albeit with some significant downswings due to the game's equalized equities.
Where To Play Short Deck Hold'em Online
The only thing left is for you to get online and start playing some 6+ Hold'em to experience the game and begin developing your personal strategy for it.
If you're interested in trying out Short Deck Hold'em, but it's not very popular in live play yet, I suggest starting with online play first. There are several major poker websites where you can do this:
- PokerStars: The largest and most well-known online poker site, PokerStars provides 6+ Hold'em with various stakes, starting from micro limits and going up to $200 button blinds. PokerStars is one of the best online poker platforms, guaranteeing a high level of player satisfaction.
- GGPoker: This is another huge online poker room with a lot of traffic. It offers Short Deck Poker with similar stakes to PokerStars and a platform of similar quality.
- Poker Apps: Online poker apps like PPPoker and KKPoker are becoming increasingly popular. They have regular Short Deck games with a lower level of play compared to major poker sites. If you're looking for appealing 6+ Hold'em games, look no further than these apps.
In need of a comparison between the two? Check out our review of PokerStars vs GGPoker to help you make your decision.
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