What Is Short Deck Poker?
Short Deck, also called Six Plus Hold'em, is played with a stripped deck: all 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s are removed, leaving exactly 36 cards instead of the standard 52.
Short Deck originated in private high-stakes games in Macau and was popularized by the Triton Poker series, which has featured short deck events alongside traditional tournaments. The variant has since migrated to online platforms, where it appeals to players seeking higher variance, larger pots, and faster-paced action.
The game follows the basic structure of Texas Hold'em—two hole cards, five community cards—but the removal of low cards dramatically changes hand rankings, hand frequencies, and optimal strategy.
How Short Deck Differs from Regular Hold'em
Short Deck uses the same Hold'em framework but with fundamental differences that ripple through every decision.
The Deck and Ace Rules
With 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s removed, you're drawing from a 36-card deck. This means:
- Fewer cards per suit (9 instead of 13), making flushes rarer.
- Fewer cards per rank (3 instead of 4 in a full deck), affecting straight frequencies.
- Aces are flexible: Aces can be used as a 1 in A-6-7-8-9 (a "wheel" straight), or as high in 10-J-Q-K-A.
Betting Format
Short Deck is often played ante-only rather than with traditional blinds. Everyone antes (a small forced bet), and the button posts a double ante. This generates action immediately and eliminates the "dead money" sitting in blind positions.
No-limit short deck is the standard, though some games run pot-limit variants.
Action Velocity
With higher hand frequencies, more players see flops, more sets and straights occur, and pots grow faster. Expect quick all-ins and larger swings than in regular Hold'em.
Short Deck Hand Rankings
The modified rankings reflect the changed probabilities in a 36-card deck. This is critical: the standard poker ranking is inverted in places.
- Royal Flush (A-K-Q-J-10 of same suit)
- Straight Flush (five consecutive cards of same suit)
- Four of a Kind
- Flush ← Moved up from traditional ranking
- Full House ← Moved down from traditional ranking
- Three of a Kind ← Moved up from traditional ranking
- Straight ← Moved down from traditional ranking
- Two Pair
- One Pair
- High Card
Why the Changes?
Flushes beat full houses because with only 9 cards per suit, making a flush (5 cards of the same suit from 7 total) is harder than in regular poker.
Three of a kind beats straights because straights are easier to make. With 2s-5s removed, there are only 20 possible straights (vs. 20 in regular 52-card hold'em, but your available cards are fewer, making straights more common relative to trips). The math inverts the traditional ranking.
If you're upgrading from Hold'em to Short Deck, memorizing this new ranking order is non-negotiable.
Basic Strategy Adjustments
Starting Hands Change
In Short Deck, hand strengths shift significantly:
- Pairs are much stronger. A pair of Sixes has real value preflop because the deck is smaller and your pair is less likely to be outdrawn. Set-mining is highly profitable.
- Suited hands are stronger. Flush draws are rarer (only 9 cards per suit), so made flushes and flush draws have higher equity.
- Straights are easier. The straight possibilities have increased. A hand like K-Q has straight potential beyond just hitting top pair.
- Aces and Kings are premium. Fewer high cards in the deck mean Aces and Kings are even more valuable.
You Can't Sit Out Hands
In traditional cash games, you can wait for premium hands. In Short Deck ante-only, you're paying every hand. Sitting on pocket 6s or J-9 suited in position is often worth playing, whereas in Hold'em you'd fold.
Tightness is exploitable because your opponents will adjust—they expect more hands to be played. The profitable range is wider.
Set Mining Is Incredibly Viable
Because flushes are rarer, making a set on the flop is a premium outcome. The implied odds for calling with small-to-medium pairs are excellent. You might comfortably call with pocket 7s from early position in a four-way pot—something that's usually -EV in Hold'em.
Drawing Hands Have More Equity
A gut-shot straight draw (four cards to a straight with one rank completing it) gains value. Flush draws retain their strength. If you have both draws, your equity is substantial—often close to coin-flip territory against made hands.
Aggression Matters More
With antes in every pot and action moving fast, passive play gets punished. Bet your strong hands, attack weakness, and don't check back marginal hands out of position. The ante money and smaller effective stacks (resulting in faster all-in dynamics) reward aggression.
Where to Play Short Deck Online
PokerStars offers 6+ Hold'em (their branded name for Short Deck). Games typically run in no-limit format and are available in cash and tournament variants.
GGPoker features dedicated Short Deck tables and tournaments.
Triton Poker Series (available via various platforms) frequently features short deck events during their tournament schedules.
Traffic is lower than standard Hold'em—expect a handful of tables running during peak North American and European hours. The games tend to attract skilled, serious players (many transitioning from high-stakes cash or tournament circuits), so competition is generally tougher than in most Hold'em fields.
FAQ
Can you make a straight with A-6-7-8-9?
Yes. Since 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s are removed, the lowest straight is A-6-7-8-9 (sometimes called the "short-deck wheel" or "baby straight"). Hands like 6-7-8-9-10 also form valid straights.
Why do flushes beat full houses in Short Deck?
With only 9 cards per suit (instead of 13), a flush is rarer than a full house. In a 36-card deck, the probability math inverts from traditional poker, making flushes harder to hit and thus more valuable.
Is short deck harder than Hold'em?
Short Deck demands a complete re-evaluation of hand values, optimal ranges, and bet sizing. If you're transitioning from Hold'em, expect a learning curve. However, the fundamentals—position, aggression, reading opponents—remain constant. The hardest part is overriding the instincts developed from thousands of Hold'em hands.
How much variance is in Short Deck compared to Hold'em?
Significantly more. Higher hand frequencies, more frequent all-ins, and antes-only betting create larger swings. Over 100 hands, you'll see more significant downswings and upswings than in traditional Hold'em. Bankroll management is more important.
Can you play Short Deck heads-up?
Yes, though it's less common in online poker. The ante structure still applies—both players ante, and heads-up play is similar to regular Hold'em HU, just with the 36-card deck and modified hand rankings.
Is Short Deck a skill game?
Absolutely. Like all poker variants, Short Deck rewards good decision-making, position awareness, and opponent reading. The higher variance doesn't change the fact that better players win over time—it just means individual sessions are more volatile.