How to Play Short Deck Poker – Rules, Hand Rankings, and Strategy

Written By Blaise Bourgeois |

Reviewed By Ciaran McEneaney |

Updated on 03 April, 2025

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Poker is one of the most popular card games in the world, and Texas Hold’em is the most well-known version. But many players are now learning how to play Short Deck poker, a high-speed, action-packed variant with similar rules but fewer cards.

When playing this high-speed and exciting version of poker, you’ll need to know hand rankings, the key differences between it and other versions of the game, and Short Deck poker strategy. Our experts will explain all the ins and outs of this gripping game.

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What is Short Deck Poker?

Short Deck poker, also known as Six Plus Hold’em, has rapidly grown in popularity in recent years, particularly in high-stakes games. First seen in Asia, the game is being played more and more in Europe and the USA, especially after being utilized in some star-studded high-roller poker tournaments.

  • Short Deck Poker is a variant of Texas Hold’em, albeit with a few simple rule changes.
  • The main difference is that the game is played with a 36-card deck instead of the standard 52-card deck.
  • This is where the name ‘short deck’ poker comes from.
  • These changes make it faster-paced and full of high hands.
  • It mostly abides by the same rules as Texas Hold’em, but hand rankings are different.
  • You’ll still need to bluff and understand hand reading.

With a change in deck size comes a change in hand rankings and strategy. The dealing, betting rounds, and overall gameplay remain similar to a Hold’em game, but the hand rankings are significantly altered.

For example, having the top pair in a Hold’em game is a relatively strong hand, but in Short Deck poker, a high pair has less chance of winning as there are so many draws available to other players.

Stronger hands are dealt more frequently, which leads to more action at the tables. Short Deck poker is action-packed and dynamic, and it is no wonder that it has surged in popularity.

Tom Dwan explains Short Deck poker (6-Plus Hold’em) | Paul Phua Poker

Short Deck Poker Rules

So, how to play Short Deck poker? To play according to Short Deck poker rules, the first step is to have the correct deck of cards.

Shrinking the Deck
In order to make the smaller deck, all of the 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s are removed – 16 cards in total. This makes 6 the lowest card in the game.

Depending on your hand, you can use aces as both a low card and a high card. This does not differ from Texas Hold’em rules.

Blinds and Antes
Before the cards are dealt, blinds must be posted: these are forced bets that each player has a turn paying before the round begins. To the left of the dealer is the small blind, and to the left of them, the big blind.

The small blind pays half the amount in blinds that the big blind does. After the round concludes, the blinds move to the next person, usually to the left, and continue rotating in that way after each round.

Some poker games also feature an ante – where every player has to pay a small amount of their stake prior to the cards being dealt, for every round. This is regardless of whether you are the big or small blind. Often, antes only come into play in the latter stages of games.

Dealing
Again, this does not change from Hold’em rules – each player is dealt two cards face down, one at a time, in a clockwise fashion from the dealer. These are known as hole cards.

In the course of a full round, five community cards will be dealt too – these are placed face up and can be used by all players. The object of the game is to make your best 5-card hand using a combination of your hole cards and the community cards.

Betting Rounds
Everyone has their cards, and the blinds have been posted – next is the first betting round. Players have the chance to call the big blind’s total or fold. You can also raise the stakes higher than the blinds, and then your opponents will have to decide whether to call, re-raise, or fold.

All remaining players proceed to the flop. This is where the first three community cards are dealt, and players can choose to bet, raise, call, fold, or if nobody has raised, check. The first players to act are to the left of the big blind and rotates clockwise.

Short Deck poker rules follow the same as Hold’em in the sense that two more betting rounds occur after this. These happen after the next set of community cards are dealt – one on ‘The Turn’, and one on ‘The River’.

At any stage of the hand, if someone raises and all opponents fold, then that player wins the pot without having to show their cards. If players remain after all the betting is concluded, then it is the showdown – cards are revealed, and the player with the best hand wins the pot.

Hand Rankings and Showdown
This is where Short Deck poker hand rankings come into play – knowing these will mean that you’ll know if you’ve won the hand or not. Different from Hold’em, Short Deck poker rules dictate that a flush is a higher-ranking hand than a full house, as the odds of getting one are significantly lower. We’ll go further into hand rankings in the next section.

In the case of two or more players having the same hand ranking, such as a flush, the player with the higher flush wins: A, J, 9, 8, 6 of hearts beats K, Q, 9, 8, 6 of hearts, for example.

Short Deck Poker Hand Rankings

To be successful playing at the tables, you’ll need to know the Short Deck poker hand rankings. Although very similar to Texas Hold’em hand rankings, familiarise yourself with the key differences so you’re not caught out.

One thing to note is to check the house rules before playing – as these differences might not apply there.

Below are the Short Deck poker hand rankings, from best to worst.

Rank Poker Hand Description Example
1 Royal Flush An Ace-high straight flush A♥️ K♥️ Q♥️ J♥️ 10♥️
2 Straight Flush Five cards of the same suit in sequential order 9♦️ 8♦️ 7♦️ 6♦️ 5♦️
3 Four of a Kind Four cards of the same value 10♥️ 10♦️ 10♠️ 10♣️
4 Flush Five cards of the same suit J♣️ 9♣️ 7♣️ 4♣️ 2♣️
5 Full House Three of a kind and a pair 5♥️ 5♦️ 5♠️ 2♥️ 2♦️
6 Straight Five cards of different suits in sequential order 10♥️ 9♠️ 8♦️ 7♣️ 6♥️
7 Three of a Kind Three cards of the same value 8♥️ 8♣️ 8♠️
8 Two Pair Two cards of the same value and two cards of another value A♣️ A♠️ 5♥️ 5♠️
9 One Pair Two cards of the same value K♠️ K♥️
10 High Card The hand with the highest card wins A♠️

In some 6+ games, three-of-a-kind beats a straight – but this is rare, and not part of the normal hand rankings. The rankings should help you understand what is short deck poker and how to win.

Short Deck Poker Strategy

A smaller deck means more chance at making higher hand rankings, and hence more action in each round. You are much more likely to make a hand with two pair, or a pair, for example.

It also means that players also hit a lot more draws. For instance, if you have an open-ended straight draw, you’d still require the same amount of cards to complete it.

But fewer cards in the deck means that you have a higher percentage of hitting it as opposed to playing with a full deck. So, don’t be afraid to play straight draws. This is where Short Deck poker strategy comes into play and how you’ll thrive at online poker sites.

  • Along with not shying away from draws, aggressive play pre-flop is also encouraged.
  • The lack of card variance means that players tend to bet big, and even over-bet, to protect their starting hand or to feel confident that they will hit when the community cards are laid down.
  • Don’t be surprised at the number of premium hands in Short Deck poker, and embrace the strategy of betting big.
  • Another Short Deck poker strategy is to not get flushed, meaning don’t chase flushes as much as you do straights.
  • On a flush draw, you’re looking for five cards of the same suit – with only 9 available in the deck, your chances are lower than in standard Hold’em.

Differences Between Short Deck Poker and Texas Hold’em

Although Short Deck Poker and Texas Hold’em have a lot of similarities, you have to be aware of the key differences before you set out to win at the tables.

We’ve already detailed the variations in Short Deck poker hand rankings, and this is something to keep in mind at all times when playing. These hand rankings dictate how the game ebbs and flows. Flushes are higher-ranked than full houses, and this is the key variant.

Also, you are much more likely to receive a strong hand in Short Deck poker, due to the smaller deck. More chance means more players play each round – keep this in mind. Players are much more likely to keep playing in the hope of a draw.

You may be used to placing opponents on a small range of starting hands when they are raising pre-flop – but this can be very inaccurate in Short Deck poker. For instance, you may think a player has a high pair for their starting hand due to their aggressive raise, which is a logical calculation when playing regular Hold’em.

But in Short Deck poker strategy, overbetting is common, as there are much more strong starting hands available, and much more chance to make one when the community cards are down. Your opponent could have any number of cards, to begin with, and it is much more difficult to pin players down to a set range of cards.

This is How You Play Short Deck Poker at the World Series of Poker!

How to Play Short Deck Poker: Key Points

What is Short Deck Poker? This card game variant is exhilarating and fast-paced. Although the rules are only slightly different from those of Texas Hold’em, these key changes make the game much more thrilling and speedy.

Using a deck of only 36 cards means that there are lots more chances at making strong hands, such as straights and flushes. This, in turn, means lots more betting and action at the tables.

To be successful, learn the Short Deck poker hand rankings and study Short Deck poker strategy, such as not chasing flush draws and playing more hands. But as important is to remember the basics of Hold’em – use solid fundamentals that you may have learned playing Texas Hold’em.

Short Deck Poker – FAQs

What is Short Deck poker?

What is the best hand in Short Deck?

Does a flush beat a full house in Short Deck poker?

What cards are missing in Short Deck?