The\npossibility of a player getting a big poker hand with fewer cards is much\nhigher, just as the chances of making sets, straights, and other strong\nholdings after the flop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Short\nDeck Hold\u2019em actually resembles classic Texas Hold\u2019em in many ways, the big\ndifference in the deck setup makes the game completely new and different. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With most\nplayers completely new to the game and the equities running so close, Short\nDeck Poker makes the game fun and exciting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Short Deck Poker Rules<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe first\nthing you need to know before you sit down at a 6+ Hold\u2019em table is the game’s\nbasic rules. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the\nmost part, 6+ plays similarly to No-Limit Texas Hold\u2019em, with a few major\ndifferences in the game flow, which start with the blinds structure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While\ndifferent card rooms and home games use different rules for this somewhat new\ngame, the standardized format currently has every player at the table paying an\nante and the button paying a double ante each hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With this\nblinds structure, players have a lot of incentive to try and see a flop cheaply\nby simply calling the size of another ante. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the\nother hand, paying an ante on each hand also means that you are bleeding chips\nfast if you try to play too tight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For these\nreasons, a typical game of Short Deck Poker will have a lot of limping mixed in\nwith players raising their big hands. However, the hand value also changes\nquite a bit in this version of the game, but more on that later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once the\npre-flop action is complete, as it would be in Texas Hold\u2019em, players proceed\nto the flop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
From this\npoint forward, the game is played in a regular no-limit style, with the action\nending on the player who has the button. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So far, so\nsimple! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you can\nplay No-Limit Texas Hold\u2019em, making a switch to Short Deck Poker should not be\ntoo difficult, with the game following the same flow and pattern as its older\ncousin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However,\nthere are some other differences between the two, and the biggest one comes in\nthe way hands are ranked in 6+ Hold\u2019em. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hand Rankings In 6+ Hold\u2019em Poker<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAside from\nthe deck size, which is significantly shorter in 6+ Hold\u2019em, there are big\ndifferences between Texas Hold\u2019em in the way hands are ranked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most\nimportant thing to remember compared to traditional Texas Hold\u2019em rules is that\na flush beats a full house, reversing the value of these two hands. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"flush](\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/flush-beats-full-house.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe logic\nbehind this comes from pure math, as it\u2019s simply easier to make a full house\nthan a flush in Short Deck Poker, which is why this rule is universal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another difference\nin hand rankings, which isn\u2019t adopted in every game, is that three of a kind\nsometimes beat a straight. However, the official games played in Macau or Las\nVegas still play with a straight beating three of a kind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The reason\nfor keeping 7 straight as a more powerful hand has to do with playability, as\nmaking three of a kind stronger would mean flopped straights are often drawing\ndead against flopped sets, which would significantly diminish the value of\ntrying to make a straight in the first place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The final\ndifference in hand rankings in 6+ Hold\u2019em is with the ace card. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like in\nTexas Hold\u2019em, the ace can be used to make a low straight. In this case, a\nplayer holding A 6 7 8 9 has a straight, as unintuitive as this might seem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Currently,\nthe official hand rankings for Short Deck poker are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Royal Flush<\/li>
- Straight Flush<\/li>
- Four of a Kind<\/li>
- Flush<\/li>
- Full House<\/li>
- Straight<\/li>
- Three of a Kind<\/li>
- Two Pair<\/li>
- One Pair<\/li>
- High Card<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Short Deck Poker Odds Explained<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI\u2019ve explained\nthe basic rules of playing 6+ Hold\u2019em, but what does the lack of any low cards\nmean for your odds?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, it\nactually means quite a lot. All the equities and odds you learned in Texas\nHold\u2019em now change, with draws becoming a lot more powerful and weak made hands\nlike one pair losing their value. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While most\nhands in Texas Hold\u2019em are won by a one-pair hand, this is definitely not the\ncase in 6+ Hold\u2019em. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In fact,\nmaking one pair is so easy that you will more often have a pair than not have\none by the river. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Looking at\nthe simplest of odds, you should consider how much easier it is to get good\nstarting hands in Short Deck Poker. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The chance\nof getting dealt a hand like pocket aces or pocket kings is doubled in this\ngame, which means you will have a lot more opportunities to get into hands with\npremium holdings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, you should also bear in mind that hands like AA or KK are no longer such massive favorites against the likes of JT suited or T9 suited. Since we know that one pair is so rarely the winner, in the end, pocket pairs<\/a> lose a good chunk of their value. <\/p>\n\n\n\nMaking a\nset in 6+ Hold\u2019em is also quite a bit easier, with fewer cards left in the deck\nby the time a flop is dealt out, making your two outs for the set more likely\nto come out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When\ncalculating the odds of making a straight, a flush, or a full house, you can\nnow use the rule of 3 and 6 instead of the rule of 2 and 4 you learned in the\npast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This means\nyou will be multiplying your outs by a factor of 6 if you are drawing on the\nflop or a factor of 3 if you are drawing on the turn to come up with your odds\nof making the hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some of the\ninteresting odds that are much different in Short Deck Poker include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- 22.9 percent chance of being dealt\nconnectors or a suited hand<\/li>
- 8.6 percent chance of being dealt a\npocket pair<\/li>
- Nearly 1 percent chance of being\ndealt pocket aces<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Basic Short Deck Poker Strategy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Short](\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/short-deck-poker-strategy-1024x768.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nNow that\nyou know the basics of 6+ Hold\u2019em, it\u2019s about time you start thinking about a\nstrategy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The really\nexciting thing about this game is that it is not yet \u201csolved\u201d which means there\nare many different ways to play it, and there is no one to say which way is the\nbest for sure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are\nsome things we know for certain about Short Deck Poker, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- It\u2019s easier to flop a set or a\nstraight in 6+ Hold\u2019em<\/li>
- It\u2019s more difficult to make a flush\nin 6+ Hold\u2019em<\/li>
- Pocket pairs are more common in 6+\nHold\u2019em<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
These\nsimple facts have a lot to do with developing a winning strategy for the game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What we can\ndefinitely know is that one pair hands are much less powerful in this version\nof the game, making such holdings as pocket aces or kings a lot less valuable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pocket\nkings, queens, and jacks all lose a significant portion of their value compared\nto Texas Hold\u2019em, as they no longer win the pot unimproved as often as they do\nin Texas Hold\u2019em. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the\nother hand, suited connected hands like KQs, JTs, and T9s gain a lot of value,\nas they have a high chance of making a straight, two pair, or full house. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nbasic strategy you should probably stick to is one that reinforces the idea of\nplaying draws very aggressively and playing weak made hands very passively,\noften folding them. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nA big draw\nmay be just a coin flip against one pair in Texas Hold\u2019em, but holding 12 outs\nagainst your opponent\u2019s hand in Short Deck Hold\u2019em will make you a 63 percent\nfavorite on the flop, while the all-mighty open-ended straight flush draw (15\nouts), will give you nearly 75 percent equity in the hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another\ncrucial element to keep in mind when considering your 6+ Hold\u2019em strategy is\nposition, as this game relies heavily on it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just like\nPot Limit Omaha, Short Deck Poker is all about playing aggressively in position\nand staying out of the way when out of position. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The real\ntricky thing is balancing out how you play in those early positions, given the\nvery favorable price you will be getting on limping when first in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Personally,\nI recommend folding many hands in an early position and limping the ones you\ndecide to play to avoid unfavorable reverse implied odds situations later on\nand save yourself from having to make the difficult plays post-flop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can I Win At Short Deck Poker?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nMany poker\nplayers are probably asking when they first encounter Short Deck Hold\u2019em: Can I\nactually win at this game?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The gambling nature of the game makes it a high variance<\/a> prospect, to say the least, but it also could make it highly profitable, similar to Pot Limit Omaha. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThose who\nhave played PLO at a high level know that the win-rates are much higher than\nwhat\u2019s expected at Texas Hold\u2019em, with the high variance being the price you\npay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you can\nmaster the rules of Short Deck Hold\u2019em and develop a strong winning strategy, I\nexpect you can have a high win rate in this game as well, along with some big\ndownswings as a result of the game’s highly equalized equities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where To Play Short Deck Hold\u2019em Online<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"playing](\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/online-poker-1024x768.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe only\nthing left now is to get online and start playing some 6+ Hold\u2019em to get a feel\nfor the game and start developing your personal strategy for it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since Short Deck Hold\u2019em is not yet very popular in the live poker environment, I highly recommend you try playing online first, and there are several major poker sites<\/a> where you can do so:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aside from\nthe deck size, which is significantly shorter in 6+ Hold\u2019em, there are big\ndifferences between Texas Hold\u2019em in the way hands are ranked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most\nimportant thing to remember compared to traditional Texas Hold\u2019em rules is that\na flush beats a full house, reversing the value of these two hands. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The logic\nbehind this comes from pure math, as it\u2019s simply easier to make a full house\nthan a flush in Short Deck Poker, which is why this rule is universal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Another difference\nin hand rankings, which isn\u2019t adopted in every game, is that three of a kind\nsometimes beat a straight. However, the official games played in Macau or Las\nVegas still play with a straight beating three of a kind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The reason\nfor keeping 7 straight as a more powerful hand has to do with playability, as\nmaking three of a kind stronger would mean flopped straights are often drawing\ndead against flopped sets, which would significantly diminish the value of\ntrying to make a straight in the first place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The final\ndifference in hand rankings in 6+ Hold\u2019em is with the ace card. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Like in\nTexas Hold\u2019em, the ace can be used to make a low straight. In this case, a\nplayer holding A 6 7 8 9 has a straight, as unintuitive as this might seem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Currently,\nthe official hand rankings for Short Deck poker are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve explained\nthe basic rules of playing 6+ Hold\u2019em, but what does the lack of any low cards\nmean for your odds?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, it\nactually means quite a lot. All the equities and odds you learned in Texas\nHold\u2019em now change, with draws becoming a lot more powerful and weak made hands\nlike one pair losing their value. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While most\nhands in Texas Hold\u2019em are won by a one-pair hand, this is definitely not the\ncase in 6+ Hold\u2019em. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact,\nmaking one pair is so easy that you will more often have a pair than not have\none by the river. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking at\nthe simplest of odds, you should consider how much easier it is to get good\nstarting hands in Short Deck Poker. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The chance\nof getting dealt a hand like pocket aces or pocket kings is doubled in this\ngame, which means you will have a lot more opportunities to get into hands with\npremium holdings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, you should also bear in mind that hands like AA or KK are no longer such massive favorites against the likes of JT suited or T9 suited. Since we know that one pair is so rarely the winner, in the end, pocket pairs<\/a> lose a good chunk of their value. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Making a\nset in 6+ Hold\u2019em is also quite a bit easier, with fewer cards left in the deck\nby the time a flop is dealt out, making your two outs for the set more likely\nto come out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When\ncalculating the odds of making a straight, a flush, or a full house, you can\nnow use the rule of 3 and 6 instead of the rule of 2 and 4 you learned in the\npast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This means\nyou will be multiplying your outs by a factor of 6 if you are drawing on the\nflop or a factor of 3 if you are drawing on the turn to come up with your odds\nof making the hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of the\ninteresting odds that are much different in Short Deck Poker include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that\nyou know the basics of 6+ Hold\u2019em, it\u2019s about time you start thinking about a\nstrategy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The really\nexciting thing about this game is that it is not yet \u201csolved\u201d which means there\nare many different ways to play it, and there is no one to say which way is the\nbest for sure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are\nsome things we know for certain about Short Deck Poker, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n These\nsimple facts have a lot to do with developing a winning strategy for the game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What we can\ndefinitely know is that one pair hands are much less powerful in this version\nof the game, making such holdings as pocket aces or kings a lot less valuable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Pocket\nkings, queens, and jacks all lose a significant portion of their value compared\nto Texas Hold\u2019em, as they no longer win the pot unimproved as often as they do\nin Texas Hold\u2019em. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On the\nother hand, suited connected hands like KQs, JTs, and T9s gain a lot of value,\nas they have a high chance of making a straight, two pair, or full house. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nbasic strategy you should probably stick to is one that reinforces the idea of\nplaying draws very aggressively and playing weak made hands very passively,\noften folding them. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A big draw\nmay be just a coin flip against one pair in Texas Hold\u2019em, but holding 12 outs\nagainst your opponent\u2019s hand in Short Deck Hold\u2019em will make you a 63 percent\nfavorite on the flop, while the all-mighty open-ended straight flush draw (15\nouts), will give you nearly 75 percent equity in the hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Another\ncrucial element to keep in mind when considering your 6+ Hold\u2019em strategy is\nposition, as this game relies heavily on it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Just like\nPot Limit Omaha, Short Deck Poker is all about playing aggressively in position\nand staying out of the way when out of position. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The real\ntricky thing is balancing out how you play in those early positions, given the\nvery favorable price you will be getting on limping when first in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Personally,\nI recommend folding many hands in an early position and limping the ones you\ndecide to play to avoid unfavorable reverse implied odds situations later on\nand save yourself from having to make the difficult plays post-flop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Many poker\nplayers are probably asking when they first encounter Short Deck Hold\u2019em: Can I\nactually win at this game?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The gambling nature of the game makes it a high variance<\/a> prospect, to say the least, but it also could make it highly profitable, similar to Pot Limit Omaha. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Those who\nhave played PLO at a high level know that the win-rates are much higher than\nwhat\u2019s expected at Texas Hold\u2019em, with the high variance being the price you\npay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you can\nmaster the rules of Short Deck Hold\u2019em and develop a strong winning strategy, I\nexpect you can have a high win rate in this game as well, along with some big\ndownswings as a result of the game’s highly equalized equities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The only\nthing left now is to get online and start playing some 6+ Hold\u2019em to get a feel\nfor the game and start developing your personal strategy for it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Since Short Deck Hold\u2019em is not yet very popular in the live poker environment, I highly recommend you try playing online first, and there are several major poker sites<\/a> where you can do so:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nShort Deck Poker Odds Explained<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Basic Short Deck Poker Strategy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nCan I Win At Short Deck Poker?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Where To Play Short Deck Hold\u2019em Online<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n