How to Get Better at Short Deck Poker

May 7, 2024

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Short Deck Poker is a relatively new version of classic Texas Hold’em. The two games are essentially the same, except Short Deck Poker only uses a 36-card deck instead of the standard 52-card deck.

I first learned of its existence roughly ten years ago, around 2015, when it was only a few years old and very few people had heard of it. Even today, when I mention Short Deck Poker, many people still haven’t heard of it.

Therefore, I thought it was time for me to bring it to more people’s attention.

I consider myself a fairly proficient Hold’em poker player, so I found it easy to play Short Deck poker, which some people also refer to as Six-Plus Hold’em (6+ Hold’em) or Short-Deck Hold’em.

If you’ve recently tried your hand at Short Deck poker and want to improve as a player, you’ve come to the right place.

Here are some of the easiest and most effective strategies I’ve found often work for me when used in the right situation, which you might like to try, too.

What exactly is Short Deck Poker?

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The easiest way for me to describe what Short Deck Poker is would be to compare it to traditional Texas Hold’em poker, but instead of 52 cards being used, only 36 cards are used. The 16 cards that are not used are all the:

2s
3s
4s
5s

Therefore, the lowest card starts at 6.

Apart from having fewer cards, the only other real difference is some of the hand rankings. For example, in Short-Deck Poker, a Flush outranks Four of a Kind (in traditional Texas Hold’em, Four of a Kind outranks a Flush).

Similarly, in Short Deck Poker, Three of a Kind outranks a Straight (in traditional Texas Hold’em, it’s the opposite).

If you’re now asking yourself the same question I did, “Why are some of the hand rankings different?”, the answer is quite simple.

Removing the 16 cards from the deck slightly alters the mathematical probabilities of achieving certain hands. For example, now that the deck only contains nine suited cards, not 13, it becomes more difficult to achieve a flush compared to traditional Texas Hold’em poker.

The game was first introduced in 2010 at high-stakes tables in Macau, frequented by celebrity poker players, such as:

Daniel Negreanu
Phil Ivey
Two Dwan
Patrick Antonius

To name just a select few.

The concept was designed to bring new life to the world’s most loved card variant and make it more exciting and appealing to newer audiences. Fortunately, it worked.

It’s now the most popular new poker variant because of its fast pace. There’s typically more action in an average hand, and I’ve found that I get to play a lot more hands than I would in traditional Texas Hold’em poker with a full deck of 52 cards.

I’ve also noticed a lot more limping in Short Deck Poker, and with no low-value cards, I get a lot more high-value hands.

If you’re familiar with poker, then it shouldn’t take too long to get to grips with this new variant. The only other thing I mustn’t forget to mention is that instead of a fifth community card being dealt, players receive a third hole card, which can massively help improve your hand (but not always).

How to become a better Short Deck Poker player in no time

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The most effective Short Deck Poker strategy is to adjust your way of thinking slightly, forget about the 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s, and think about the new hand values and rankings in a deck with only 36 cards.

In this fast-paced version, obtaining hands with two pairs is much easier. Landing full houses and straights and filling open-ended straight draws is also much easier. You are also more than twice as likely to be dealt pocket aces but try not to forget that your opponent also has the same advantage as you.

Try to get used to the odds of hitting certain hands to help you place more informed bets at the right time.

I started by watching how the pros play on YouTube, which quickly helped me get up to speed. You might also like to watch the pros play before you start playing for real money.

When you play Short Deck poker on a licensed and regulated site, remember to gamble responsibly at all times.

Some of the other things worth mentioning are focusing more on landing a straight than a flush, using the rule of 3 and 6 (instead of 2 and 4), not relying on single-pair hands, and choosing the right website to play.

One of the most trusted review sites I often turn to for more information about which dedicated poker sites can be trusted is the globally renowned AskGamblers website.

They have a list of trusted sites worth joining, all of which are free to register a new account with and have some kind of guaranteed sign-up bonus for new players. I’ve joined a few of their recommendations, and several of them have Short Deck Poker.

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Christy Bella: Blogger by Passion | Contributor to many Business Blogs in the United Kingdom | Fascinated to Write Blogs in Business & Startup Niches