How to Play Short Deck Poker (6+ Hold’em): Rules and Strategies

Ever felt like hold ‘em could stand to be a bit more exciting, but you don’t want to get dragged into the confusion and chaos that is pot-limit Omaha?

If so, short deck poker might be just what the doctor ordered.

Short deck, or 6+ hold ‘em, is currently taking the poker world by storm, due largely to its big hands, bigger pots, and non-stop action. If you’d like to learn how to play — and beat — this popular game, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know.

How to Play Short Deck Poker: Rules and Rankings

Short deck poker is just like traditional Texas hold ‘em — except all cards between 2 and 5 are removed from the deck.

As a result, you’ll get bigger hands much more often, which leads to more action and huge pots.

According to some 6+ hold ‘em rules, hand rankings should be adjusted so that a flush beats a full house (because you’re losing four outs to any flush draw right off the bat). While this isn’t universal, it’s the type of thing you should know before you sit at the table.

Also, aces are still both low and high in 6+ hold ‘em, so it’s possible to make an A-6-7-8-9 straight.

Beyond that, the structure of the game is identical to Texas hold ‘em. Every player gets two hole cards, and there are betting rounds preflop, on the flop, and on the turn and river.

Some games only use a single blind or antes rather than the traditional two-blind structure, but these are fairly rare.

Key Differences Between Short Deck Poker and Texas Hold ‘Em

The biggest thing to understand in short deck poker is that, like in Omaha, stronger hands are much more frequent.

Flushes are the only exception, as you’ll start off with only 9 cards per suit rather than 13. However, the fact that you’re getting rid of 16 “blanks” means it’s much easier to hit straights and sets than in traditional hold ‘em.

Ironically, this has the effect of making weak hands slightly stronger than they are in hold ‘em. For example, in hold ‘em, KK has about a 19% chance of beating AA heads-up, but in short deck poker, those odds swell to 23%.

This makes the game much more volatile than traditional hold ‘em.

It also makes bluffing both easier and harder, depending on your perspective. It’s easier to represent big hands since they’re much more commonplace, but on the other hand, it’s much rarer to see boards that no one has a piece of.

Short Deck Poker Strategy: How to Adjust to the New Deck

Many bored hold ‘em players are gravitating to this new game, attracted to the massive pots and the frequent monster vs. monster showdowns. If you’d like to give 6+ hold ‘em a try, here are a few basic strategies you should keep in mind.

Adjust Your Starting Hands

You might think that, since there are so many more strong starting hands in short deck poker, you should tighten your preflop range and stick to the most premium starting hands.

You’d be wrong, however.

Since huge pocket pairs aren’t as strong in 6+ hold ‘em, it makes sense to open your range a bit. Suited connectors are much more powerful than in regular hold ‘em, especially if you’re playing in a game where flushes beat full houses.

As in Omaha, though, you want to be careful playing smaller connectors or chasing the idiot ends of straights. Remember, it’s much more likely you’ll run into the nuts here than in traditional hold ‘em.

Watch Out for Straights

Straights hit more often than in regular hold ‘em — and so players chase them more often as a result.

That means that you should always be aware of straight possibilities when evaluating your hand. Many 6+ poker players love to play suited connectors, so you’ll often find yourself butting up against made hands when the straight hits.

This can also open up some lucrative avenues for bluffing, of course. The straights giveth and they taketh away.

Respect Flushes

Fewer players chase flushes in 6+ hold ‘em because they’re harder to hit. However, if you’re playing in a game where flushes beat full houses, then suited connectors become incredibly valuable starting hands.

It’s less likely that an unimproved pair will take down the pot in short deck poker, especially multiway. That means you should play more hands that have the ability to evolve later on, and suited connectors definitely fit the bill.

We’re not saying you should avoid playing premium pairs — far from it. Just know that they’re not nearly as bulletproof as they are in regular hold ‘em, especially on a wet board.

Embrace Volatility

Listen…if you’re going to play short deck poker, then you’re going to have some swings.

Hands just aren’t as safe as they are in regular poker, and you’ll often have more players in each hand.

Also, as mentioned above, hands run closer to one another in terms of preflop equity. Even if you get it in good before the flop, you’ll get drawn out on more often.

That means you need to adjust your bankroll accordingly — and keep a handle on tilt. If you can’t handle the occasional suckout, you’re going to have a bad time at the 6+ tables.

Be Aggressive

It’s true of any form of poker, but especially short deck hold ‘em: aggressive play gets the chips.

If you don’t bet your hands aggressively, then the cheap or free cards you give away will come back to bite you in a big way. Unless you have the stone cold nuts, then your hand is vulnerable, and you should treat it that way.

Similarly, many players have bad cases of monsters-under-the-bed syndrome. They assume the nuts are always out, and so they’re easy to bluff off of strong hands.

You can’t do that unless you’re willing to push some chips around, though.

Common Short Deck Poker Mistakes to Avoid

There are a few mistakes that hold ‘em players tend to make when adjusting to the abbreviated deck, and we’ve compiled some of them below. If you can plug these leaks quickly, you’ll be well ahead of the rest of the pack.

Overvaluing Pocket Pairs

This is an issue that many beginning Omaha players have as well. On the one hand, hands like AA and KK are favorites over any other starting hand — but it’s not as big an edge as you might think.

That’s especially true when hands become multiway. One concept that many players have trouble grasping is the fact that your big pocket pair might be a favorite over every other hand individually, while still being a dog overall.

Again, we’re not saying to avoid big pocket pairs. They’re still going to make up a huge percentage of your profits. Just know that they’re usually not as strong as they may appear.

Underestimating Draws

In regular hold ‘em, making pairs is the name of the game. Yes, you can hit straights and flushes, but most pots are won by the player with the biggest pair or the best kicker.

That’s not the case in 6+ poker. Draws are much more powerful, and players hit big hands (including sets) much more frequently than in traditional hold ‘em.

Think more like Omaha, where big draws are sometimes favorites over made hands. In a multiway pot, you don’t want to be the only player without a clear shot at improving.

Playing Like It’s Regular Hold ‘Em

As mentioned above, playing regular hold ‘em is about making the best pair possible. If you have an AK on a king-high board, you’re going to be in a dominant position more often than not.

But in short deck poker, top-pair top-kicker is often fool’s gold. Even if it’s ahead on the flop, it will likely be a dog from an equity perspective against multiple hands.

Also, because the equity is closer in most hand matchups, you can’t afford to wait around for premium hands. You’ll have to get in there and mix it up with a wider range of starting hands, and being aggressive tends to be rewarded even more than in regular hold ‘em.

Ready to Give Short Deck Poker a Shot?

If you want to experience Texas hold ‘em on steroids, then give short deck poker a try. It’s like the game you already know and love, except with the excitement turned up to 11.

Just remember that, while 6+ poker might look just like Texas hold ‘em, it has important differences that can have a huge impact on your bottom line. Do your research and learn the ropes before jumping in with your entire bankroll.

Most importantly, though, prepare your speech about how pocket aces never win before you sit down. You’ll get much more use out of it at short deck tables.