If we disregard the different suits, there are 169 starting hand combinations in regular hold’em and only 81 in Short Deck. There are 1,326 starting hands in a regular hold’em game but this is reduced to 630 in Short Deck, which is less than half. Before we continue, it’s worth noting that aces can be high or low in Short Deck, so A-6-7-8-9 is the lowest straight you can make. We’ve gone over the rules, now let’s look at playing Short Deck preflop.

There’s even more action on the GGPoker Short Deck tables because they are all played five-handed. This, in turn, generates more as the pots are larger and players want to win more money. In the same stakes six-max Short Deck game there is $7 in the pot, five $1 antes and a $2 double ante on the button. This ante only format creates pots that are much larger preflop than the equivalent hold’em cash game.įor example, in a $0.50/$1 no-limit hold’em cash game there is typically $1.50 in the pot before the first round of betting: a $0.50 small blind and a $1 big blind. Players then have the option of calling the button ante, raising, or folding. Everyone pays an ante before receiving their hole cards with the player on the button paying a double ante. Again, rules have some variation, but what appears to be the industry standard is an ante-only format. The blind and ante structures also differ from traditional hold’em games. Hand rankings differ slightly depending on where you play Short Deck, but it is generally accepted that flushes rank about full houses, while three of a kind trumps a straight. The same five community cards are present and correct, but the game is played with a stripped deck of 36-cards, hence the game’s name.Īll cards from deuces through fives are removed, which in turn alters the hand rankings. The mechanics of Short Deck are extremely similar to standard hold’em in that everyone receives two hole cards. Read this free strategy guide before you join them at the tables. The Short Deck tables are always bustling at GGPoker with hundreds of players grinding these exciting cash games at any one time. The game looks extremely similar to traditional hold’em, but a handful of unique differences make Short Deck an action-inducing game like no other.

Short Deck Hold’em, often called 6+ Hold’em or simply Short Deck, is the game of choice in the highest stakes tournaments and cash games.

Short Deck: Preflop Play Considerations.

Best starting hands in short deck poker