It’s a new game, also known as six-plus Hold’em, a fast and fun variation of the world-recognized Texas Hold’em. This game has gained huge popularity over the last few years. Short Deck Hold’em appeared in Asia a few years ago and is gaining recognition all over the globe. It’s fast, fun, and a lot of casinos in Las Vegas make tournaments by their rules. Short deck poker is a good alternative for slow standard poker and a perfect chance to try something new.
Short deck poker is a variation of standard poker and the rules are not very different, for many new players it will not be easy to get into the game quickly. However, for professionals and beginners, it will not create problems.
Six-plus Hold’em has its tournaments and is widely represented in many casinos, it has managed to take its place in the world of gambling, and many tables with the chances of getting certain combinations and actions have already been compiled by professionals.
Deck size
Players and dealers use a 36-card deck. The answer to the question “What is short deck poker, and how it gets its name” can be explained easily by the 36-card deck (shorter deck). The deck is smaller, so there are not all cards, such as 2 3 4 5 and Ace can connect with the 6, which is now the lowest card in the deck. Hand rankings and strategy are quite different in short-deck poker. The cards are dealt similarly as in the standard game.
Rankings of the hand
Since the game does not involve cards with a low denomination, it affected the combinations that can be collected and greatly changed the odds and strategies.
Most importantly to learn combinations that changed their positions a little bit. In common – A Flush beats a Full House and a Set can beat a Straight. The full list of combinations looks like the following:
- Royal Flush
- Straight Flush
- Quads
- Flush
- Full House
- 3 of a Kind
- Straight
- Two Pair
- One Pair
- High card
However, some casinos makes their own changes. For example, some casinos that value a straight higher than three-of-a-kind so make sure to check the hand rankings house rules!
What is short deck poker strategy and how does it vary from its older game version, Texas Hold’em?
Reducing the number of cards has increased the chances of getting a pair or getting high combinations, which in turn makes the game more fun and more enjoyable to watch, as the chance of none of the players getting any combination or playing with minimal pairs has significantly decreased.
We can highlight the following rules:
- Rule of 3 and 6. Can be explained next – On the flop multiply the number of your outs by 3 or 6 to (roughly) calculate your chances of making your hand by the turn (on 3) or river (on 6);
- Flush draws are most likely to lose;
- Try to make as strong post-flop hand as possible;
- Single-pair combinations are not as strong as they may seem;
Short deck poker is an interesting alternative to replace the usual, which will appeal to many players. Try your hand at this game, if you starting to get tired of standard poker and if it does not bring you the emotions as at the beginning, this version of poker may interest you for a regular game. Of course, this version of poker, despite all its popularity and advantages, cannot completely replace the good old Texas Hold’em and does not pretend to take its place.
