Poker is one of the most popular card games in the world, and while Texas Hold’em is the most well-known version, many players are now learning how to play Short Deck Poker, a high-speed, action-packed variant with similar rules but fewer cards.
To master this version of the game, you’ll need to know hand rankings, the key differences between it and other versions of the game, and Short Deck Poker strategies.
In this guide, our experts explain all the ins and outs you need to be aware of.
In This Guide
What Is Short Deck Poker?
First seen in Macau high-stakes games around 2014, Short Deck Poker, also known as Six Plus Hold’em and sometimes referred to as “Manila,” spread quickly to Europe and the USA after being featured in super high roller Triton events and the WSOP Mixed Game series.
The game was often promoted by Phil Ivey and Tom Dwan. Its popularity peaked in the late 2010s, especially after being utilized in these and other star-studded high roller poker tournaments, but has since waned, with Triton dropping Short Deck from some series after 2023.
Short Deck Poker is a variant of Texas Hold’em, albeit with a few simple rule changes.
- The main difference is that the game is played with a 36-card deck instead of the standard 52-card deck.
- This is where the name ‘Short Deck ‘ comes from.
- These changes make it faster-paced and full of big hands.
- It mostly abides by the same rules as Texas Hold’em, but hand rankings are different.
- You’ll still need to bluff and understand hand reading.
With a change in deck size comes a shift in hand rankings and strategy. The dealing, betting rounds, and overall gameplay remain similar to Texas Hold’em, but the hand rankings are significantly altered.
For example, having top pair in Texas Hold’em is often a strong hand, but in Short Deck Poker, a high pair has less chance of winning as there are so many draws available to other players.
Stronger hands are dealt more frequently, which leads to more action at the tables.
How to Play Short Deck Poker
So, how to play Short Deck Poker? To play according to Short Deck Poker rules, the first step is to have the correct deck of cards.
Depending on your hand, you can use aces as both a low card and a high card. In Short Deck Poker, the lowest straight is A-6-7-8-9, since the 2-5 cards are removed from the deck.
Most Short Deck Poker rules use an ante-based structure rather than blinds. Every player posts an ante each hand, with an additional larger “button ante” driving the action. Blinds are rarely used except in casual home games, where they rotate like in Texas Hold’em.
In the course of a full round, five community cards will be dealt face up and can be used by all players to make the best 5-card hand. After the flop, turn, and river, betting continues as in Hold’em, but with more aggressive tendencies in Short Deck due to stronger average holdings.
Short Deck Poker rules follow the same as Hold’em in the sense that two more betting rounds occur after this. These happen after the next set of community cards is dealt – one on ‘The Turn’, and one on ‘The River’.
At any stage of the hand, if someone raises and all opponents fold, then that player wins the pot without having to show their cards. If players remain after all the betting is concluded, then it is the showdown – cards are revealed, and the player with the best hand wins the pot.
In the case of two or more players having the same hand ranking, such as a flush, the player with the higher flush wins: A, J, 9, 8, 6 of hearts beats K, Q, 9, 8, 6 of hearts, for example.
Because the deck is shorter, premium holdings like pocket pairs and strong draws occur much more frequently. This creates constant betting pressure and larger pots. Aces against kings, for example, is closer to a 77%–23% matchup rather than the near lock it is in Hold’em. Understanding these shifts is crucial to building an effective Short Deck Poker strategy.
Short Deck Poker Hand Rankings
To be successful playing at the tables, you’ll need to know the Short Deck Poker hand rankings. Although very similar to Texas Hold’em hand rankings, familiarise yourself with the key differences so you’re not caught out.
One thing to note is to check the house rules before playing, as these differences might not apply there.
Below are the Short Deck Poker hand rankings, from best to worst.
| Rank | Poker Hand | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal Flush | An Ace-high straight flush | A♥️ K♥️ Q♥️ J♥️ 10♥️ |
| 2 | Straight Flush | Five cards of the same suit in sequential order | 9♦️ 8♦️ 7♦️ 6♦️ 5♦️ |
| 3 | Four of a Kind | Four cards of the same value | Q♥️ Q♦️ Q♠️ Q♣️ 7♦️ |
| 4 | Flush | Five cards of the same suit | J♣️ 9♣️ 7♣️ 4♣️ 2♣️ |
| 5 | Full House | Three of a kind and a pair | 5♥️ 5♦️ 5♠️ 2♥️ 2♦️ |
| 6 | Straight | Five cards of different suits in sequential order | 9♠️ 8♦️ 7♣️ 6♥️ 5 ♥️ |
| 7 | Three of a Kind | Three cards of the same value | 8♥️ 8♣️ 8♠️5♠️ 2♥️ |
| 8 | Two Pair | Two cards of the same value and two cards of another value | A♣️ A♠️ 5♥️ 5♠️ 2♥️ |
| 9 | One Pair | Two cards of the same value | K♠️ K♥️ 5♥️ 5♠️ 2♥️ |
| 10 | High Card | The hand with the highest card wins | A♠️ 8♦️ 7♣️ 5♦️ 2♣️ |
There are two main systems for Short Deck Poker hand rankings. The mainstream standard used in Triton events and most online sites ranks a flush higher than a full house, and a straight higher than trips. Some house versions reverse this, where trips beat a straight. Always check the house rules before playing, but the standard today is straight > trips. The rankings should help you understand what Short Deck Poker is and how to win.
Short Deck Poker Strategy
A shorter deck means a greater chance at making higher hand rankings, and hence more action in each round. You are much more likely to make a hand with two pairs, or a pair, for example.
It also means that players hit a lot more draws. For instance, if you have an open-ended straight draw, you still require the same number of outs, but your odds of hitting are much stronger. In Short Deck Poker, an open-ended straight draw has about a 45% chance to complete by the river compared to ~31% in Hold’em. Flush draws are weaker, around 30% to complete.
A useful shortcut is the Rule of 6 and 3: multiply your outs by 6 on the flop or 3 on the turn for a quick equity estimate. Don’t be afraid to play draws aggressively, as they hit more often in this format. This is where Short Deck Poker strategy comes into play and how you’ll thrive at poker sites.
- Along with not shying away from draws, aggressive play pre-flop is also encouraged.
- The lack of card variance means that players tend to bet big and even overbet, to protect their starting hand or to feel confident that they will hit when the community cards come out.
- Don’t be surprised at the number of premium hands in Short Deck Poker, and embrace the strategy of betting big.
- Another Short Deck Poker strategy is not to get flushed, meaning don’t chase flushes as much as you do straights.
- For a flush draw, you’re looking for five cards of the same suit. With only nine available in the deck, your chances are lower than in standard Hold’em.
Because of the reduced deck, there are about 630 starting-hand combinations in Short Deck Poker compared to 1,326 in Hold’em. Pocket aces appear almost 0.95% of the time (1 in 105 deals), roughly twice as often as in full-deck Hold’em. On the flop, open-ended straight draws show up about 19% of the time compared to ~10% in Hold’em. These numbers explain why action levels are much higher.
Short Deck Poker also plays differently live versus online. Live games often use alternative ranking systems or house rules, while online sites generally follow the mainstream Triton rankings. Online play is also faster-paced, with antes driving preflop action more consistently.
Always be sure to gamble responsibly when trying faster formats like Short Deck Poker.
Differences Between Short Deck Poker and Texas Hold’em
Although Short Deck Poker and Texas Hold’em have a lot of similarities, you have to be aware of the key differences before you set out to win at the tables. Once, it was harder to find online. If you’re playing online poker, you might already see Short Deck featured in cash games and tournaments. If you’ve read our TigerGaming Poker review, you’ll know that it’s one site that has relatively soft 6+ games.
We’ve already detailed the variations in Short Deck Poker hand rankings, and this is something to keep in mind at all times when playing. These hand rankings dictate how the game ebbs and flows. Flushes are higher-ranked than full houses, and this is the key variant.
Also, you are much more likely to receive a strong hand in Short Deck Poker because of the smaller deck. Statistically, a random starting hand is stronger than in Texas Hold’em, and draws appear almost twice as often. This means more players will see flops, and chases will be common. Be prepared for multiway pots where several players correctly think they have the odds to continue.
You may be used to placing opponents on a small range of starting hands when they are raising pre-flop, but this can be very inaccurate in Short Deck Poker. For instance, you may think a player has a high pair for their starting hand due to their aggressive raise, which is a logical calculation when playing regular Texas Hold’em.
But in Short Deck Poker strategy, overbetting is common, as there are many stronger starting hands available, and a much greater chance to make one when the community cards come down. Your opponent could have any number of cards, to begin with, and it is much more difficult to pin players down to a set range of cards.
Key Takeaways on Short Deck Poker
Short Deck Poker is a variant of Texas Hold’em with a trimmed-down 36-card deck and significant hand ranking changes. These shifts make the game faster, more aggressive, and statistically distinct from full-deck Texas Hold’em.
Using a deck of only 36 cards means that there are lots more chances at making strong hands, such as straights and flushes. This, in turn, means lots more betting and action at the tables.
New players should expect a sharp learning curve. Because hands run closer together in equity, post-flop decisions require a stronger understanding of odds. Misplaying draws or failing to recognize opponent range shifts is more costly than in Texas Hold’em.
To be successful, learn the Short Deck Poker hand rankings and study Short Deck Poker strategy, such as not chasing flush draws and playing more starting hands. But as important is to remember the basics, and to use and build on the solid fundamentals that you may have learned when playing Texas Hold’em.
