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Play Short Deck Poker Online

Short Deck poker, also known as Six Plus Hold’em, is the latest version of Texas Hold’em that came out a few years ago. It has become extremely famous in Hong Kong, Macau, and Manila. The game attracted huge attention when poker pros, Tom Dawn and Phil Ivey started to talk about this brand-new poker game in one of their videos.

The basic framework of the Short Deck poker card game is similar to Texas Hold’em. Here, the card game is played using a 36-card deck instead of the regular 52 deck. It removes 2’s, 3’s, 4’s, 5’s from the deck, and only cards above these ranks are found in this Poker cash game.

The basic rules of Texas Hold’em poker are followed in Short Deck poker as well. The dealer will distribute two-hole cards and five community cards in a clock-wise manner in a series of four rounds. The players must apply the Short Deck poker rules and hand rankings combinations to win the game.

Short Deck poker is a real money game which is widely played on online game platforms to encourage users to play and win money. In the last few years, the game has embarked on a special place in online game platforms due to its increasing demand in the rising poker community.

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How to Play Short Deck Poker?

Short Deck poker online games are played similar to Texas Hold’em poker, but there are major differences between the two that you need to understand for winning the game. Here, the card game online is played using only 36 cards from the deck which excludes all cards below rank 6. The Ace can be used both as the highest and lowest card to make standard Short Deck poker rankings.

In contrast to Texas Hold’em, Short Deck poker cash games do not contain small or big blinds but use a “button blind” system. According to the Short Deck poker rules, each poker player has to make a forced bet called the ante. The game can only continue when all players have made their bet and the button blind must be 2-4 times of the antes. This entire move by all players combined comprises the Pre-Flop poker round in Short Deck poker.

The remaining actions in Short Deck poker replicates all the steps of Texas Hold’em. The dealer deals three cards on the table face up, to start the second round of betting (flop). At this point, players can either fold, call or raise their bet. The dealer will further distribute two cards one after another after in the remaining consecutive rounds of betting, the turn and river respectively.

The winner of the Short Deck poker card game is decided in the showdown where players show their cards and the person with the highest-ranking hands wins. In case all players have folded their cards except one, this remaining player takes the pot.

Short Deck Poker Objective

The objective is to make the best five-card hand using any combination of the hole cards and the community cards. The idea behind is to win chips or money by having the best poker hand or by convincing one’s opponents to fold their hands.

Short Deck Poker Rules

  • As per Short Deck poker rules, Ace is both the highest and the lowest card. It creates a full card ranking circle which starts at Ace and also ends at Ace. This helps players to arrange appropriate poker Short Deck hand rankings to win the game.
  • Like Texas Hold’em, betting begins with the player sitting on the left of the dealer button.
  • Another standard Short Deck poker rule states that a Flush beats a Full house This is because due to the decreased card count, the possibility to get a Flush reduces significantly.
  • By the same token, Three of a Kind beats a Straight.
  • Unlike most poker games, Short Deck poker online allows players to redeem cards even when they are on the poker table. However, to achieve this, the player has to get 400*ante to claim 100*ante.

Short Deck Poker Hand Rankings

The hand rankings for Short Deck poker are slightly different from the standard poker hand rankings due to the absence of a large chunk of cards. Here’s how the rankings pan out in this variation.

1. Royal Flush

It’s the rarest to get and consists of 10, J, K, Q, K, A of the same suit considered royal flush poker.

2. Straight Flush

In Poker Short Deck hand rankings, Straight flush is a combination of 5 cards arranged consecutively of the same suit. For instance, 5♥, 6♥, 7♥, 8♥, and 9♥ can be considered straight flush poker.

3. Four-of-a-kind

Four cards of the same rank regardless of their suit can be named under Four-of-a-kind poker Short Deck poker card rankings.

4. Flush

Players having five cards of the same suit will be clubbed under Flush. Example: A♠,2♠,9♠,K♠,6♠

5. Full House

Under Poker Short Deck hand rankings, a full house is a collaboration of three of a kind and a pair in which the player has three cards with the same rank along with a pair.

6. Three of a kind

Three cards having similar ranks are categorized as three of a kind.

7. Straight

Straight poker is a crucial poker hand used in the game of poker ex. A-6-7-8-9 is considered a Straight: In Short Deck Poker, an A-6-7-8-9 straight is considered a valid hand. Here, the Ace can be used as both a high card and a low card in making a straight.

Other standard example of a straight would be K♥,Q♠,J♦,10♥,9♣

8. Two pair

In the poker Short Deck hand rankings, players have two pair of similar ranks with one odd card. Example: A♥,A♠,9♣,9♦,10♦

9. One pair

A unique pair having the same rank can be classified under one pair. Example: Q♣,Q♦,A♦,2♥,7♥

10. High card

If your cards do not come under any of the following poker Short Deck hand rankings, then the higher ranked card in your hole cards determines your results. K♥,10♥,8♣,3♦,J♦

Texas Hold’em and Short Deck Poker: Key Differences

The main difference between Short Deck Poker and Texas Hold'em lies in the hand rankings and the adjustments required in strategy to accommodate the reduced deck of cards. In Short Deck Poker, the hand rankings are slightly modified since a number of low-ranking cards are removed from the deck. As such, due to these differences in hand rankings, the overall strategy in Short Deck Poker can be quite different from Texas Hold'em. Here are a few key strategic adjustments to consider:

1. Hand value and starting hand selection

With fewer cards in the deck, the overall hand strength required to win the pot increases. This means players should be more selective in their starting hand choices and favour hands that can make strong hands like flushes and full houses.

2. Aggressive play

The reduced deck increases the likelihood of players having strong hands. Consequently, the best strategy in Short deck poker is to be aggressive and apply pressure to capitalize on the increased hand strength.

3. Drawing hands

Drawing to a flush or a straight becomes more challenging in Short Deck Poker due to the reduced number of cards. As a result, drawing hands lose some of their value, and one should proceed with caution when playing hands that rely on hitting a draw.

4. Adjustments to post-flop play

The modified hand rankings can impact post-flop strategy as well. Players should be more cautious with straights and keep in mind the increased possibility of their opponents holding stronger hands like flushes.

Final Thoughts

Short Deck poker is a new variation compared to other real money games of Poker. In a few years, the game will surely outgrow and become one of player’s top picks in the long run. It's always a good idea to familiarize yourself with the specific rules and regulations of the game at the venue where you intend to play. To win in this poker variation, you have to use appropriate poker tips and Short Deck poker skills with consistent practice.

Short Deck Poker- FAQs

Q. What is Short deck poker?
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Short deck poker is a relatively new cousin of the famous Texas Hold'em poker that was recently introduced in the bank of high stakes games in casinos of Macau. It typically follows the same game rules but differs in certain hand rankings and therefore, impacts strategy. Short Deck poker games eliminate lower value cards and are played with a 36-card deck with its unique hand rankings.

Q Is short deck poker better?
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Short deck hold em or Short deck poker games are the faster stripped down variation of No Limit Hold em and are typically played by High rollers in Asian casinos. The game was born in the high stakes category of poker games. Since it is played using a 36 deck of cards instead of a full deck, the possibility of hitting higher combinations is more in this variation.

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