What Are the Rules of Short Deck Hold’em?

Basic Gameplay

Blinds and Hole cards: Just like Texas Hold’em blinds are used in Short Deck, the two players left to the dealer posts small and big blind. After the blinds are posted each player receives two cards (hole cards).

First betting round (Pre-flop): After each player are dealt their hole cards the first betting round starts. The player to the left of the big blind begins to act, he can either call (match the amount in the big blind), raise or fold. The betting round continues clockwise around the table until all players had the possibility to act.

Second betting round (The Flop): Three community cards will be dealt out on the board that the player can combine with their hole cards. After the flop is dealt out the second betting round starts where players can check, call, raise or fold depending on previous action.

Third betting round (The Turn): A fourth community card called the turn is dealt out on the board next to the flop. The third betting round starts where players can check, call, raise or fold depending on previous action.

Fourth betting round (The River): The fifth and final community card called the river is dealt next to the turn. Now the board is complete with 5 community cards. The last betting will now unfold where players can check, call, raise or fold depending on previous action.

Showdown: If more than two players remain after the final betting round, a showdown will determine the winning hand. The players will now reveal their hole cards and combine them with the five community cards, to create the best possible five-card poker hand. The player with the highest ranked poker hand according to the adjusted ranking rules for Short Deck wins the hand.

Key Terminology

Blinds: Blinds are force bets that the two players directly to the left of the dealer needs to post before any cards are dealt. The player directly left from the button posts the small blind and the player to the left of him posts the big blind, typically double the amount of the small blind. The blinds follow the rotation of the dealer button clockwise around the table, ensuring that all players are contributing to the pot. The purpose of the blinds is to create action and ensure there is something to play for in each hand.

Hole cards: In Short deck before the first betting rounds starts each player will be dealt to individual cards called hole cards, hidden from the other players. At showdown you will combine your hole card with the five community cards placed face-up on the board, so you can create best possible five-card hand.

Community cards: The three streets in Short Deck, the flop, the turn and the river bring the community cards. In total there are five community cards that all players share. At showdown you can combine your individual cards (hole cards) with the community cards to create the best possible five-card poker hand.

Betting Structure

Just like Texas Hold’em, Short Deck can be played with different betting structures, such as: No-limit, Pot-Limit and Fixed-Limit. The no-limit format which allows players to bet their entire stack at any time is a perfect match for the action-driven nature of Short Deck. No-Limit is also the most common betting structure for Short Deck.

Winning Hands

All remaining players after the final betting round will reveal their hole cards in a procedure called showdown. The player who can create the highest five-card hand by combining the two hole cards with the five community cards, wins the pot. The shorter deck with only 36 cards (6 to Ace) changes the dynamics of hand strength and probabilities so the hand ranking differs slightly from traditional poker rules.

What Makes Short Deck Special?

Unique Rules

The shorter deck with only 36 cards instead of the original deck with 52 cards changes the game with altered hand probabilities and rankings. For example, a flush ranks higher than a full house in Short Deck, with the simple explanation that flushes are harder to hit with fewer cards of each suit in the deck. With fewer cards you will also more frequently get playable hands and more often hit stronger hands such as straights and full houses. The reduced deck of cards where it’s easier to catch stronger hands often leads to more action and higher variance. The gameplay of Short Deck is fast and exciting and it requires strategic adjustments due to the modified probabilities and hand rankings.

Strategic Depth

The shorter deck with the removal of 2s up to 5s makes the average hand stronger so we need to reevaluate all hand values. High pairs are still premium hands but midrange hands such as suited connectors become more valuable because it’s easier to hit straights. However, you need to consider that high premium pairs also are more vulnerable because it’s easier for your opponents to catch up with fewer cards in the deck. Top pair is rarely good enough all the way to the river. Constant reevaluation street by street of your own hand strength is essential, the likelihood of someone improving their hand on turn or river is higher.

With the higher probability for stronger hands, pot control becomes more important. The ability to control the size of the pot when you are ahead or minimize the losses when you are behind is crucial. Knowing the odds and understanding board texture is valuable tool in Short Deck, it’s easier to hit sets for example but you need to be careful on highly coordinated boards where straights and flushes are possible. Knowing the correct odds will give you an edge when to proceed with a hand or not.

Player Popularity

Short Deck first gained popularity in the among high-stakes players and especially in Macau and the Philippines in casinos and poker rooms. The high variance, fast action and the big pots made the game appealing to professionals and wealthy businessmen. Major high-stakes tournaments like Triton Poker often include Short Deck in their event schedule. The popularity of Short Deck continues to increase, especially among players who are seeking thrilling and fast-paced action.

Where Can You Play Short Deck Online?

Best Online Platforms

GGPoker

Its 2017 launch made GGPoker one of the leading platforms for online poker, with its wide variety of games, cutting-edge features, global player base and user-friendly interface. Short Deck is a popular poker variant on this platform due to its exciting gameplay and dynamics aspects. The site offers both cash games and tournaments at varies stake levels. You will be able to find games of Short Deck even during off-peak hours. You will also be able to find daily and weekly Short Deck tournaments. GGpoker has many innovative features that will enrichen the player experience. For example, they offer a Smart HUD feature that provides real-time statistics like aggression and how active players are in pots etc. The platform also offers a staking feature where players can buy or sell action in tournaments. Bubble Protection is another unique feature that refunds the buy-in if the player ends up busting out on the bubble.

PokerStars

Since it launched in 2001, this platform has been one of the most trusted and well-known online poker platforms with a large global player pool with millions of registered users. The site is also known for its wide range of poker games, so there is no surprise they also offer Short Deck Hold’em. Short Deck Cash games with no-limit structure are available at various levels making them accessible for both recreational and professional players. PokerStars also offer regular Short Deck tournaments and Sit & Go’s. With PokerStars mobile app you can enjoy past-paced Short Deck action on the go. PokerStars School is a learning tool for new players that wants to start playing Short Deck, the school includes tutorials, strategy guides and quizzes to help players get familiar with the game.

PartyPoker

Another well established and reputable online poker site with a long history since its launch 2001, this online poker platform is especially known for its intuitive and user-friendly software. The player base is pretty solid too with millions of users worldwide. PartyPoker includes Short Deck in its roster of poker variants, cash game tables are available with no-limit format at multiple stake levels particularly during peak hours (evenings and weekends). Tournament offerings for Short Deck are more limited on a regular basis, but you will most likely find them during special events or promotions. PartyPoker supports Short Deck on its mobile app where players can enjoy the fast-paced action on the go.

Availability of Tournaments

Both GGPoker and PokerStars offers tournaments on a regular basis which is great news for enthusiasts of Short Deck. Furthermore, both sites also include Short Deck in their major tournament series. GGPoker offers GGMasters, WSOP Online Series and High Roller Series whereas PokerStars features Short Deck in their major tournament series: World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP), the Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) and High Roller Club. PartyPoker occasionally offer Short Deck in their special event series POWERFEST.

Bonuses and Promotions

Although the major poker sites may not provide exclusive Short Deck promotions, most of their general bonuses are applicable for the game. These include: Welcome bonuses, Freerolls or Cashback Programs.

Key Tips to Succeed in Short Deck

Starting Hand Selection

Because Texas Hold’em is the most popular poker variant which most poker players can relate to and Short Deck is a variation of Texas Hold’em a comparison in hand strength between the two poker variants becomes natural. In Texas Hold’em that uses a normal poker deck with 52 cards the number of unique starting hands is 169 if you disregard suits whereas in Short Deck with a deck of 36 cards there is only 81 unique combinations. This means that equities run much closer and premium hands are more likely to get outdrawn on the turn and river compared to Texas Hold’em.

Connected hands like QJ, J10 and 109 are much more valuable in Short Deck compared to Texas Hold’em because the odds to hit straights increases. Straight draws are powerful in Short Deck so it’s recommended to play them aggressively. Premium starting hands like AA and KK are still strong hands but they are less valuable than in Texas Hold’em. Equities run much closer so the premium hands are more vulnerable for example is KK vs AK only a 56% favorite in Short Deck. Choosing the right starting hands in Short Deck is a delicate balance of intuition and calculation. With equities running closer between hands, its important to also consider hands with multi-street playability. Understanding the intricates of hand selection is one of the key aspects to succeed in Short Deck.

Betting Strategy

The fewer cards in Short Deck affects hand ranking, odds, and overall gameplay dynamics which requires a different betting strategy compared to Texas Hold’em. The first adjustment we need to make is to increase our aggression pre-flop with a wider range, hands that goes up in value such as suited connectors J10s or 98s or high card combinations like AQ or KQ can played more aggressively. If you also have a draw on the flop you should continue to bet strong because the likeliness that your hit your draw is higher. Your bet size should also be on the larger side something that differ to Texas Hold’em that suggest a more varied bet sizing. The purpose with the large bet sizing is to deny equity from your opponent’s hands. The best way to protect your hand in Short Deck is to over bet the pot, even with a big draw over betting the pot is a strong play that puts your opponents to the test. Bet big while ahead but adjust your strategy along the way and always be prepared to hit the brakes if an unfavorable turn or river cards shows up.

Bluffing can be effective especially with drawing hands as semi-bluffs but you also need to be careful with your bluffing frequencies because players are less likely to give up their hands and you will be called down more frequently.

Common Mistakes

Overvaluing premium hands is probably the most common mistake for players that makes the transition from Texas Hold’em to Short Deck Hold’em. Big pocket pairs like kings or aces are still valuable but you need to proceed with caution with them, especially on coordinated boards. Play them aggressively pre-flop but stay alert and be prepared to adjust your strategy post-flop. Another common mistake in Short Deck is to ignore the frequency of straights and flushes. On draw heavy boards you need to be cautious of straight and flush possibilities. Short deck is an action game that favors aggression but overdoing it or especially doing it in the wrong spots can be costly. It’s crucial to find the right balance with controlled aggression and selective caution.

Advanced Strategies

Even if the hand equities are closer in Short Deck, we still need to put players on ranges and narrowing down their range street by street. Look for betting patterns and how players react to different board textures, everything that can reveal important information of their hand strength is useful. Position is just like Texas Hold’em an important factor, in early positions you need to tighten up your hand selection and in late position you can widen your range because you have more control over the action.

In Short Deck we need to adjust our strategy for the increased hand strengths. With straights and flushes appearing more often, along with the closer equity of starting hands means that aggression, thoughtful bet sizing and positional awareness are crucial. By adapting your tactics to account for the altered hand rankings and maximize value with big bets with strong hands you will be ready to face the exciting and fast-paced action of Short Deck Hold’em.

You need to find the right balance between aggression and caution, knowing when to push and when to slow down. Bet aggressively with strong hands and control the pot size with marginal hands. To refine this skill needs practice and experience. If you manage to handle selective aggression and choose your spots wisely you will have great chances to be successful in Short Deck Hold’em.

Final thoughts on Short Deck Hold’em

Short Deck Hold’em is a dynamic and exciting variant of Texas Hold’em. The game brings fast-paced action with more playable hands and the strategic depth to navigate through altered hand rankings and probabilities. In Short Deck you will not get bored waiting for the right hands, the opportunities will arrive, it’s up to you to seize them and make the most of every situation. If you are looking for a poker variant that combines high level of skill with non-stop action, Short Deck might be the game for you. The game rewards players, both online and live, who embrace and exploit its unique nuances. If you are keen to enhance your poker skills or if you are just looking for an exciting new format, Short Deck is a poker variant worth exploring. Its unique mix of fast-paced action, strategy and unpredictability makes it a game that keeps players engaged and offers endless excitement at every turn. The major poker sites allow you to jump into the action anytime at your own convenience, whether its cash games or tournaments you are looking for. If you are more into live poker you should look into local casinos or poker communities.