Short-deck hold'em, also called six-plus hold'em, is played with a 36-card deck. Every card below a six is removed, so the ranks run six through ace. The deal and the betting rounds are the same as Texas hold'em, but the shortened deck changes which hands are rare and therefore which hands win.
It became a fixture of high-stakes cash games and high roller events because the equities run close together and showdowns are frequent.
The Reordered Ranking
Removing sixteen cards removes four ranks from the straight and flush calculations in different proportions. Flushes become harder to make than full houses, so most card rooms rank them accordingly.
| Standard 52-card order | Usual short-deck order |
|---|---|
| Straight flush | Straight flush |
| Four of a kind | Four of a kind |
| Full house | Flush |
| Flush | Full house |
| Straight | Straight |
| Three of a kind | Three of a kind |
| Two pair | Two pair |
Antes Instead of Blinds
Most short-deck games replace the blinds with an ante from every player plus a larger ante from the button, which acts as the opening bet for the first round. Action begins to the left of the button, and the button has the option to raise last.
The effect is a pot that already contains money from everyone before any card is seen, which is why the game plays with more pre-flop raising than a blinds structure produces.
How the Odds Change
With 36 cards instead of 52, every draw improves and every made hand is more likely to be beaten.
- An open-ended straight draw has eight outs from 31 unseen cards rather than 47, so it completes far more often.
- A flush draw has nine outs from a smaller deck, but there are only eight cards of each suit left after the flop rather than ten.
- Pocket pairs flop a set more often, because fewer unseen cards remain.
- Hands that would be clear favourites with a full deck are frequently near coin flips here.
The arithmetic of counting outs does not change — see pot odds and equity — only the denominator does. Any chart written for a 52-card deck gives the wrong answer at a short-deck table.
Adjustments Worth Making
- Two pair is a weak holding, closer to one pair in a full-deck game.
- Suited aces lose some value, because a flush is rarer and often dominated when it arrives.
- Connected cards gain value, since straights are both easier to make and lower in the ranking.
- Position remains the strongest structural advantage; the deck change does not affect it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a flush really beat a full house?
In most short-deck games, yes, because a 36-card deck makes flushes scarcer than full houses. The rule follows the frequencies of the deck in play, not tradition.
What is the lowest straight?
Ace-six-seven-eight-nine. The ace still plays at both ends, but it now joins the six rather than the deuce.
Is it played no-limit?
Usually, with an ante structure instead of blinds. Pot-limit versions exist but are uncommon.