Short Deck Holdem poker is quite popular nowadays. It is also known as six-plus Holdem poker. It is similar to one of the renowned games called Texas hold ’em poker. However, it has little changes in it, to make it more fun. Also, one plays it with a stripped-down deck. It all started first in the Asian region. Then the game got popular in Europe too. And recently, there was an event in the USA. It gave the game more popular in the respective country. It is getting popular all over the world now.
Deck Size
Unlike the Texas version, short deck Holdem poker has some major differences. As the name suggests, it has a smaller deck. In total, the game has thirty-six cards to play with. The sixteen cards are removed from the deck. Those sixteen cards are 2’s, 3’s, 4’s, and 5’s. And it makes 6 the lowest of all cards.
Rules
If you are on this page, you must be willing to play short deck Holdem poker. However, before getting into it one must know all the rules.
- As I have mentioned earlier, the deck size has been reduced to just thirty-six cards.
- The minimum number of players that play this game is two. The maximum number of players can be ten. But, usually, there are six players that play this game.
- The ranking of the hands in this game is slightly different. A royal flush is the strongest hand. It follows with a straight flush, four-of-a-kind, flush, full house, straight, three-of-a-kind, two-pair, one pair, and high card respectively. You can notice that in short deck Holdem poker a flush beats the full house. This is because with current cards, chances of getting a flush are quite less than a full house.
- Aces are used in both lows as well as highs. It is also used in place of five.
Tips to play to win
Though there is no fixed strategy to win the Short Deck Holdem poker. However, enhancing the chances is always an option. Following are some of the tips:
- Draw the Cards: As we know the deck size is smaller. Hence the chances of every combination are increased. Also, the face cards are higher in proportion to the full deck. Therefore, do not hesitate to draw cards.
- A “straight” need to be focused on: If we compare it with texas Holdem poker, the probability of straights is more. In fact, it is about 45%. This tip is quite effective when you are playing aggressively.
- Flush: Here comes another tip. The player must be aware of the fact that flush is difficult in short deck Holdem poker. In ‘texas Holdem poker’ the chances of ‘flush’ are 18%. And, in this, it falls to 15%. Yes, I am aware that this is not a big difference. But, losing the bet might cost you a lot.
- Big Pairs are not that Big: When we play texas Holdem poker, a big pair like two aces or two kings hold a bigger value. In contrast, due to fewer cards in the deck, this logic does not work in Short Deck Holdem poker. Hence, do not rely on that.
The above tips might come in handy. And, it can even increase the winning chances. But, do not depend on it blindly. As the game works as per each hand.
Open-Limping
The premium hands in the six-plus Holdem poker aces, kings, and a combination of aces and kings. Hence there is a need to maintain the balance between stronger and weaker hands. Therefore, open-limping is the most suitable option for this. You can go for an open liming from the very start of the game too. And if you do it at the beginning of the game, the chances of winning at the end will be higher. Players can do it with more hands than in other poker games.
Conclusion
If you are already playing texas Holdem poker. Then, short deck Holdem poker is not a bigger deal to play. In fact, it is much easier than the earlier one. There are only a few changes in the game. Which made the game more fun. You must keep in mind the tips. And, it will help you to win the game.
