How to Play Short Deck Holdem: 8 Key Differences from Texas Holdem

Short Deck Hold’em is a variation of Texas Hold’em that has been around for several years.
Its origins can be traced back to a VIP room in a Macau casino, where wealthy businessmen sought a faster-paced poker with higher chances of winning, better hands, and greater profitability.
To achieve this, they removed 16 weak cards from the standard Texas Hold’em deck and introduced a rule requiring every player to ante up.
Short-Deck Hold’em Hand Ranking |
---|
Royal Flush |
Straight Flush |
Four of a Kind |
Flush |
Full House |
Straight |
Three of a Kind |
Two Pair |
One Pair |
High Card |
8 Key Differences
- In Short Deck Hold’em, the standard 52-card deck is reduced by removing the 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s, leaving only 36 cards in play.
- A flush beats a full house. With the removal of the 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s, each suit only has 9 cards left, making it harder to hit a flush compared to traditional Texas Hold’em, where each suit has 13 cards.
- There are no traditional small blind and big blind.
Instead, every short deck player must post an ante, which makes the pot odds pre-flop better than in any other poker.
The player on the button is required to post a double ante, effectively acting like “big blind”. The player to the left of the button is considered “Under The Gun” (UTG).
- The lowest card of a straight is A-6-7-8-9, not 6-7-8-9-T. The same applies to a straight flush.
- Straights are easier to make due to the reduced deck size in Short Deck.
As a result, some variations exist where three of a kind beats a straight. However, the most common format still follows the traditional Hold’em where a straight beats three of a kind.
- In Short Deck Hold’em, *starting hands seem stronger pre-flop due to the reduced number of weak cards in the deck, leading to more premium hands. This increases the chances for the weaker side to win,so remember to folding less
- Blockers have more value in Short Deck. The reason for this is because there are fewer cards — 36 to be exact.
- Pre-flop equities run much closer, as each player’s hand is generally stronger on average. As a result, players tend to bet more pre-flop compared to Hold’em, leading to more action before the community cards are dealt.
*Pre-flop Starting Hands in Short Deck Hold’em Are Stronger Than in Traditional Hold’em
Starting Hand | Short Deck Probability | Traditional Hold’em Probability |
---|---|---|
pocket aces | 0.95% | 0.45% |
pocket pair | 8.6% | 5.9% |
2 suited cards | 22.9% | 23.5% |
ace & king | 2.5% | 1.2% |
jack & ten suited | 0.63% | 0.30% |
2 tens or up | 30.2% | 14.3% |
FAQ
Is Nevada real money online poker legal?
Is Nevada real money online poker legal? Playing poker online for real money in Nevada is legal and regulated by the Nevada Gaming Control Board.
Where is the FC Barcelona?
Where is the FC Barcelona? FC Barcelona’s home stadium, Camp Nou, is located in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Is Ontario real money online poker legal?
Is Ontario real money online poker legal? Yes, using real money to play online poker in Ontario is safe and legal, according to iGaming Ontario.
Is Online Poker Legal in Canada?
Is Online Poker Legal in Canada? Yes, playing online poker is legal in Canada. Canadian players can enjoy online poker on sites that are licensed and regulated by their province’s authorities. Additionally, there are no laws that prevent players from accessing sites operated from jurisdictions outside of Canada. This means Canadian players can also play on international poker sites like WPT Global and WSOP.
Four of a Kind vs Full House: Which Hand Wins in Poker?
Does Four of a Kind Beat a Full House? Yes, in poker, Four of a Kind beats a Full House (three cards of one rank and two cards of another) because it is a rarer and stronger hand.