Short Deck Poker Rules - How to Play 6+ Hold’em

Despite some criticism, Short Deck Poker (often dubbed 6 Plus Holdem) creates perfect conditions for a high-action experience. 36 units in the pack change gameplay and alternate the way the combinations rank. Read this guide to gain insight into the basic concepts, Short Deck hand rankings and how the math behind the flopping combinations changes.

What is Short Deck Poker?

It’s a fascinating poker game where the deck size isn’t casual but shortened. All values under 6 are discarded, and the pack thus includes 32 pieces, not 52. The removal affects Straights and Full Houses in that their positions in the ranking are lower. Why? Because they start appearing more frequently. This twist spices up things at the table.

​Short Deck Poker got the nickname “Holdem 6+” because values from 2s to 5s are absent, and 6 is the bottom rank.

The table hosts from 2 to 10 players, but you’ll notice that these are normally 6-max matches. The Six Plus version occupies a separate niche among other variations due to the voiced deviations.

Many industry celebrities have a keen interest in the discussed format: Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan and a group of affluent Asian businessmen have become regular attendees at Triton, a prestigious high roller festival.

Basic Rules for Short Deck Poker

This discipline largely follows the rules of classic Texas Holdem, with minor deviations. Brush up on the main guidelines or learn them if you’re breaking new ground:

• Cards count. Six Plus requires a stripped-down pack ranging from six to Ace (36 pieces, not 52). Such alteration adds aggressiveness and dynamism to the process, as chances of completing monster hands go up.
• Hole & board cards. Everyone at the table gets the hole, and this term clarifies the 2 pocket cards that you start a gaming circle with. You must involve them in forming the combination alongside 5 community cards on the table. The dealer always lays them face up so that their values are clearly visible.
• Betting rounds. There are four such phases (or “streets”), and this is the big point where Short Deck Hold’em rules match the traditional version. We refer to preflop, flop, turn and river. Each gives you the chance to place a bet, analyse the board and opponents, compare the new setup with your own strength and think about further moves: calling, raising, checking or folding.
• Combinations & rankings. 6+ sticks to the conventional ranking scheme. The combinations match those used in full-set variants. However, flush sits higher than a boat (full house).
• Showdown. The punter who collects the combination that outranks all opposition wins. When two hands are on the same strength level, the dealer divides the pot into equal chunks. On any street, it’s possible to avoid the exposure if you manage to convince rivals that you’re having the nuts and force them to end their participation.

How to Play Short Deck Poker

The algorithm below describes each street in detail. After studying it, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of each Six Plus stage.

Pre-flop

When the game starts, all table has to pay the ante (unless the blind structure is used). Suppose the ante size is £4. In this case, only the button player contributes £8. All other players pay £4. Afterwards, the table gets starters (pocket cards). These are 2 units dealt face down. Now, it's time to decide on a preflop move:

• check – pass the action to the next player or follow the lead of others;
• raise – increase the stake;
• call – agree with the proposed bet;
• fold – muck the hand and give up.

In Short Deck Poker, the participant left to the button initiates the action, and the further process continues clockwise.

Flop

After everyone makes their initial decision, the flop stage starts. The table sees the first 3 shared cards on the board. These are supposed to be used by everyone, so the dealer lays them face up. 

Participants analyse the dealt items and try to combine them with pocket cards. It’s necessary to assess the probability of having a match. The next step is to increase the stakes, pass the decision, or give up. Short Deck Poker rules don’t alter the available moves at this point.

Turn

The fourth shared card appears. It’s referred to as "turn" and means the 3rd betting phase starts. As a result of the previous two streets, the pot may grow substantially. Turn is also considered a defining spot of the game as it’s the time when participants get closer to completing draws.

Everyone now has to boost the stake, accept the previously placed bet, or fold the hand once again. Player actions after dealing the fourth card give more insights into their hand strength.

​River

Participants see the 5th face-up card on the Short Deck Hold’em table, which is the river card. This is where things get clear. Everyone determines the final value of their own hands on this street and has to make a wise decision. The possible actions with the river bet remain intact.

Players act based on the current hand value or bluff to scare the opposition away. If at least two punters continue, they’ll assess their combinations at the showdown.

Showdown: Who Wins the Pot?

Finally, the 5-card combinations are compared, and the strongest one wins. E.g., if A-6-7-8-9 and 6-7-8-9-10 are revealed, the latter combo is the winner (10 beats 9). When 2 players form identical hands in Short Deck Poker, they split the pot.

If we look at the screenshot above, a hero holds 8-7, meaning they only have a pair of Queens (it’s on the board). But we don’t know what the opponents have. Here are a few possible outcomes if anyone has:

• Ace, 10 or 6 – two pair;
• Queen – trips Qx-Qs-Qc
• King & Jack – Ace-high straight As-Kx-Qx-Jx-10d;
• Queen & Ace – full-house Qs-Qc-Qx-As-Ax.
• a pair of tens – full-house 10d-10x10x-Qs-Qc

In any case, a hand like 8-7 would likely be an underdog on this board. Even a 9 Kicker would beat it.

Hand Rankings in Short Deck Poker

The way the combinations form, as well as poker hand rankings in Six Plus, are very similar to those of the full-set version. For instance, Aces also perform two roles. These act as the highest element in straights like 10-J-Q-K-A. At the same time, an Ace carries the smallest possible rank.

The lowest straight in Short Deck Poker is A6789, where Ace performs as the low-rank card.

But there are certain aspects players should learn to master the Six Plus specifics.

Exceptions to the Hand Hierarchy

• Three of a kind. It’s okay for some game versions to put (set/trips) have a bigger value than straight. The cut deck changes the probability of hitting specific hands, and three of a kind occurs rarely.
• Flush vs The Boat. 6 Plus Holdem rules rank five items of the same suit above the Full House. This fact takes time to accept, especially for conventional game enthusiasts. Paired combinations are common with the cut deck, so full house is rather frequent.

Short Deck Odds & Probabilities

To gain a better understanding of gameplay, take time and familiarise yourself with the probabilities of completing each combination. There are 1,326 starting combinations in the classic format, compared to 630 in the Six Plus variation.

Here are some more examples of odds disparities:

How Likely are Your Draws to Hit?

If you want to learn how to play 6+ Hold’em properly, it’s also crucial to understand the odds of transforming your current hand into a winning one on a specific street. If you have a flush draw on the 2nd street, there is a 16.5% chance to finish it by the river. There’s only a 32.2% chance of finishing with a full house from a set, while a straight draw is completed in 25.6% of cases.

Let's compare the chances to strengthen on two streets – turn and river. Have a look at the table below to see these numbers.

Pros and Cons of the Game

• More intense action and a higher chance of finishing with strong combinations.
• Many weak players have knowledge gaps in 6+ holdem strategy.
• Antes make all punters contribute to the pot and get involved in the action.
• Bluffing becomes more effective due to the changed hand frequency.
• Weak and mediocre combos from a full pack hold more value in 6 Plus.

• Higher variance, unlike the classic format.
• Experience is crucial to outplay the opposition.
• Altered values of combinations take time to get used to.

Where to Practice Six Plus Format

Being introduced to the global scene in the mid-2010s, 6+ Hold’em is a widely played format in cash games and tournaments. British players can find Six Plus tables in these licensed poker rooms:

PartyPoker

Currently, this poker room doesn’t host tournaments in the discussed format, only cash games are available. The smallest buy-in is $2, an affordable amount for low-rollers. When playing, punters can request a partial withdrawal from the cash table. Conversely, you’ll play against the opponents that the system will seat you with – manual choice isn’t there.

GGPoker

There’s enough 6 Plus Hold’em action to test your skills on GGPoker. In cash, stakes are more tailored to budget customers and those with medium-sized bankrolls: $0.02 up to $10. The respective buy-in range is from $0.80 up to $500. Only 6-max tables are featured in the lobby. A spicy add-on is daily leaderboards with $100 to $4,000 prize pools.

The “Tourney” tab looks far busier, with two to three Short Deck Poker events starting every hour. You’ll find both casual and bounty formats with regular, hyper and turbo speeds. Speaking of the entry fee, the price starts at $1 and rises to $215.

PokerStars

Those seeking will find the Six Plus format in the PokerStars client. There’s no dedicated tab, but finding cash or MTT action doesn’t take much time due to a convenient filtering system. For fans of cash games, this operator accommodates a rather wide range of bankrolls, but the table format is limited to 6-max only. Possible button blind sizes: from $0.05 up to $50.

For tournament players, the current choice leaves much to be desired. Just few casual and knockout events per day are on offer. The lowest buy-ins are usually $1.10, and the smallest prize pools sit at $50.

Our Summary

Whether you already have some background or want to dive into the poker world for the first time, this variation is a decent choice. Six Plus shares many aspects with the original, but has some unique traits: ante bets, and the way the Flush and Full House positions reshuffle. Our comprehensive guide covers every crucial aspect the rookie needs to get started.