shortdeck

Short deck, also known as Six Plus Hold'em or short-deck Hold'em, is a variant of Texas Hold'em played with a reduced deck. A typical version uses a 36-card deck by removing all cards below six, leaving the ranks 6 through Ace in each suit. The game is designed to speed action and alters hand frequencies relative to a standard 52-card deck.

Rules and hand values follow the same general structure as Hold'em: each player receives two private hole cards, there are five community cards, and players wager through the standard preflop, flop, turn, and river rounds. The usual five-card hand-ranking system applies, with no jokers and no changes to the basic categories (high card through straight flush). One notable difference is in the possible straights: because the 2s through 5s are removed, the wheel straight A-2-3-4-5 cannot occur, and only five five-card straights are possible: 6-7-8-9-10, 7-8-9-10-J, 8-9-10-J-Q, 9-10-J-Q-K, and 10-J-Q-K-A.

Strategic implications include altered probabilities and postflop dynamics due to the smaller deck. The removal of low cards changes the relative frequencies of certain hands, affecting starting-hand value and betting strategy. In practice, players adjust to different draws, hand strengths on typical boards, and the increased importance of high cards and strong combinations. Exact equities and optimal play are often influenced by table size, betting structure, and the number of opponents.

Popularity and venues vary by region and platform. Short deck is offered in some online rooms and many live casinos, usually in cash games and occasional tournaments. House rules—including bet limits and deck usage—can differ between establishments.