Short Deck Hold’em (also known as Strip Deck or 6+ Hold’em) follows the rules of No-Limit Hold’em but enhances hand rankings and action by removing the 2, 3, 4, and 5 cards from the deck. Playing with a 36-card deck changes the poker hand rankings, allowing a Flush to beat a Full House.
- In Short Deck Hold’em, a Flush beats a Full House.
- The Ace remains the highest and lowest card for straights (as well as a high card), meaning a low straight can consist of Ace through Nine (A – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9).
Now that you’re familiar with these key differences from regular Hold’em, learning to play Short Deck poker is simple. For a comprehensive overview of Hold’em, refer to JiliAce’s complete beginner’s guide to an overview of playing Short Deck Hold’em.
Rules of Short Deck Hold’em

Like regular Hold’em, Short Deck Hold’em has four betting rounds, and each player forms their best five-card hand from the combination of their two hole cards and five community cards.
First Betting Round (Preflop):
Instead of the Small and Big Blinds, each player places an ante, and the Button position posts a second (direct) ante. Moving clockwise from the Button, each player can call (match a previous bet), raise (increase the bet), or fold (discard their hole cards and wait for the next hand).
Once all players have acted (and more than one player remains), the Flop—three face-up community cards—is dealt.
Second Betting Round:
Betting begins with the first active player to the left of the Button. Players take turns to check (decline to bet and pass), bet, raise a previous bet, or fold. Remaining players then proceed to the Turn, where the fourth community card is dealt. If all players check, the fourth community card is dealt for free.
Third Betting Round:
Remaining players take turns acting. If more than one player remains after this betting round, the River card is dealt.
Fourth Betting Round:
Once all five community cards are dealt, a final betting round occurs. If more than one player remains at the end of the hand, the hole cards are revealed (showdown), and the player with the best hand wins the pot.
Hand Rankings

The hand rankings for Short Deck Hold’em (highest to lowest) are as follows:
- Royal Flush
A straight flush from Ten to Ace of the same suit.
- Straight Flush
Five consecutive cards of the same suit.
- Four of a Kind
Four cards of the same rank.
- Flush
Five cards of the same suit.
- Full House
Three cards of the same rank, plus a pair.
- Straight
Five consecutive cards of any suit.
- Three of a Kind
Three cards of the same rank.
- Two Pair
Two sets of cards with the same rank.
- One Pair
Two cards of the same rank.
- High Card
Five unpaired cards.
Short Deck Hold’em Odds
Removing sixteen low cards (2s through 5s) changes the probabilities of various initial hands in Short Deck. The total number of possible starting hands is halved (with only 630 unique starting hands, considering suits, and 81 if suits are ignored). Four ranks are no longer available for pocket pairs, leaving only nine potential pairs—making the odds of being dealt a specific pair about 1%. This is twice the frequency compared to a full-deck Texas Hold’em game.

With fewer cards in the deck, straights are easier to hit, while flushes are harder. With connected cards, you’ll encounter straight draws more frequently. Open-ended straight draws have 8 outs among the 31 remaining cards in the deck, compared to 8 outs among 47 cards in traditional Hold’em. This makes the old “rule of two and four” for estimating straight draw probabilities inaccurate in this variant. Instead, multiplying your outs by three for the Turn and by six for both the Turn and River is more accurate.
For example, an open-ended straight draw has a 48% chance (8 outs × 6) of completing the straight by the River.
While your chances of being dealt an Ace increase in Short Deck, the winning probability for any random hand decreases. For example, the lowest pair (a pair of 6s) shoving all-in during a preflop hand against an Ace will win nearly a quarter of the time in Short Deck. Similarly, overcards and pocket pairs are closer in equity, and hands like Ace-King versus 10-Jack are nearly even.
Short Deck Hold’em Strategy for Beginners

Beyond the absolute fundamentals (remember, a Flush beats a Full House, and the lowest straight runs from Ace to Nine), playing Short Deck Hold’em involves recalibrating the strength of your hole cards and overall hand potential.
- Top pairs remain strong, although pairs that would be considered very strong in regular Hold’em (e.g., Jacks or Tens) lose some of their relative strength. Weaker pairs can pose challenges, as overcards and straight draws occur more frequently.
- Pairs often turn into sets, with the likelihood being nearly 1 in 5 (compared to about 1 in 8 in traditional Hold’em).
When transitioning from Hold’em to Omaha or Short Deck, adopting a “tight is right” strategy at first is often wise, even though you’ll generally be dealt stronger hands on average. The likelihood of drawing to the nuts or engaging in high-equity showdowns increases significantly. While the game mechanics remain the same, a clear understanding of positional strength and how to extract maximum value from your hands will serve you well.
- Playing a wider range on the Button, defending the Big Blind (most Short Deck games are played with shorter stacks), and avoiding passive play are key tips when transitioning from traditional Hold’em.
=> Read more Top 6 Strategy Tips for Short Deck Poker Lesser-Known
Key Hand Adjustments in Short Deck Hold’em
- Mid-Connecting Hands:
- Hands like 9–10 or 10–Jack are significantly stronger than in traditional Hold’em, as they will hit open-ended straight draws about 1 in 5 times.
- Top Pair or Overpairs:
- Flopping top pair (or merely holding an overpair preflop) is weaker in Short Deck. If you find yourself unimproved by the River, especially against multiple opponents, your chances of winning are substantially lower.
- Flush Draws:
- While flushes rank higher in Short Deck Hold’em, there are fewer cards of each suit remaining in the deck to draw. Hitting a flush draw on the flop will only complete by the River around 30% of the time.
How to Play Short Deck Hold’em
Let’s take a quick look at how to play a hand of Short Deck Hold’em. As mentioned, the gameplay isn’t much different from Texas Hold’em.
Preflop

After collecting the mandatory bets (antes), the dealer deals two private cards to each player, just like in regular No Limit Hold’em. The player seated immediately to the left of the dealer (known as “under the gun”) is the first to act. Their options are as follows:
- Call (Match the bet): In Short Deck Poker, the player on the button always places a second mandatory ante bet. Therefore, for the next player to continue, they must match this bet.
- Fold: If a player does not want to continue, they can fold, forfeiting their ante bet.
- Raise: If a player likes their hand, they can increase the size of the bet. This forces subsequent players to pay more to stay in the hand. The minimum raise must be at least double the value of the ante bet.
Once the player “under the gun” has decided on their action, play continues clockwise around the table. Each subsequent player faces the same three options: call, raise, or fold. This process continues until all players have either folded or matched the highest bet, at which point the action proceeds to the flop.
The Flop
Short Deck Hold’em uses community cards, similar to Hold’em or Omaha. The first three community cards are dealt simultaneously and are known as the “flop”. Another round of betting follows, starting with the player to the left of the dealer button.
Since there are no forced bets during the flop round, this player has an additional option to:
- Check: Decline to bet while retaining their hand. If everyone checks, the game progresses to the turn round. However, if someone places a bet, the remaining players must either call to stay in the hand or fold.
The Turn and River
After completing the flop betting round, a fourth community card, the “turn,” is dealt. Another round of betting takes place before the final community card, the “river,” is dealt. This is the fifth and final card, followed by one last betting round.
Showdown
If more than one player remains after the final betting round, they must reveal their cards, starting with the player to the left of the dealer. This is called the “showdown.”

The player with the strongest hand wins the pot. If two or more players have hands of equal value, the pot is split equally among them.
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Play Style Adjustments
Favor higher, connected, suited cards that can result in multiple draw opportunities. Low, unconnected suited cards are less advantageous. Other players will push the action with strong sets and nut draws. Overall, hand strength at showdown is higher compared to full-deck games.
By embracing the increased action and adjusting your strategy to account for more frequent straight draws and fewer flush completions, you can capitalize on the dynamic nature of Short Deck Hold’em.
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