Top 6 Strategy Tips for Short Deck Poker Lesser-Known

Strategy Tips for Short Deck Poker

Learning how to play Short Deck Poker is just the beginning. If you want to succeed in both low and high-stakes games, you need to understand how to use various strategies to take full advantage of the game. Let’s discuss some strategy tips for Short Deck Poker with JiliAce to help you master the game.

Strategy Tips for Short Deck Poker

Starting Hand Selection

As mentioned by JiliAce, the winning odds of starting hands in short deck poker are very close to each other (compared to traditional Hold’em). Therefore, there are fewer hands considered to be premium. For example, a pair of Queens doesn’t hold as much value as it does in regular Hold’em. Moreover, with fewer cards in the deck, troublesome Aces will appear more often on the table.

The winning odds of starting hands in short deck poker are very close to each other
The winning odds of starting hands in short deck poker are very close to each other

The only pocket pairs that can be considered premium in Short Deck Hold’em are Ace-Ace, King-King, and Ace-King suited. However, since the winning odds for starting hands in short deck poker are close, calling (matching the bet) becomes a reasonable strategy. But if you get dealt a pair of Aces, Kings, or Ace-King suited, play them aggressively.

Playing the “Call” Strategy is Acceptable

In No Limit Hold’em, this is often considered a poor choice, but in Short Deck poker, it’s an entirely acceptable strategy. First, all starting hands are stronger than in Texas Hold’em, especially those with connecting cards.

However, you won’t want to raise too often with hands like 10-9 suited. Since you’ll have a higher probability of facing a strong hand, raising unnecessarily high isn’t wise. Additionally, with fewer hand combinations, balancing a raising range becomes difficult. Therefore, frequently calling (matching the bet) is a reasonable decision.

Use the 3 and 6 Rule

In the top tips for Short Deck poker, you can quickly estimate your hand’s odds by multiplying the number of outs (the cards that can improve your hand) by 3 and 6. If you have one card to come, multiply by 3. If you have two cards to come, multiply by 6.

Use the 3 and 6 Rule
Use the 3 and 6 Rule

For example, suppose you have a flush draw on the flop. This means there are five cards that could help complete your flush. With only 31 cards left in the deck, the odds of completing your flush on the next card are 5 / 31 = 16.13%. But for a quick calculation, simply multiply the 5 outs by 3 to get an estimated winning chance of 15%.

To estimate the probability of completing a potential hand before the river, just multiply by 6, as you have two opportunities to hit.

Potential Draw Hands Are Highly Valuable

Although the chance of hitting a flush draw (potential flush) in Short Deck poker is lower, once hit, their value is significantly higher. Moreover, in this game, the probability of having a straight draw (potential straight) on the flop is much higher. With hands like J-10 or 10-9, the odds of having a straight draw on the flop are 19%.

If you do land a straight draw on the flop, the odds of completing it before the river are over 45%. This means that the odds of completing a strong hand are nearly 50%. Therefore, starting hands with connected suited cards are extremely valuable.

Pocket Pairs Are Not Highly Valued

Remember that the probability of hitting a potential draw in Short Deck poker is much higher. Therefore, your pocket pairs on the flop won’t be as strong as they are in Hold’em. Continue playing with caution and avoid going “all-in” (betting everything) when you only have a pocket pair.

Range Construction

Short Deck Poker is still a relatively new game and hasn’t been fully “solved.” Discussions about strategies like range construction are ongoing, with players holding varying opinions on optimal approaches.

Short Deck Poker is still a relatively new game and hasn’t been fully "solved."
Short Deck Poker is still a relatively new game and hasn’t been fully “solved.”

However, some aspects of standard Texas Hold’em strategy still apply. For example, you can raise with a wider range when in the button position. Similarly, you can defend with a broader range when playing from the double ante button position, which is equivalent to defending the Big Blind in Hold’em.

In Short Deck, it makes sense to make your range appear extremely polarized in pre-flop play. Due to the presence of antes and the increased frequency of calls, you’ll often find yourself pot-committed when facing an all-in re-raise. Therefore, if you plan to raise, you might as well consider going all-in to represent either the strongest possible hand or a complete bluff.

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Variations of Short Deck Poker

Not all Short Deck Poker games use the button blind system. Some games follow the traditional Small Blind and Big Blind model. In certain Six Plus variants, a straight (five consecutive cards) may rank lower than three of a kind.

The Bottom Line About Tips for Short Deck Poker

This guide from JiliAce has outlined the most common tips for Short Deck Poker. However, you should always double-check the rules before sitting at the table. The last thing you want is to join a game only to discover unexpected variations in the rules!

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