Short-Deck Poker Strategy: 6+ Hold'em Guide

## Short-Deck Poker Strategy: 6+ Hold'em Short-Deck (6+ Hold'em) removes all cards 2 through 5 from the deck, leaving 36 cards. This changes hand frequencies and rankings fundamentally. In Short Deck, a flush beats a full house (flushes are harder to make with fewer cards per suit), and three-of-a-kind beats a straight. With fewer cards, connected boards appear more frequently, making straights more common. This changes the value of different starting hands. Suited connectors and medium pairs like 77-TT increase in value. Suited aces remain strong for their flush potential. Premium pairs (AA, KK) are still the best hands but win less often than in standard Hold'em. The ante structure used in most Short Deck games (all players ante, button posts a double ante) creates significant dead money in each pot, encouraging wider opening ranges and more aggressive play. This is fundamentally different from the blind structure in standard Hold'em. Short Deck is a niche format but attracts high-action recreational players who enjoy the gambling aspect. The games are often very soft relative to NLH at the same stakes. GGPoker offers the best Short Deck traffic, and the rake counts toward your Ocean Rewards tier progress. ## Best Rooms for This Format Different poker rooms offer varying levels of traffic and rakeback for this format. Check our room comparison page to find the best option for your specific format preference and stake level.