Short Deck is an increasingly popular variation of poker which uses just 36 cards. The game plays similarly to Texas Hold’em, however the reduced deck opens up a whole new level of strategy!

Otherwise known as “6+” or “Six Plus Hold’em”, Short Deck poker has become a particular favourite of the very highest rollers in poker, including Timofey “Trueteller” Kuznetsov and Jason Koon. Such elite players commonly do battle over the 36-card deck, most notably at Triton Events.

However, Ladbrokes Poker offers you the chance to experience the thrills of Short Deck without having to step up to the nosebleed stakes. With buy-ins from just $2, there’s plenty of 36-card action for players of all bankrolls!

The key differences from Texas Hold’em are:

All cards valued below 6 are removed

All players must post an ante, with only the player on the button posting an additional ante or button ante

A flush beats a full house

Aces play as high or low, but as there is no 2-5, A6789 is the low straight. TJQKA remains the high straight.

Ah,6h,7h,8h,9h, would therefore be the low straight flush.

Short Deck hand rankings can be found here.

Taking your seat:

Use our Short Deck lobby to be immediately seated at a table! After selecting a stake, our quick seat function allows you to be playing in seconds. There’s also the option of opening up multiple tables at once (located in the bottom of the lobby). Simply select how many tables you’d like open and click “play now”.

Playing the game:

Short Deck is similar to Texas Hold’em - players are dealt two hole cards, and there are four rounds of betting (pre-flop, flop, turn and river). Your best hand is made up of five cards from the seven available.

However, the 36-card deck enables players to hit “good hands” more frequently compared to Hold’em. Short Deck therefore delivers high-action games, where you’ll often find yourself in hands against most of the table, with pots playing deeper and longer.

Partial removal of funds:

Unlike other cash game formats, Short Deck permits players to remove chips from the table once they build up a big enough stack. Players can then continue to play at the same table. Ladbrokes Poker will be the only operator to make a removal of funds feature available, exclusively for our Short Deck cash games.

When the feature is enabled, players can select the number of antes they wish to reduce their stack to from the table via the funds removal tab

Here, players will clearly see the minimum table balance that can be held by a player who wishes to remove money from the table.

For example, a player buys into a $0.10 ante game for 100 x ante giving them a stack of $10. If the game is configured to allow players to reduce their balance if they have over 300 x the ante, if the player builds up a stack of $40 (400x ante), they are allowed to reduce their stack to 300 x ante, removing $10 from the Short Deck table.

It is important to note that the reduction only takes place after the active hand is completed. If a player wins more, their balance is still reduced to 300x ante. If the player loses a hand, leaving them with less than 300x ante, their stack cannot be reduced further.

If you like poker, you’ll love Short Deck.

Short Deck Rules

Short Deck follows a similar format to Texas Hold’em, but with a few crucial differences! Most notably, cards below a 6 are removed, leaving a 36-card deck.

Our guide will quickly get you up to speed, and you’ll soon discover why the game is so popular with modern high-stakes pros!

How does a Short Deck hand play out? 

Pre-flop

• Unlike Texas Hold’em, no blinds are posted.
• Instead of blinds, all players must post an ante.
• To get the action going, the dealer (button) is required to post an additional button ante. This is usually the same value as the regular ante, although may differ.
• The player to the left of the dealer is first to act.
• The minimum pre-flop raise is double the button ante.

Flop

• Three communal cards are dealt face up, starting the next round of betting.
• As with pre-flop, the player to the left of the dealer is first to act.
• The minimum post-flop bet is the value of the normal ante (the mandatory ante which all players committed before a hand was dealt.)

Turn

• A fourth shared card is added, followed by a further round of betting.

River

• The final communal card is dealt, beginning the final round of betting.

Showdown

• As with Texas Hold’em your best five cards play, however in Short Deck:

• Flush beats a full house
• A6789 is a straight (the Ace plays high or low, so TJQKA is also a straight)
• A6789 of same suit is a straight flush

For the full list of hand rankings, please click here

Partial removal of funds

Unlike other cash game formats, Short Deck permits players to remove chips from the table once they build up a big enough stack. Players can then continue to play at the same table. Ladbrokes Poker will be the only operator to make a removal of funds feature available, exclusively for our Short Deck cash games. The removal rule is likely to be set at 400 x ante, with players able to remove 100 x ante.

Example: A player buys in to a $0.50 ante game for 100 x ante – a stack of $50. Once the player builds up a stack of $200 (400 x $0.50 Ante), they will be able to remove $50 (100 x $0.50) and carry on playing with $150.

Ante explanation

Example:

In a $1 ante game, the ante is $1 and the additional button ante is $1:

• Players have the option to fold, call $1 or make a pre-flop raise (minimum $2).
• The minimum post-flop bet is $1.