Rules Short Deck Poker The mechanics of short deck as it relates to the action-by-action playing of the game are simple enough. In fact, anyone familiar with hold'em — most likely, nearly all of the readers of this site — will have no problem quickly grasping short deck's basics. Short-Deck Ante Only Poker – The Rules It’s widely believed that the Asian High Stakes community shot Short-Deck Ante Only poker out of the birth canal. Sometimes referred to as Six Plus Hold’em, the game uses a deck of 36-cards.

Short Deck Ante-Only Poker: The Game That Makes No-Limit Hold’em Feel Like a Horse and Cart

While the Beatles were putting down their guitars, and jumbo jets took to the skies for the first time, a young man called Doyle Brunson spoke fondly of a new poker variant called Texas No-Limit Hold’em (NLHE).
“It’s the Cadillac of Poker,” said Brunson referring to the heightened pace of the game introduced by the ‘all-in’ move.

It was revolutionary.

It created an itch, and people couldn’t stop scratching.

If NLHE is the Cadillac of Poker; Short-Deck Ante Only is the Koenigsegg Agera RS. I imagine you don’t know that the big long Swedish name in the above sentence is the fastest car in the world; that IKEA beds are responsible for 10% of pregnancies, or what the hell Short-Deck Ante Only is?

Let me help you out.

Anyone who has played in a local home game where cash trumps tournaments will have experienced the mind-numbing, spirit-crushing feeling when playing in a game where people fold more often than the 1969 Origami Champion of the World.

It not only happens when you’re sitting at the kitchen table ready to take your grannies last plastic bag worth of coppers. It occurs in the biggest cash games in the world.

Poker had a problem.
Short-Decked Ante Only Poker is the answer.

Short-Deck Ante Only Poker – The Rules

It’s widely believed that the Asian High Stakes community shot Short-Deck Ante Only poker out of the birth canal. Sometimes referred to as Six Plus Hold’em, the game uses a deck of 36-cards.

What’s missing?

Deuces.

Treys.

Fours.

Fives.

Soul destroyers buried in the garden beneath the rose bushes.

The ace still plays as both low and high meaning that it acts like a five when making a straight or straight flush. The game is essentially No-Limit Hold’em on crack. It’s harder to hit flushes as you only have five outs and not nine as in traditional NLHE. JT and AK is essentially a pre-flop coin flip and a set is a small favourite against a straight on the flop.

Triton Poker is the first live tournament operator to host high stakes Short Deck Ante-Only tournaments.

Let’s check out the rules.

The pre-flop betting is different to NLHE.

There is no small or big blind.

Instead, every player posts an ante in line with the tournament structure sheet, with the player on the button posting a double ante. The pre-flop action always begins with the player left of the dealer button who can fold, call the button ante or raise. The player on the button still acts last and has the option to check, call or raise dependant on the flow of the action. Post-flop action plays the same with the dealer left to the button having the opportunity to check or bet (including moving all-in as per NLHE).

Hand Rankings (From High to Low)

Short Deck Poker Rules

Royal flush
Straight flush
Four of a kind
Flush
Full house
Straight
Three of a kind
Two pair
One pair
High card

*It’s important to note that a flush beats a full house.

The equities run pretty close meaning the game has more swings than 12-rounds with Floyd Mayweather, but the most skilful player is still likely to beat you on points if you go the distance. There is still an edge, but more steak knife than a samurai sword.

It’s for this reason that the game is so popular with both amateurs and professionals loving the highs and performing harakiri after the lows. Poker fans watching the action at home will adore the game.

Pocket aces come along 1 in 105 hands, not 1 in 220.

You are 48% likely to make your straight draw on the flop than 31%.

You are 18% more likely to flop a set, not 12%.

Mayhem.

Madness.

Rules Of Short Deck Poker

Are you ready to jump in and see what this baby is capable of?

Big Pots for big game players.

Gg Poker Short Deck Rules

Short Deck Ante-Only poker.

*WARNING – There is a myriad of variations of this game, so always make sure you check your local rules before playing.