Short Deck rules: how hand rankings change and how it differs from Hold'em

Short Deck is Texas Hold’em played with all the 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s removed — just the 36 cards from 6 to A. The flow is almost identical: two hole cards, five community cards, four betting rounds. There are really only two things to get used to: antes instead of blinds, and a different order of hand rankings.

In the WPT Global lobby, its tab is called Short Deck, abbreviated SD.

Antes instead of blinds

Short Deck tables have no small blind or big blind. Before each hand, every player posts the same ante, and the button (Dealer) posts two. The button posting two antes is the standard setup described in WPT Global’s rules, but it can be turned off in the table settings — check the in-table Rules to be sure.

The button’s extra ante is “live,” meaning it counts toward the button’s preflop bet. According to the app’s rules, this is designed to “encourage action”: there’s money in the pot from the start, so players are more willing to get involved.

Because there’s no big blind, stakes and buy-ins at Short Deck tables are based on the ante. Where the blinds would normally appear, you’ll see an Ante amount instead of a format like 1/2.

Betting flow

1. Everyone posts an ante, and the button posts two. Each player is dealt two hole cards.
2. Preflop: Action starts to the left of the button and moves clockwise. You can fold, call, or raise any amount (no limit).
3. Flop: Three community cards are dealt, followed by a betting round.
4. Turn: The fourth community card is dealt, followed by a betting round.
5. River: The fifth community card is dealt, followed by the final betting round.
6. Showdown: If two or more players remain, hands are shown and compared.

Hand rankings (how they differ from Hold’em)

With fewer cards, the odds of each hand change. WPT Global’s rules state: a flush beats a full house.

The Short Deck hand rankings from the app’s rules page, highest to lowest:

Rank	Hand	Compared with Hold’em
1	Royal Flush	Same
2	Straight Flush	Same
3	Four of a Kind	Same
4	Flush	Up one rank, beats a full house
5	Full House	Down one rank
6	Straight	Same
7	Three of a Kind	Same
8	Two Pair	Same
9	One Pair	Same
10	High Card	Same

Only the flush and full house are swapped — a straight still beats three of a kind. Some sites rank three of a kind above a straight in Short Deck, but WPT Global’s hand rankings don’t, so watch out if you’re coming from another site.

WPT Global tables can also be set to use exactly the same hand rankings as Hold’em, in which case even the flush and full house are ranked as in Hold’em. Before you play, tap Rules in the table menu or check the on-screen hand strength hint to confirm the rules at that table.

The ace can play low

Short Deck has no 2 through 5, so the ace can go in front of the 6. That makes A-6-7-8-9 a straight — the lowest one. The highest straight is still 10-J-Q-K-A.

Adjusting from Hold’em

Fewer cards means more strong hands. With the same two hole cards, you connect with the board noticeably more often in Short Deck than in Hold’em — and so do your opponents.

The easiest place to lose money is flush draws. Hold’em players tend to treat a flush as “close to the nuts,” but in Short Deck, even though a flush beats a full house, each suit has only 9 cards, so you have fewer outs than in Hold’em. Do the math before you chase. On the other hand, open-ended straight draws have relatively good outs in Short Deck.

Pocket pairs are also worth less. You flop a set more often, but your opponents also make bigger hands more often, so you can’t play medium pairs as hard as you would in Hold’em.

Short Deck tables with Bomb Pots

Tables labeled Bomb SD in the lobby are Short Deck tables that trigger Bomb Pots. Every so often there’s a hand where everyone posts a large ante and play starts directly on the flop. See Bomb Pot rules.

FAQ

What is Short Deck?

Short Deck (also called 6+ Hold'em) is a Texas Hold'em variant that removes all the 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s, leaving 36 cards from 6 to A. Each player still gets two hole cards, there are five community cards, and the betting flow is the same as Hold'em.

Why does a flush beat a full house in Short Deck?

With fewer cards, each suit has only 9 cards left, so a flush is harder to make than a full house. Hands are ranked by how likely they are — the harder to make, the higher the rank — so in Short Deck a flush ranks above a full house. WPT Global's Short Deck only swaps these two hands; a straight still beats three of a kind.

Does Short Deck have blinds?

WPT Global's Short Deck has no blinds. Instead, every player posts a fixed ante each hand. The standard setup described in the rules is that the button posts two antes, and the extra one is live — it counts toward the button's bet for that round.

Is A-6-7-8-9 a straight?

Yes. Short Deck has no 2 through 5, so the ace can play low in front of the 6. A-6-7-8-9 is the lowest straight in Short Deck.