Avoiding common mistakes and adapting to Short Deck’s dynamics can help you improve your game
Short Deck Hold’em, also known as Six Plus Hold’em, is an exciting variation of traditional Texas Hold’em that uses a 36-card deck, removing all twos, threes, fours, and fives. While the game shares many similarities with its full-deck counterpart, it requires a different strategy. Beginners often make avoidable mistakes that can impact their performance.
One common mistake is overvaluing pocket pairs. In standard Hold’em, a strong pocket pair can dominate preflop, but in Short Deck, hands like pocket jacks or queens are more vulnerable due to the reduced number of low-ranking cards. This means opponents are more likely to hit high-card combinations.
Another error is misunderstanding hand rankings. In Short Deck, a flush is stronger than a full house because fewer cards are available to complete flushes, making them rarer. Many new players misjudge the strength of their hands based on traditional Hold’em rankings, leading to poor decisions.
Many beginners also fail to adjust their starting hand selection. Hands like suited connectors gain significant value, while weaker aces become less effective. Since straights are more common in Short Deck, hands with high connectivity are often more valuable than single high cards.
Playing too passively is another issue. The nature of the game means that big hands occur more frequently, and drawing hands have increased equity. A more aggressive approach is often required to capitalize on strong holdings and put pressure on opponents.
Failing to account for equity shifts is another mistake. Since Short Deck changes the probabilities of making strong hands, traditional odds calculations do not apply. Players must be willing to reevaluate postflop situations and adjust accordingly.

Editor at the Big Blind, is a rising star in gambling journalism with a decade of experience, focusing on clear and accessible communication for a diverse audience.