Six Plus Hold’em, also known as Short Deck, is a feature on many online poker rooms, as well as in many bricks and mortar poker emporiums all over the world. For many, it’s quickly become a fixture and is now almost as familiar as regular hold’em or Omaha. But for others, it still remains a bit of a mystery. Whether you’re part of the former or latter camp, we bet there are some things you’ll learn by reading this article. In six easy Six Plus Hold’em facts, you’ll become a bit more informed about the background of the game, as well as getting an insight on how to play.
1. Six Plus Hold’em started in 2014
Let’s kick off our Six Plus Hold’em facts from the very beginning. When did all this begin? Six Plus Hold’em was developed in card rooms in Asia in 2014. Yes, that’s right, it’s less than 10 years old. It has not taken very long for this game to catch on the world over.
2. It’s available online and offline
Six Plus Hold’em has gone from a fad to an accepted poker game type in lightning speed. That means it’s available in a huge variety of places. You can play it on bricks and mortar poker rooms all over the world, but the places where the hottest real life action is are still the casinos in Asia. From Macau to Hong Kong to Manila, the nosebleed tables especially are legendary.
Of course, you don’t need to go all the way to Asia to try out the game. If you’re not already familiar with it, that would be a pretty expensive experiment. Instead, we’d suggest trying out a reliable online poker room at fairly low stakes and grind your way up when you get the hang of it. One of our favorite places to play has got to be bet365. The software is smooth and easy to use, plus you can get a truly lovely welcome offer with our bet365 bonus code.
3. Low rank cards missing from the Six Plus deck
One of the key Six Plus Hold’em facts is that there’s something funny going on with the deck. That is to say that the lowest ranking cards are removed. Say goodbye to all your twos, threes, fours and fives. When you think about the name, it all starts to make sense. You’re only playing with cards from six and beyond.
4. Six Plus and Short Deck is the same thing
In some places you’ll see Six Plus Hold’em on offer and in some places you’ll see Short Deck Hold’em. The good news is that they are the same thing. So all the Six Plus Hold’em facts you learn today can be used for any Short Deck games too. As you might have guessed, Short Deck also gets its name from the reduced number of cards at play.
5. The rankings are different from regular hold’em
Six Plus Hold’em plays out much like a regular game of Texas, you can expect the same betting rounds, etc. That’s part of the beauty of the game, it’s so familiar. But it’s differences are what make it exciting. Because we’ve messed with the regular deck and taken out the lower ranking cards, the probabilities of different hands coming up are a little skewed compared to regular hold’em. To reflect this, the rankings are slightly different. In Six Plus Hold’em, you’ve got to remember that…
- Flushes beat full houses
- Three of a kinds beat straights
6. It pays to be cautious
When you’re playing this high variance game, it can be easy to get swept away by getting dealt much stronger hands more frequently than in regular hold’em. But remember, the same is true for your opponents too. For example, the chances of getting an ace are doubled. So it’s good to play a little more conservatively, especially when you’re just starting out. Suited hands are stronger here than in regular hold’em, which is also good to keep in mind.
