What changes
Short Deck uses a 36-card deck: the 2s, 3s, 4s and 5s are removed. The deal, the flop, turn and river are all the same as Hold'em. Most games use antes rather than blinds, with the button often posting a larger "button blind".
Short Deck hand rankings
| Rank | Hand | Standard Hold'em position |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal flush | Same |
| 2 | Straight flush | Same |
| 3 | Four of a kind | Same |
| 4 | Flush | Moves above full house |
| 5 | Full house | Moves below flush |
| 6 | Three of a kind | Above straight under Triton rules |
| 7 | Straight | Below trips under Triton rules |
| 8–10 | Two pair, pair, high card | Same |
Why it plays so differently
- Equities run closer. against is close to a coin flip, and big pairs are less dominant.
- Straights are everywhere. An open-ended draw still has eight outs, but in a 36-card deck those outs are a far larger share of the cards left. Straight draws gain value.
- Flush draws weaken. Only nine cards of each suit exist, so a flush draw has just five outs, against nine in Hold'em.
- Set over set is common. With fewer ranks, two pocket pairs flopping sets happens far more often.
Where it is played
Short Deck took off in the private games of Macau and Hong Kong in the 2010s and gained global profile through the Triton Super High Roller Series. It now appears on major online sites and in festival schedules worldwide.
Frequently asked questions
Does a flush beat a full house in Short Deck?
Yes. With fewer cards per suit, flushes are rarer than full houses, so a flush ranks higher.
Does three of a kind beat a straight in Short Deck?
In the most common Triton rules, yes. Some rooms keep the standard order where a straight wins, so always check the house rules.
What is the lowest straight in Short Deck?
A-6-7-8-9. The ace plays low as the card below the six.