Overview
I previously wrote an article:
explaining the rules of Short Deck Hold’em (6+ Hold’em). However, upon re-examining the matter, I discovered that it is generally played with rules slightly different from Texas Hold’em. Since the game I developed, “Exotic Poker,” currently cannot represent this variant, I will add this information while making revisions. The rules popularized by the Triton Poker Series tournament appear to be the de facto standard for Short Deck Hold’em, so I will explain the rules based on those.
Blind Structure
In Texas Hold’em, the blinds are typically 0.5bb for the Small Blind (SB) and 1bb for the Big Blind (BB). In Triton Poker Series Short Deck Hold’em, it seems that the BTN player is responsible for the blinds. Also, it seems that the ante is played as 1bb = 1 ante, and it is expressed as 1 ante rather than 1bb. It seems to be ante = 1 ante, BTN blind = 1 ante. Players other than the BTN pay 1 ante, and the BTN player pays 1 ante + blind (1 ante).
The order of action in pre-flop is the same as in Texas Hold’em, and the BTN player can raise even if the players before them have only folded or limped in (treated the same as the BB in Texas Hold’em). The BB player is last, and since the BB player has not paid the blind, they must fold if they do not pay additional chips.
Also, the stack size played is generally 40bb (40 ante) rather than 100bb. Due to the high ante and shallow stacks, it feels similar to playing a Texas Hold’em game with a 25bb stack. Short Deck Hold’em is designed so that it is difficult to create a large difference preflop, and with the shallow stacks, it appears to be a game with a strong element of luck.
VPIP Is about Double that of Texas Hold’em
The rules of Short Deck Hold’em seem to have been designed with the intention of making Texas Hold’em, where there is often a gap between skilled and inexperienced players, a more casual game where experience is less likely to make a difference. For this reason, not only the poker rules but also the rules regarding chips seem to have been intentionally designed to make it difficult to fold and to increase the element of luck.
As a result, the VPIP in Short Deck Hold’em is generally around 35-55%, which is nearly double that of Texas Hold’em. According to ChatGPT, the VPIP for each position is as follows:
| 平均 | UTG | MP | CO | BTN | SB | BB |
| 45% | 30% | 35% | 45% | 70% | 75% | 80% |
Despite the shallow stacks, the theory seems to be to 3bet about twice as much as in Texas Hold’em. Strong hands are 3-bet to 4-bet, and in competitions between weak hands, limp pots are not uncommon, so although it is difficult to tell the difference, pre-flop play seems to be very important. If you want to know the range corresponding to VPIP in order of high winning percentage, you can use the tool on the following page.
Due to the high VPIP, the ratio of multi-way pots is high, and it seems that 3 to 4 players often remain on the flop. As mentioned in a previous article, because the probability of hitting a flush is low, sets, straights, and full houses are strong hands, and because the probability of hitting a straight is particularly high, hand connectivity is important (JT and T9 are surprisingly strong).
Strategy after the Flop
Because the pre-flop participation rate is high and the stacks are shallow, most hands seem to be decided on the flop or turn (either by folding or going all-in). Ignoring river strategy for now, here’s how strong your hand needs to be to go all-in on the flop or turn.
[Flop]
- Two pair or better: Going all-in is recommended unless the board situation is very bad.
- TPTK: Since it is strong at the flop, it often goes all-in.
- Top pair with a weak kicker, middle pair: Wait and see. Check and see if it goes around, or if the flop is a limp pot, consider betting, and decide whether to call a thin bet (such as a 25% bet).
- Bottom pair or worse: Fold.
- Combo draws: If you don’t have a hand but have a straight draw and a flush draw, you can call an all-in. Since straights from straight draws have a higher probability of being completed than in Texas Hold’em, you can play aggressively on the flop.
[Turn]
- TPTK or better hands are eligible for all-in. If you are likely to lose based on the board situation, fold appropriately.
- In multi-way situations, you can go all-in with two pair or better, or a combo draw.
- Fold with anything less than that.
Since luck plays a strong role, it’s unlikely that opponents will fold to a bluff due to the rules of the game. Therefore, the basic strategy is to go all-in when you have a strong hand (or are likely to have one), focusing on value.
Tournament Design
I didn’t really understand the rules and thought it was just a variation of Texas Hold’em, but Short Deck Hold’em MTTs usually have short stacks and the level-ups are often set to be shorter. Online, it seems that some tournaments are designed to be decided in about 30 minutes. If you don’t play in a manner close to Push or Fold from the start, your stack will disappear in an instant due to the ante and level-ups, so it may feel like a game of chance that can be played in a short amount of time. I hope to incorporate this design into my own game and redesign it so that Short Deck Hold’em can be enjoyed normally.
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