The Hand Rankings Short Deck Changes

Short Deck still deals two hole cards, but the deck changes. The club game page uses 36 cards, with 2, 3, 4 and 5 removed. Pairs and flushes show up more often. The Hold'em order reverses in the big pots.

1. Stronger hands on top. Marks show where Hold'em differs.

2. 1. Royal flush

   Same as Hold'em

3. 2. Straight flush

   Same as Hold'em

4. 3. Four of a kind

   Same as Hold'em

5. 4. Flush

   Above a full house

   Changed

6. 5. Full house

   Below a flush

   Changed

7. 6. Then the rest

   Straight, trips, two pair, one pair, high card. See the note on trips versus a straight.

The ace drops beside the six

Without 2, 3, 4 and 5 there is no A-2-3-4-5 wheel. The club rule counts A-6-7-8-9 as a straight. Ace-king is still a high starting hand. On a board of six, seven and eight, the ace also completes the low straight. Remembering only ‘ace is high’ misses that board.

36

Cards in the deck

2–5

Removed

A-6

Low straight

2–6

Players

Three Hold'em habits to drop

• Do not treat a flush draw as weaker than a full house. Here the flush ranks higher.
• Sets and better show up more often. Do not pile a big pot with one pair.
• The game is 2–6 players. Do not paste a nine-handed early-position chart onto it.

• Short Deck rules
• Hold'em rules to compare
• Hold'em hand order