Short Deck Hold'em Rules

The object of the game is to win the pot, either by holding the best five-card hand at showdown or by making a bet that no other player calls.

The game is played with a 36-card deck: a standard deck with all twos, threes, fours and fives removed. Each suit contains the ace, king, queen, jack, ten, nine, eight, seven and six.

Each player receives two hole cards and shares five community cards. A player's hand is the best five-card combination from those seven cards, using both, one or neither hole card, exactly as in Texas Hold'em.

Hands are ranked according to Article 2, which differs from the standard poker hand rankings. Suits have no rank.

Between two and nine players may take part. Six is standard.

In all Short Deck games, a flush beats a full house. With only nine cards in each suit, a flush is harder to make than a full house.

Whether three of a kind beats a straight depends on the ruleset:

2.2(a) Triton rules: three of a kind beats a straight. This ruleset, popularised by the Triton Poker series, is the one most widely used in major live tournaments and is the default where no other ruleset is stated.

2.2(b) Straight-over-trips rules: a straight beats three of a kind, as in standard poker. This ruleset is found in some cash games and online.

All other rankings are the same as in standard poker.

The ace may play high or low in a straight. When low, it takes the place of the missing five, so A-6-7-8-9 is a straight.

A-6-7-8-9 is the lowest straight. A-K-Q-J-T is the highest. A-6-7-8-9 of one suit is the lowest straight flush.

Straights do not wrap around. K-A-6-7-8 is not a straight.

In the ante format, every player posts an equal ante before the deal. Antes are dead money and do not count toward a player's bet.

The player on the button also posts a button blind, a live bet that counts as the opening bet before the flop. Its size is set by the venue, commonly one or two times the ante.

Before the flop, the first player to the left of the button acts first, and the button acts last. Each player must at least call the button blind, raise or fold. If no one raises, the button has the option to check or raise.

On every later round, the first active player to the left of the button acts first and the button acts last, as in Hold'em.

The minimum bet is the size of the button blind. A raise must be at least the size of the previous bet or raise in the same round. The game is usually played no-limit; see betting structures.

Where blinds are used instead of a button blind, the small and big blinds, the order of action and the big blind's option are as in Texas Hold'em.

The dealer deals two hole cards face down to each player, one at a time, clockwise, starting with the player to the left of the button.

A card is burned before each round of community cards. The flop (three cards), turn (one card) and river (one card) are dealt face up in the centre of the table.

There are four betting rounds: pre-flop, flop, turn and river. The options to check, bet, call, raise and fold, the rules on all-in wagers and side pots, and the procedure for misdeals are as in Texas Hold'em.

If all but one player folds at any point, the remaining player wins the pot immediately.

The order of showing, the principle that the cards speak, and the rules for kickers, ties and odd chips are as in Texas Hold'em.

Hands are read using the ranking in force under Article 2. A player who miscalls their hand under the standard poker ranking does not lose a pot their cards win under the Short Deck ranking.