How the odds change
Pull 16 cards out and the math you memorized quietly breaks. Here's how the drawing odds shift in a 36-card world — and how to price your calls.
A smaller deck, denser draws
Short Deck uses 36 cards: 6 through Ace, no 2-5. After the flop only 31 cards are unknown, not the 47 you're used to. Fewer cards left = every out is worth more.
In Short Deck, both players are all-in preflop. Which hand is the favorite?
Straight draws are monsters
The compressed deck makes straights the everyday made hand. Even a 4-out gutshot climbs to ~24% by the river — about what a full-deck open-ender is worth. Draw to straights cheaply and often.
The board is complete. Do you have the nuts (the best possible hand)?
Flush draws are the weak link
With 4 of a suit showing you hold ~5 outs, so a flush draw gets there only ~30% by the river vs ~35% in Hold'em. Chase with caution; don't overpay.
Re-price every call
Straight draw? Call wide and semi-bluff hard. Flush draw? Fewer outs — ease off. Always run x3/x6, or you'll fold hands you should be playing.
- Only 31 cards are unknown after the flop — use x3 (one card) and x6 (two cards), never x2/x4.
- Straight draws are huge: open-ender ~45% by the river, gutshot ~24%.
- Flush draws are weak: each suit has just 9 cards, so ~5 outs and only ~30% by the river.
- A flush beats a full house because flushes are rare in a 36-card deck.
- Pocket pairs come ~8.6% of the time and flop a set ~17% — both more often than Hold'em.
Test yourself
Answer them all — 18/22 to pass. Every answer gets an explanation.
How many cards are in a Short Deck (Six Plus) deck?
The 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s are removed from a standard 52-card deck, leaving 36 cards (6 through Ace).
How many cards of each suit are there in Short Deck?
With ranks 6 through Ace, each suit has 9 cards instead of the usual 13.
After the flop in Short Deck, how many unknown cards remain?
36 total minus your 2 hole cards and the 3 flop cards leaves 31 unknown cards.
Which rule of thumb best estimates equity in Short Deck?
Because only 31 cards are unknown, each out is worth about 3% per remaining card, giving the x3/x6 shortcut.
Compared to Hold'em, an open-ended straight draw in Short Deck is:
The compressed deck makes an open-ender hit ~45% by the river versus ~31% in Hold'em.
Roughly what is the chance an open-ended straight draw completes by the river in Short Deck?
With 8 outs and only 31 unknown cards, an open-ender reaches ~45% by the river.
Compared to Hold'em, a flush draw in Short Deck completes:
Fewer cards per suit mean fewer outs, so flush draws hit ~30% versus ~35% in Hold'em.
In the standard Short Deck ruleset, a flush beats a full house because:
Flush scarcity in a 36-card deck is precisely why the flush is ranked above the full house.
Roughly how often does a flush draw complete by the river in Short Deck?
With 5 outs and 31 unknown cards, a flush draw reaches roughly 30% by the river.
How often are you dealt a pocket pair in Short Deck?
Fewer ranks make pairs more frequent — about 8.6% versus 5.9% in Hold'em.
Roughly what equity does a gutshot straight draw have by the river in Short Deck?
With 4 outs among 31 unknown cards, a gutshot reaches about 24% by the river — nearly a Hold'em open-ender.
Why is each out worth more in Short Deck than in Hold'em?
31 unknown cards versus 47 means any single out represents a larger fraction of the deck.
You hold 10-9 and the board is 8-7-x, giving you an open-ended straight draw. In Short Deck, which cards complete your straight?
6 is the lowest card in Short Deck, so 6-7-8-9-10 and 7-8-9-10-J both complete the straight.
Which type of draw should you generally treat more cautiously in Short Deck than in Hold'em?
Flush draws have fewer outs (5) and complete less often, so they deserve more caution.
Which type of draw can you play more aggressively in Short Deck than in Hold'em?
Straight draws carry far more equity in the compressed deck, justifying wider calls and semi-bluffs.
Which lowest card can be part of a straight in Short Deck (ignoring the special wheel)?
With 2 through 5 removed, 6 is the lowest natural card available for straights.
Compared to Hold'em, big made flushes in Short Deck should be valued:
Flushes are scarce in a 36-card deck, which is why they rank above full houses and merit strong value betting.
A flush draw with one card to come (flop to turn) hits roughly what percent in Short Deck?
5 outs divided by 31 unknown cards is about 16%, slightly lower than Hold'em's ~19%.
Overall, how does removing the low cards reshape common made hands in Short Deck?
The dense deck makes straights and sets frequent while the 9-card suits make flushes genuinely scarce.
How many outs does a flush draw have in Short Deck once four cards of the suit are accounted for?
A suit has only 9 cards, so with 4 already involved, just 5 flush outs remain.
How often does a pocket pair flop a set in Short Deck?
A pocket pair flops a set roughly 17% of the time versus ~12% in full-deck Hold'em.
If you use Hold'em's 2x/4x rule in Short Deck, you will tend to:
Each out is worth ~3%/~6% here, so x2/x4 undercounts and causes you to fold hands you should play.
Review — all 22 questions & answers tap to expand
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How many cards are in a Short Deck (Six Plus) deck?
Answer 36
The 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s are removed from a standard 52-card deck, leaving 36 cards (6 through Ace).
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How many cards of each suit are there in Short Deck?
Answer 9
With ranks 6 through Ace, each suit has 9 cards instead of the usual 13.
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After the flop in Short Deck, how many unknown cards remain?
Answer 31
36 total minus your 2 hole cards and the 3 flop cards leaves 31 unknown cards.
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Which rule of thumb best estimates equity in Short Deck?
Answer Multiply outs by ~3 (one card) or ~6 (two cards)
Because only 31 cards are unknown, each out is worth about 3% per remaining card, giving the x3/x6 shortcut.
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Compared to Hold'em, an open-ended straight draw in Short Deck is:
Answer Much more likely to complete
The compressed deck makes an open-ender hit ~45% by the river versus ~31% in Hold'em.
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Roughly what is the chance an open-ended straight draw completes by the river in Short Deck?
Answer About 45%
With 8 outs and only 31 unknown cards, an open-ender reaches ~45% by the river.
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Compared to Hold'em, a flush draw in Short Deck completes:
Answer Less often
Fewer cards per suit mean fewer outs, so flush draws hit ~30% versus ~35% in Hold'em.
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In the standard Short Deck ruleset, a flush beats a full house because:
Answer Flushes are harder to make with only 9 cards per suit
Flush scarcity in a 36-card deck is precisely why the flush is ranked above the full house.
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Roughly how often does a flush draw complete by the river in Short Deck?
Answer About 30%
With 5 outs and 31 unknown cards, a flush draw reaches roughly 30% by the river.
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How often are you dealt a pocket pair in Short Deck?
Answer About 8.6%
Fewer ranks make pairs more frequent — about 8.6% versus 5.9% in Hold'em.
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Roughly what equity does a gutshot straight draw have by the river in Short Deck?
Answer About 24%
With 4 outs among 31 unknown cards, a gutshot reaches about 24% by the river — nearly a Hold'em open-ender.
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Why is each out worth more in Short Deck than in Hold'em?
Answer Because there are fewer unknown cards to draw from
31 unknown cards versus 47 means any single out represents a larger fraction of the deck.
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You hold 10-9 and the board is 8-7-x, giving you an open-ended straight draw. In Short Deck, which cards complete your straight?
Answer Any 6 or any Jack
6 is the lowest card in Short Deck, so 6-7-8-9-10 and 7-8-9-10-J both complete the straight.
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Which type of draw should you generally treat more cautiously in Short Deck than in Hold'em?
Answer Flush draws
Flush draws have fewer outs (5) and complete less often, so they deserve more caution.
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Which type of draw can you play more aggressively in Short Deck than in Hold'em?
Answer Straight draws
Straight draws carry far more equity in the compressed deck, justifying wider calls and semi-bluffs.
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Which lowest card can be part of a straight in Short Deck (ignoring the special wheel)?
Answer 6
With 2 through 5 removed, 6 is the lowest natural card available for straights.
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Compared to Hold'em, big made flushes in Short Deck should be valued:
Answer More highly, because they are rarer
Flushes are scarce in a 36-card deck, which is why they rank above full houses and merit strong value betting.
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A flush draw with one card to come (flop to turn) hits roughly what percent in Short Deck?
Answer About 16%
5 outs divided by 31 unknown cards is about 16%, slightly lower than Hold'em's ~19%.
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Overall, how does removing the low cards reshape common made hands in Short Deck?
Answer Straights and sets become more common; flushes become rarer
The dense deck makes straights and sets frequent while the 9-card suits make flushes genuinely scarce.
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How many outs does a flush draw have in Short Deck once four cards of the suit are accounted for?
Answer 5
A suit has only 9 cards, so with 4 already involved, just 5 flush outs remain.
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How often does a pocket pair flop a set in Short Deck?
Answer About 17%
A pocket pair flops a set roughly 17% of the time versus ~12% in full-deck Hold'em.
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If you use Hold'em's 2x/4x rule in Short Deck, you will tend to:
Answer Underestimate your equity
Each out is worth ~3%/~6% here, so x2/x4 undercounts and causes you to fold hands you should play.