Beginner What To Raise and Fold Preflop in Short Deck Hold’em URL has been copied successfully! Since equities run closer in Short Deck, choosing the right hands to raise and fold will keep you ahead of the competition Short Deck Hold’em, also known as Six-Plus Hold’em, is a variation of traditional Texas Hold’em that uses a smaller deck by removing the twos, threes, fours, and fives. This change alters hand rankings and makes preflop decisions different from standard Hold’em. Understanding what to raise and fold before the flop is crucial to gaining an edge in this fast-paced game. Premium hands such as pocket aces, pocket kings, and pocket queens remain strong and should almost always be raised. However, because flushes rank higher than full houses in Short Deck, suited hands gain more value. Hands like ace-king suited or king-queen suited become even more powerful. Pocket jacks and tens are still playable, but they can be vulnerable in multiway pots, so raising is ideal to narrow the field. Middle-strength hands like ace-jack, king-jack, and queen-jack suited are worth raising, especially in position. These hands have strong equity and can connect with straight possibilities. However, their offsuit versions lose value because straights are more common, and flush potential is more critical. Hands like ace-ten offsuit or king-queen offsuit are playable but should be raised selectively, depending on position and table dynamics. Weaker hands such as low-suited connectors like eight-nine suited or seven-eight suited can be playable, especially in later positions. They offer straight and flush possibilities but should generally be avoided from early position. Small pocket pairs, such as pocket sixes or fives, are less valuable than in regular Hold’em because sets occur less often, making them less profitable in the long run. Folding hands like weak offsuit broadways, low unsuited connectors, and small unsuited aces is often the best choice.