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High stakes cash game players plying their trade at the GGPoker tables will now have to display their real names instead of an alias. The move, GGPoker hopes, will end network multi-accounting.
The poker room has clients for gadgets with different operating systems. PCs: Windows and Mac OS, and mobile devices: Android or iOS. In short, you can play on almost any computer or smartphone. Create a GG Poker account from your desktop PC. Clear your cookies or use a new browser; Use the following link to visit the official GGPoker website.
- GGPoker is one of the most popular and largest poker sites today for recreational players and pros around the world. Originally the flagship of the “Good Game Network” (GG Network) which started in 2014. GGPoker stands out because of unique features like Pokercraft analysis and staking.
- A cool variation on hold ’em, this removes the 2, 3, 4 and 5 cards from the deck. So the rules are a little different. For example, flushes beat full houses. Also, the lowest possible straight will be A, 6, 7, 8 and 9. There is also a Short Deck jackpot; hit a royal or straight flush, or any four of a kind for a chance to win.
- Short Deck Hold’em – also known as Six Plus (6+) Hold’em – is No-Limit Hold’em played with a stripped-down deck. All of the deuces to fives are removed to make the total deck just 36 cards. That means some pretty big changes to the poker hand rankings, game dynamics and to standard Texas Holdem strategy.
- Short Deck Hold’em (also known as 6+) is a poker variant very similar to Texas Hold’em, where everyone is dealt two cards and there are five community cards on the table. Like Texas Hold'em, players have to make the best hand to win.
GGPoker’s high stakes cash games have their own section in the client. No-Limit Hold’em, Pot-Limit Omaha, and Short Deck cash games with blinds from $25/$50 up to $200/$400 are found here.
Players frequenting these games have received messages from GGPoker informing them of the enforced changes.
“Thank you for being an active member of our VIP Games. We are contacting you to inform you of our new VIP Game policy. It has recently come to light that some players are creating multiple accounts to hide [sic] identity and target weaker players despite our effort to police it. This is affecting the safety of our VIPs and hurting the integrity of the game. As such, we plan on progressively converting players’ nicknames to their Real Names.”
The message instructs players to submit a copy of their passport or driver’s license for real name verification within 48-hours of receiving the message.
GGPoker Takes a Hard Stance on Real Names
It appears GGPoker is taking this matter seriously as players who do not confirm their actual names will no longer be able to play on the site.
“Once we have received and verified the document, your Nickname will be converted to your Real Name. Subsequently, you will no longer be allowed to use any other multi-accounts on [sic] GGPoker Network, which includes all skins on the network.
“If you do not wish to comply, we regret to inform you that we can no longer accept your services. In this case, please cease playing and cash out your balance immediately.”
The multi-accounting GGPoker speaks of in its message refers to players creating accounts on others skins on the GGNetwork. GGPoker is the flagship skin with Natural8 also popular. At least nine other operators are part of the GGNetwork, including OlyBet which transferred from the now-defunct MPN.
As all skins share the same traffic, players can create an account on each GGNetwork skin and essentially have several different accounts and aliases.
Most skins are licensed by the Government of Curacao so the Know Your Customer (KYC) rules are a little more relaxed. British players have to play on GGPoker.co.uk which has a license from the UK Gambling Commission which is much stricter in its KYC regulations.
Are High Stakes MTT Players Next?
The switch to real names looks to be a work in progress because PokerNews checked a $50/$100 NL Hold’em cash game that was running and none of the seated players displayed their real names.
It also appears, although not confirmed, that tournament players are being asked to reveal their real names on GGPoker. Several of the recent WSOP Online Super Circuit events had a mixture of real name players and aliases in the chip counts and payouts.
For example, the Main Event saw high stakes regulars Alexandros Kolonias, Artur Martirosian and UK-based Spaniard Juan Pardo Dominguez displayed their real names, but everyone else who finished in the top 25 places used an alias.
Real Names Also at partypoker
GGPoker isn’t the first online poker site to make players reveal their true identities. partypoker began rolling out real name games this time last year. High stakes cash games were initially targeted but now cash game players have the choice to sit at any size stakes and have their real name on show.
Some partypoker tournaments are also real name. The recent WPT Online Series and Super High Roller Bowl events were all real names, as was the final ouple of weeks of partypoker’s POWERFEST series. The weekly $5,200 buy-in Big Game is now real name only, while the recently launched private cash games, known as Club Games, are also played with players’ actual names at the tables.
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GGPoker
You're probably going to like Short Deck poker - also known as Short Deck Hold'em or Six Plus (6+) Hold'em.
As you might guess from its name, Short Deck poker plays with all of the cards below six removed from the deck.
With a 36-card deck and all the low cards removed you can likely visualize what that means for both the average hand made and the betting action on most streets - at least for players coming from standard Hold'em who tend to overvalue their hands.
Short Deck poker can be a bit wild, is what we're saying, and it's quickly becoming a favorite game of high-stakes pros and amateurs alike.
Short Deck Poker Rules - How to Play
First things first -- the basic rules of Short Deck poker are very much the same as they are for standard Texas Hold'em. That means there are blinds put in before the hand starts, action rotates around the table the same way, betting rules and practices are the same ... so playing Short Deck Hold'em is no different in that regard.
For a refresher on the rules and game play of regular Texas Hold'em, check our Texas Hold'em rules page here:
Where things do get different in Short Deck poker, however, is in the ranking of poker hands from highest to lowest and which cards are actually in the deck. Short Deck poker also frequently incorporates antes into the game to increase the pot sizes and make the action even more frenetic.
Remove All Cards 2-5
The first step to playing Short Deck poker is to take all of the cards below six out of the deck. That means you remove all four 2s, all four 3s, all four 4s and all four 5s.
If you're good at math (and if you play poker we certainly hope you are), that means you're left with a deck of just 36 cards (as opposed to the usual 52). What are the consequences of that for both the rules and strategy of Short Deck poker?
- 1) Aces can still used as both high and low so the lowest straight becomes A-6-7-8-9 - the Ace essentially standing in for the removed 5.
- 2) Your probability of getting certain hands pre-flop, like pocket aces, go way up (1 in 100 in Short Deck vs. 1 in 221 in standard Hold'em)
- 3) You will be dealt a lot more 'premium' hands like AK, AQ, pocket pairs, etc.
- 3) It becomes mathematically harder to hit a Flush so its value goes up
- 4) It's easier to make a straight than hit a set
So ... the poker hand rankings change when you're playing Short Deck poker. Gasp! But don't sweat too hard - they don't change that much. Here they are compared to standard Texas Hold'em poker hand rankings:
Short Deck Hold’em Hand Ranking*
Short Deck Hold’em | Standard Texas Hold’em |
Royal Flush | Royal Flush |
Straight Flush | Straight Flush |
Quads | Quads |
Flush | Full House |
Full House | Flush |
3 of a Kind | Straight |
Straight | 3 of a Kind |
Two Pair | Two Pair |
One pair | One pair |
High card | High card |
*Note: Some poker sites still rank a straight higher than a set or trips in their Short Deck poker games - be sure to check the official Short Deck poker house rules before you play!
The most obvious takeaway here is:
- A Flush is now ranked higher than a Full House
- A Set or Trips are now ranked higher than a Straight
If you think of it from a mathematics perspective, this makes obvious sense. With four cards of every suit removed, there are now only 5 outs to your four-flush as opposed to 9. So mathematically you will hit a flush much less often.
Your odds of hitting a straight draw also go up as there are obviously less gaps or 'missing' cards to fill in your straight. Some more Short Deck odds to contemplate:
- Straight draws now hit the flop 48% of the time, not 31%
- Odds of flopping a set are now 18%, not 12%
How to Play Short Deck Poker - Top 5 Strategy Tips
Ad you might expect, when you alter the deck so drastically and change the value of certain poker hands, this flips traditional Texas Hold'em strategy on its ear somewhat.
The basics of good, solid fundamental poker play still apply of course - focus on making good decisions, pay attention to players and patterns at the table, make every play for a good reason, etc... - but the specific of Short Deck poker obviously change because of the new math.
With more premium hands dealt pre-flop - and this means to every player - the value of a premium hand pre-flop obviously goes down. You'll make more big hands if you carry on in the hand, but so will your opponents so it evens out somewhat.
The biggest strategic difference is the change in ranking between the Flush and Full House and the Set and Straights. In fact if you go by the math you're at 45% to hit a straight draw by the river so you have to make sure you don't overestimate it strength.
By the same token you need to reduce your enthusiasm for Flush draws as you drop to a 30% chance (instead of 36% in standard Hold'em) of hitting it by the river. Here are 5 key strategy differences to pay attention to when learning the rules of Short Deck poker:
1) Pocket Pairs Have a Higher Value in Short Deck Poker
Your chances of hitting a set in Short Deck poker are higher than they are in standard Hold'em so all your pocket pairs go up in value. That said ...
2) Single Pairs Win Less Often
Because overall hands hit in Short Deck poker are usually higher, a single pair - including top pair, top kicker - will not win at showdown very often
3) Premium Hole Cards are Worth Less
As mentioned, even if your overall hands made are higher value, so will your opponents' be higher. That means your premium hands - like Broadway cards, which you'll be dealt almost 1/3 of the time - are worth less. You'll need to make stronger post-flop hands on average to win pots.
4) Rule of 4 and 2 Becomes Rule of 3 and 6
The Rule of 2 and 4 in standard Texas Hold'em means you can find your 'equity' (odds of hitting a winning hand) on the flop and turn by multiplying the outs you have by 2 or 4, respectively. In Short Deck Holdem this changes to 3 and 6.
So on the flop if you multiply your out by 3 you'll find your rough odds of hitting your hand on the turn. If you multiply by 6 you'll find you chances of hitting your out by the turn or river card.
5) You Have to See Flops!
Players who fold too much will not last very long in Short Deck Hold'em. You have to get in and mix it up and let your hole cards improve on the flop!
One of the nice things about Short Deck poker is that it really tightens the equities of all hands in the game so the 'losing' or weaker hand wins more often. This means your big hands will be caught more often but it also means weaker players will stray in the game longer.
Over the long term, that means you'll still be able to earn a nice profit over players who don't quite play optimal strategy.
How to Play Short Deck Poker Online
While Short Deck poker is a newfound phenomenon in North America and Europe, Short Deck poker (also known as Six Plus Holdem or 6+ Holdem) has been a popular staple of high-stakes poker games in Asia for much longer.
Gg Poker Short Deck Rules And Regulations
Its history isn't exactly written in stone but the general belief is a high-rolling gambler in Macau wanted to hit more big hands so, as these things tend to go when the players with money want to change the game, 6+ Holdem or 'Short Deck' poker was born.
Big-name high rollers like Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan and Dan 'Jungleman' Cates have sat in on many of the big Short Deck games in Asia, in fact, alongside the godfathers of Asian poker like Paul Phua, Richard Yong and Winfred Yu. The Triton High Roller series also introduced Short Deck poker to the European High Roller crowd with an event in Montenegro in 2018.
As for playing online, Short Deck poker has been introduced as a variant on the iPoker Network, meaning you can play it on any iPoker Network skin As luck would have it PokerJunkie has an exclusive sign-up bonus deal with William Hill Poker, which is on the iPoker Network and offers 6+ Holdem.
To get your sign-up bonus and create an account at William Hill Poker, visit our review page here:
With its recent surge in popularity we wouldn't be surprised to see Short Deck poker added to both 888poker and PokerStars in the near future. Check our review here for updates:
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Gg Poker Short Deck Rules List
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