Short Deck No-Limit Hold'em Arrives at the WSOP
The age-old saying 'Less is more' will be put to the test later today with the first ever $10,000 Short Deck No-Limit Hold'em Championship getting underway. This four-day event is a new addition to the WSOP schedule for 2019, with the format growing in popularity amongst poker fans over the last six months.
WSOP Vice President of Corporate Communication Seth Palansky told PokerNews earlier in the year that the WSOP is "never afraid to try something."
"Every year we look to the schedule of events and determine what is growing in popularity and what is waning," Palansky said. "At one time, limit hold’em and five-card draw dominated our offerings. We are cognizant of our need to adapt and meet the current market demands.
"Some seem to last, like dealer’s choice, and some don’t, like ante-only no-limit hold’em."
For the uninitiated, short deck hold'em (also called Six Plus Hold'em) sees every card deuce through five removed, leaving just 36 of the 52 card deck remaining. As a result, strategies change and everything players thought they knew about hold'em is thrown out the window as they adjust to the new format.
One important thing to know before jumping into the short deck streets is that flushes beat full houses. This is the hand rankings the WSOP will use:
| Hand Rankings |
|---|
| Royal Flush |
| Straight Flush |
| Four of a Kind |
| Flush |
| Full House |
| Straight |
| Three of a Kind |
| Two Pair |
| One Pair |
| High Card |
Players will start with 30,000 chips and will be allowed a free add-on for another 30,000 at any point until the end of registration. There will also be a single re-entry for the first ten levels, with late registration closing after ten levels (~5:15 pm on Day 2).
Eight levels are scheduled for Day 1, with a 15-minute break after every two levels. The tournament will play six-handed, with each player putting in a single ante, with the player on the button putting in a double ante.
The new format will be sure to attract a crowd of interested spectators, but it remains to be seen what kind of field size will greet WSOP organizers.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for all the coverage of this brand new bracelet event.