The most important difference in Short Deck is the modified hand ranking system:
Standard Order (High to Low):
1. Royal Flush
2. Straight Flush
3. Four of a Kind
4. Flush ← Higher than Full House!
5. Full House ← Lower than Flush!
6. Straight
7. Three of a Kind
8. Two Pair
9. One Pair
10. High Card
Why Flush Beats Full House:
• With only 9 ranks, trips are much easier to make
• With fewer cards, flushes are actually harder to complete
• This creates more action and interesting dynamics