H.O.R.S.E Overview-Basic Rules

H.O.R.S.E. Basics

H.O.R.S.E. is a form of poker that is commonly played at high stakes tables of casinos where the players involved prefer a variety of different games. It consists of rounds of play cycling through five different games:

 

1. Texas Holdem

2. Omaha Poker

3. Razz

4. Seven Card Stud

5. Eight or Better Omaha Hi/Lo

All of these five are played as limit games at a H.O.R.S.E. table. There are occasionally exceptions to this rule, however, as at the 2006 World Series of Poker where the final table of the H.O.R.S.E. event was played as no limit Texas hold ‘em exclusively.

A H.O.R.S.E. tournament was held at the World Series of Poker in 2004 when it was won by Scott Fischman. The 2006 World Series H.O.R.S.E. tournament had a record-setting $50,000 entry fee and was won by David "Chip" Reese. The $50,000 buy-in tournament returned for the 2007 World Series of Poker, along with seven satellite events with a $2,250 buy-in whose winners earned seats into the $50,000 buy-in event. The $50,000 event was won by poker professional Freddy Deeb. Separate H.O.R.S.E. events with $2,500 and $5,000 buy-ins were also on the 2007 WSOP program.

H.O.R.S.E. is considered a professional's game, as it takes great skill to be successful. You must be at least proficient in five different forms of poker, and flexible enough to be able to switch up your game frequently without missing a step. Poker pros flock to the H.O.R.S.E. event to prove their skill, as the high buy-in and level of play required restrains most amateurs from playing. This is different from the Main Event of the World Series of Poker, the $10,000 No-Limit Texas Hold ‘em tournament, which attracts thousands of amateurs. The enormous field in the Main Event causes luck to be far more important in order to survive deep into the tournament. This is not so in the H.O.R.S.E. event.

A very effective strategy for H.O.R.S.E. is to minimize your weak point, by playing tighter, while playing to your strong points. If you are a solid player at Omaha eight or better, but not such a good Seven Card Stud player, you should do your best to take advantage of the players who are weak at Omaha eight or better. Then, during the Seven Card Stud phase of the H.O.R.S.E. event you should play it safer, tighter to the vest.

The best H.O.R.S.E. strategy, of course, is to be very good at all five of the different poker forms. This way you don't have to worry about being humiliated in a game that you are weak at. In most cases, the best all around player is the one who will win at H.O.R.S.E.

For rules and strategies of each H.O.R.S.E. game, click on the above links.

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