How to Play HORSE Poker
“Horse” is an acronym formed by the 5 variants that make up this mixed poker game. The five variants are Hold’em, Omaha Hi/Lo, Razz, Stud and Eight or Better Stud. Horse is a game that will truly test a poker player’s overall ability seeing as how they’d need to be efficient in all 5 variants in order to be successful.
Rules for Playing Horse
The rules for Horse are going to be straightforward, as you just need to know the rules for each individual game. If you need to learn how to play a variant of Horse, just follow one of the links below.
Each variant is played using the fixed-limit betting format. What this means is that in a 2/4 game, the first couple of betting rounds are played using the small bet ($2) and the rest are played using the big bet ($4).
Also, a rule or change of structure you might see is how the games transition from one to the next. Some sites or structures will have the games rotate every 8 hands or so, while others will play one game per blind level. Blind levels will simply depend on what game you’re playing. I’m sure you’ll find them ranging anywhere from 3 minutes to 15+ minutes per level.
Horse Poker Tips
Here are some tips that should help you get off to the right foot when first learning how to play Horse poker.
- Learn each game individually. Unless you’re playing in a game that’s structured for one game per blind level with each blind level lasting more than a couple minutes, you’re going to have a difficult time learning each game. I would suggest playing each game individually, maybe a lower level tournament or better yet, a micro stakes ring game. That way you can learn the ins and outs of each game without having to worry about being rotated to a new game without having fully grasped the one you’re in.
- Improve your weaker games. I know many sites say that you should focus on the games you do better in rather than the weak ones. But I feel differently.
By improving in a game that you’re not good in (most players have difficulty with Razz or Stud), you become a more well rounded player. That’s the whole idea of Horse poker. The well-rounded players are the most successful. Once your weaker games are up to par, then you can focus on improving every aspect of your Horse poker game.
- Pay attention to when the games rotate. It’s happened to me quite a few times. One hand we’re playing Razz, I look away to do something else, and the next hand I play I assume we’re still playing Razz – but we’re actually playing Stud! Be sure to pay attention so that you don’t show up at showdown with what you think is the best low hand when the low hand doesn’t even play.
Summary of How to Play Horse Poker
Horse poker may seem like a complicated game to learn how to play from the outside, but after a few rounds, you’re sure to get the hang of it.
The actual complication that stems from Horse poker is that a player needs to not only apply the various strategies for each individual poker variation, but also be able to change gears and apply these strategies on the fly as the games rotate.
If you would like to play HORSE poker online, we recommend checking out www.FullTiltPoker.com.
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Written by Matt Geer