How To Play H.O.R.S.E. Poker

Many people believe that the mark of a truly great poker player is an uncanny ability to play every type of game- and to play them all well. Perhaps the ultimate test for poker mastery is HORSE, which is essentially just a mixture of five different types of limit poker. The variations played are Limit Holdem, Omaha 8 (hi-lo), Razz, Seven Card Stud, and Stud 8 (hi-lo).

HORSE poker is played as a rotation game. In a tournament, the game being played changes with the passage of each blind level. For instance, when the blinds are 20/40, the game may be Omaha 8. When the blinds rise to 25/50, the game will change to Razz. In a cash game, the game changes when the table completes one full orbit (when the dealer button moves from the dealer’s position, and back around to him). The table may play Holdem for one orbit, and then the game would change to Omaha 8.

In a full round of HORSE, the first game is always Holdem, and the last is always Stud 8. Although players can leave at any point in a cash game, and tournaments may not necessarily end with a round of Stud 8, the flow of the game rotation always follows the H-O-R-S-E pattern.

The betting rules of each game follow those of the respective games themselves. Meaning, players need to know how the rules of each game variation in order to play HORSE with success. Below is a rundown of the basic rules of each variation played in a round of HORSE.

Texas Holdem

In Limit Holdem, each player is dealt two hole cards, which are to be used in conjunction with five community cards to make a five card poker hand. The betting in Texas Holdem is fixed. The bet amount in the first two betting rounds is always the amount of the lowest game limit. For example, if the stakes or blinds are 20/40, the bet would be 20 chips. The betting amount in the last two rounds doubles to the amount of the highest stake, in this case, 40 chips.

Omaha Hi-Lo

In Omaha 8, players receive four hole cards, and are required to use two of them in conjunction with any three of five community cards dealt to make a five card poker hand. Betting in Omaha 8 is identical to Holdem. Omaha 8 is a hi-low game, meaning players can either aim to make the best low five-card poker hand, or the best high hand. If two players reach showdown and have a low and a high hand respectively, the pot is split between them. If one player has both the best low hand and the best high hand, he will win the entire pot.

Razz Poker

Razz Poker is identical to Seven-Card Stud, except for the showdown value of players five card poker hands. In Razz, players aim to make the best low poker hand, rather than the best high hand. High hands have no value in Razz – you must always remember that you’re aiming to make a low hand and only a low hand while you play.

Seven-Card Stud

In Seven Card Stud, each player receives seven cards over the course of the game. Three cards are dealt face-down, and four face-up for all to see. The betting in Stud is fixed; the bet amount in the first two betting rounds is always the amount of the lowest game limit. For example, if the stakes are 20/40, the bet would be 20 chips. The betting amount in the last three rounds is the amount of the highest stake. In the case of our example, the bet would be 40 chips.

7 Card Stud Hi-Lo

The mechanics of Stud 8 are identical to those of Seven-Card Stud, except for the showdown value of hands played. Stud 8 is a split game, like Omaha 8. Players can make either the best high hand or the best low hand to win. If two hands show down the best high and low hand, the pot is split between the two players. If a player makes the best high and low hand at once, he wins the entire pot.