Horse Poker Rules H.O.R.S.E.
HORSE poker has become the most popular mixed game rotation in the online poker world ever since it’s addition as a $50,000 event at the World Series of Poker. Since Chip Reese won the first ever World Championship of HORSE tournament in 2007 the game has really taken off. Today HORSE Poker is most commonly played online at Full Tilt Poker. This article will deal with HORSE poker rules, which games are played and when, and how the blinds work as the games rotate.
The HORSE Rotation
There are 5 games in the HORSE rotation which are played in the following order:
H – Limit Holdem
O – Limit Omaha Hi Lo
R – Razz Poker
S – Seven Card Stud
E – Seven Card Stud Hi Lo (also known as Eight or Better)
To be a successful HORSE player, not only do you need to know the rules of all the games in the rotation, but you need to have a solid strategy base in each one. Naturally, players will be stronger in some games than in others, but don’t think you can play HORSE if you only know how to play 4 of the 5 games in the rotation.
How The Blinds Work
When playing HORSE, you always begin with a round of limit Holdem. In some Razz games, the rotation changes after certain time intervals; for example, in live games it usually changes when one dealer taps out another. In other HORSE games it will change each round; so if you have 8 players at the table, then you’ll play 8 hands of one game before it switches to the next game in the rotation. Everyone will draw high card for dealer at the start of a HORSE game, and then the small and big blinds will move around the table in a clockwise direction. This will happen throughout the Holdem and Omaha Hi Lo rounds, but once you get to Razz it changes, because Razz uses antes as opposed to a small and big blind.
When the Razz round starts, the button is always frozen. This is done to prevent any players at the table from paying more or less in blinds than the other players. The button remains frozen until the Stud games are complete, and then, once back to Hold’em, the button will again move around the table in a clockwise direction.
The stakes will always remain the same when playing in any HORSE rotation, so if you sit in a $2/$4 HORSE poker game, then you’ll play with $2/$4 limit all the way through the rotation of the games.
HORSE poker rules are really a combination of the rules of all the games which make up HORSE. One of the biggest problems that faces HORSE players is weakness in one or two of the particular games. Usually Stud Hi/Lo split is the game that causes players the most trouble. If you want to master H.O.R.S.E. you’ll need to be versed in all the games, but be sure you’re best at the table in 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo, as this is where the most leaks can be exploited. To learn why, visit our page 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo.
To play H.O.R.S.E. online, get started at Full Tilt Poker. As a reminder, don’t forget to use Referral Code: TILTME600 in order to get a 100% up to $600 sign up bonus.
