The casino game to get you galloping – H.O.R.S.E Poker

Introduction to Horse Poker Online. The last decade and a half has seen the explosion in popularity of Hold’ Em Poker and its slightly less popular cousin Omaha Poker. This popularity surge has caused a steep rise in the overall skill levels of a lot more players and as such has resulted in progressively tougher competition. This has led to a number of players who are branching out in search of other forms of poker that may not be quite as tough to crack the big money. One of the forms leading the charge is HORSE Poker.

If you are a player who is looking for a new and different challenge, or perhaps you are looking for a form of poker that will present a host of juicier games, then HORSE Poker may be for you. HORSE Poker can be seen as the decathlon of the poker world and is considered by many as a true test of a players all round poker abilities. Players who can prove themselves here will command the utmost respect in the gaming world. Basically HORSE poker is a combination of five different types of poker, meaning that a player does not have to be a superstar in one game to make money. Instead being a good all-rounder can lead to very profitable games.

How to Play Horse Poker

HORSE is an acronym made up of the five different poker games that it comprises:

  • H – Hold’em. This is general limit hold’ em in HORSE and not the no limit that players will probably be more used to seeing.
  • O – Omaha Hi/Lo. A split pot poker game where every hand will have a high hand and usually, but not always, a low hand.
  • R – Razz. Players start with one up card and two down cards in this stud game. The aim is make the best low hand with five cards.
  • S – Stud. Seven card stud which is the same as Razz but with the aim of making the best high hand from five cards.
  • E – Eight or better. Better known as Stud hi/lo and is like a combination of some of the other games in that there will be a best high hand and possibly a low hand playing for a split pot.

Players play a full rotation of each game before moving onto the next, and will usually be played in the order shown here unless it has been decided otherwise. The game order will be clearly shown but make sure you are fully aware of the game order, mistakenly thinking you are playing a different game could be extremely costly.

Horse Poker Tips

A general tip is make sure to study up on all of the games that make up HORSE and get as good as you can at all of them. Try not to be a Hold’ Em superstar while being weak in other games because in the long run this is not going to be the most profitable situation for you. You may be surprised at how little some of your competition will be in games other than Omaha and Hold’ Em so that is just going to play to your advantage. Don’t be that guy – instead, being the best all-rounder you can be is your best strategy in HORSE. That being said though, there will most likely be games that you are better at than others. In your strong games you want to play the biggest pots and be more aggressively. On the flip-side, don’t feel bad about betting lightly in those that you are less confident with.

As with all poker games, the better you can read your opponent the more you will win, and of course HORSE is no different. Try to work out which are your opponents good games and bad games and play accordingly. Hold’ Em and Omaha rely more heavily on position, while Razz, Stud and Eight or Better come down to the showdown.

Lastly, try not to let your aggression slip even if you are playing your weakest games. This is always a good mind set when playing poker in general, and those goes whether you play poker online or at a live table. Don’t let the pressure slip and make sure to push up those pots when you are holding a good hand.