Written by What do you do when you want to mix things up a bit? You’ve got a bus load of poker pros headed down to your casino for some high-stakes action but you don’t just want to stick to Texas Hold’em. It’s a good game, in fact the most popular poker variant out there by a distance, but how do you test the skill of the pros at other games?
A H.O.R.S.E. tournament is what you organise. H.O.R.S.E. is not some sort of specialised poker variant with an amusing acronym, it’s actually five different poker games with enough variety to test the skill of the even the most well-rounded professional. H.O.R.S.E. is a relatively young game but its inclusion at some online casinos and poker rooms has given it an unlikely popularity. Here’s the basic games:
H – Texas Hold’em: read all about it here, the most popular and widely played variant.
O - Omaha Eight or Better: similar, but not the same as the more popular Omaha Hi-Lo
R - Razz: this is where it gets tricky if you’re not concentrating – the rules are here.
S - Seven Card Stud: the first stud game in the list – check it out here.
E – Seven Card Stud Eight or Better: less popular variant of the above explained here.
So as you can see it’s important to make sure you are completely familiar with each game before you enter any real money tournaments. Historically the tournaments have all tended to be very high stakes games as the only entrants were professional poker players although this has changed somewhat due to the game’s increased online popularity.
Chip Reese
If you’re serious about winning, do not just imagine you can be a decent Hold’em and Omaha player – you need to be good at everything. Razz is notably the one which catches most people out. A well organised H.O.R.S.E. tournament will have regular switching between variants so stay alert and remember which game you’re playing.
Probably the most famous H.O.R.S.E. player was Chip Reese, winning the World Series of Poker Championship Event in 2006 and a prize of $1,800,000. Following Reese’ death, the victor also now gets to walk away with the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy.
