If you’re a poker player that loves variety and excitement coupled with high stakes and plenty of chances to win, then an interesting form of this is one called H.O.R.S.E. The name is actually an acronym of the five variations of poker that are played. These are Texas Hold’em,
Omaha, Razz, Seven Card Stud, and Eight or Better Omaha Hi/Lo.

Players involved in playing H.O.R.S.E. will generally find the games are all limit games, although there can occasionally be exceptions to this.

H.O.R.S.E. is regarded by many as a truly professional’s game of poker because it relies on a players skill, flexibility and experience in the several different disciplines of poker to be truly successful. It means having the ability to switch styles of play for the different variations of poker without losing concentration. Poker professionals gravitate to H.O.R.S.E. events in order to prove themselves and their skill against similarly experienced players. This is possible as the characteristically high buy in added to the necessity for a high skill level tends to deter amateurs from becoming involved in the events.

One effective strategy that helps to be successful at H.O.R.S.E. is to play tighter when you’re playing to your weaker games and go out fighting in your strongest games. So if Seven Card Stud is your game, take advantage of weak players, while playing safe in Texas Hold’em if that’s your Achilles heel. Of course the most successful players will be proficient in all five games.