Learn H.O.R.S.E. Poker Basic Gameplay Skills

If you are trying to learn H.O.R.S.E. poker in the US, there are a few basic rules that you will need to become familiar with as you learn how to play. First, you should know that the letters stand for the five types of poker that make up this exciting title: Hold 'em, Omaha, Razz, 7-card stud and 7-card stud hi/lo. It has become increasingly popular since being featured in the World Series of Poker events, so you're sure to run into it at some point during your Internet gambling career.

In getting started, this title consists of each of the five components making one round, starting with Hold 'em and ending with 7-card stud hi/lo. All five of the rounds are fixed-limit throughout, as well. When starting out with Hold 'em, you will be dealt two cards and build a hand with the community cards on the table. You will bet according to the fixed limit. When you move on to Omaha Hi/Low Split, things are played similarly but the pot will be divided between the winning high hand and the winning low hand. Players must use 3 community cards and 2 of their own to build a qualifying low hand.

Next, you will play Razz, a stud variant where individuals try to build a low hand in order to win. The fourth is 7-card stud, which is executed similarly to Razz, but people will instead be looking to build the highest winning hand. The fifth and final round in this rotation is 7-card stud hi/lo, wherein the pot is once again divided between the winning high and low hands, provided a qualifying low hand is present. The betting limits will continue to be the same throughout these games.

The key to coming out on top in this mishmash is ideally to be good at all of them and leave the table in success, but not everyone has had years of practice honing their skills. Strive to maximize your strong points on the titles you are best at, and keep your losses to a minimum in the one you are less familiar with. Practice at free tables before moving to cash games and always keep your mind present in the game. Having the ability to switch seamlessly to the different rules of gameplay throughout the rotation is possibly the most important skill you will need to avoid humiliation at the hands of the H.O.R.S.E. game.