HORSE
HORSE is a mixed game that rotates through five poker variants: Hold'em, Omaha hi-lo, Razz, seven-card stud and seven-card stud hi-lo (eight or better). It is usually played with fixed limits, and the letters of its name are the first letters of the games.
The simple explanation
In a HORSE game the table switches from one game to the next, usually every orbit or after a set number of hands. The five games are Hold'em, Omaha hi-lo, Razz, Stud and Stud eight-or-better. A player must know them all, so HORSE rewards players who are skilled in many forms of poker.
A closer look
The format tests the whole range of poker skills, since a player who knows only Hold'em will do badly at Razz and stud. Variations exist, such as H.O.R.S.E. with an added game or 8-game mix. The word 'horse' is also used in a different sense, to mean a player who is backed financially by someone else: the backer has a 'stable of horses'. The context makes the meaning clear.
A practical example
At a HORSE table, the dealer button moves around, and after a set number of hands the game changes from Hold'em to Omaha hi-lo.
Full explanation
HORSE is a mixed game that rotates through five poker variants: Hold’em, Omaha hi-lo, Razz, seven-card stud and seven-card stud hi-lo (eight or better). It is usually played with fixed limits, and the letters of its name are the first letters of the games.
HORSE is a mixed game made up of Hold’em, Omaha hi-lo, Razz, Stud and Stud hi-lo.
The letters of the name are the first letters of the games.
It is usually played at fixed limits.
A ‘horse’ is also a staked player, in a different meaning of the word.
Alternative spelling: H.O.R.S.E.