Key Strategic Differences Between HORSE Poker Games
Each individual game in HORSE poker has unique aspects that set it apart from the others. Most players have no idea what these are. Lots of rookies simply sit down at a HORSE table, and play every single game using the same general strategy. Knowing that, is it really any wonder that most HORSE players lose?
In order to play a solid HORSE poker strategy, you’ve got to know how to adjust your play for each game. Just because they’re all forms of limit poker doesn’t mean that you can play them the same way.
If you want to crush your opponents, keep the following differences in the back of your whenever you’re playing HORSE.
HORSE Game #1: Limit Holdem
In order to play solid Holdem, you’ve got to remember to keep your starting hand selection tight. It’s okay to play marginal hands like suited connectors if you’re trying to make a draw, but playing them for pair value is a huge mistake. In a game like Omaha, you can rely on chasing draws pretty often. Not so in Holdem. Chasing anything in this game is a huge mistake, and will cost you lots of chips. Keep it tight, and only continue postflop with made hands, or strong draws.
HORSE Game #2: Omaha Hi-Lo
Omaha Hi-Lo differs from the other HORSE games in that you can play a massive range of starting hands. It’s largely a crapshoot- almost any 4 cards that are marginally connected have pretty good potential to hit the board in Omaha Hi-Lo.
Open up your preflop range when a round of HORSE gets to Omaha Hi-Lo. In addition to your normal range of connected pairs of hands, you want to get in pots with low combination hands as well. Something like 3-5-A-K rainbow is very strong in Hi-Lo, whereas in Omaha Hi it wouldn’t be at all. Keep this in mind at all times.
HORSE Game #3: Razz
Lots of players think that Razz is a pain in the butt. I have no idea why. It’s the easiest game ever. You don’t have to worry about making pairs, identifying flushes, or chasing straights. You’ve just got to look for low card starting hands.
The key to winning Razz is to play only low starting hands. For some reason, many players think that a hand containing two low cards is awesome, even with a high card thrown in. It’s not. It sucks. A hard and fast rule of razz is that you should play only 3-card low starting hands. A-2-3 rules. K-5-7 doesn’t. The game is that simple.
HORSE Game #4: 7 Card Stud
It looks like Razz, it plays like Razz, but it’s not Razz- it’s Stud Hi. Most players suck at Stud Hi. Nothing wrong with that, it’s a tough game. You can take advantage of their inept ability by playing it really well.
The key to playing solid Stud is learning the art of caution. If you’re coming from a Holdem background, you’ll probably have a nasty habit of overvaluing your Stud hands. A pair of aces in Stud usually isn’t good at showdown- in Holdem, a pair of aces often wins. You’ve got to learn to control the pot with marginal hands if you want to win at stud.
On the other hand, everyone else at the table will most likely be overvaluing their marginal hands as well. You can take advantage of this by betting your made hands like crazy. If you make trips or a straight, and you’re in the pot with an opponent who’s made a pair, you can usually get insane value out of your hand if you just bet, bet, bet. The moral of this story is this: when you have a great hand, don’t be scared to bet!
HORSE Game #5: 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo (Eights or Better)
Stud Hi-Lo strategy comes from the same angle as Razz and Stud Hi strategy. The main difference is that you can open up your starting range a bit. Rather than simply going for either a high, or low hand, you can go for both.
The key here is to make sure you don’t fall into the trap of playing “mixed” starting hands. A lot of players think that hands like A-4-K are pretty good. After all, there are 2 high cards in there plus 2 that can be used as lows. This is so wrong it’s not even funny. The odds of you hitting NEITHER type of hand are very good when you play mixed starting hands.
What you’re looking to play is either/or, high or low starting hands. Not a mixture of both (unless it’s a low hand with a straight possibility). If you get 3 low cards, e.g. A-2-5, play for the low and the straight. If you get 3 high cards, or a paired hand, play for the high only. Aiming to hit one or the other with a mixed hand is a recipe for disaster.