HORSE

H.O.R.S.E. is a form of poker commonly played at the high-stakes tables of casinos. It consists of rounds of play cycling among:

• Texas Hold 'em,
• Omaha hi-low split-eight or better,
• Razz,
• Seven card Stud, and
• Seven card stud hi-low split-Eight or better.

Rules

H.O.R.S.E. is a limit game, including hold 'em. However, in some tournament situations (such as the 2006 World Series of Poker event), the final table is no-limit hold 'em.

C.H.O.R.S.E adds Chowaha or Crazy Pineapple to the mix. This is convenient at such team events as BARGE, when it helps to have as many flop games as stud games. C.H.O.R.S.E.L adds lowball.^[1]

T.H.O.R.S.E.H.A. is another 8-Game Mix which includes more games than most other mixed poker games.^[2] PokerStars started offering this game in 2008. It consists of limit 2-7 Triple Draw, limit Texas hold 'em, limit Omaha Hi-Lo, limit Razz, limit Seven-card Stud, limit Seven card Stud Hi-Lo, no limit Texas hold 'em and pot limit Omaha.^[3]

10-Game, the latest variation on the mixed poker games, overtook T.H.O.R.S.E.H.A. in the extent of its game inclusion. Launched by Full Tilt Poker in November 2010, 10-Game includes Limit Hold 'em, Limit Stud Hi/Lo, Pot Limit Omaha Hi, Limit 2-7 Triple Draw, Limit Razz, No Limit Hold ‘em, Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, Limit Stud Hi, No Limit 2-7 Single Draw and Limit Badugi.^[4] Full Tilt Poker also offers the 9-Game, which includes all poker variants from the 10-Game with the exception of Badugi.

A 12 Game Mix has also been proposed as a variation and as an extension to the 10-Game mix. The games of the twelve game mix are: Badugi (Ba), Badeucy (By), Pot Limit Omaha (A), Razz (R), 2-7 Triple Draw (T), Razzdugi (I), Crazy Pineapple Hi/Lo (C), Limit Hold'em (H), Omaha Hi/Lo (O), Kansas City Lowball (a.k.a. no limit 2-7 Single Draw) (K), Stud Hi/Lo (Eight-or-Better) (E), Seven Card Stud (S).^[5] A 13 Game Mix can also be constructed by adding No Limit Hold'em to the games of the 12 Game Mix.

World Series of Poker events

H.O.R.S.E. made its debut at the World Series of Poker in 2002 with a $2,000 buy-in. John Hennigan won the event, earning $117,320.

A record-setting $50,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. tournament made its debut at the 2006 World Series of Poker. Chip Reese won the event, earning $1,716,000 for first place. After Reese died at the end of 2007,^[6] the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy was created in his honor. The trophy is awarded to the winner of the $50,000 championship event since the 2008 World Series of Poker.

The $50,000 buy-in tournament returned for the 2007 WSOP, along with seven satellite events with a $2,250 buy-in whose winners earned seats into the $50,000 buy-in event. The $50,000 event, which awarded $2,276,832 to first place, was won by professional player Freddy Deeb.^[7] Separate H.O.R.S.E. events with $2,500 and $5,000 buy-ins were also on the 2007 WSOP program.

The 2008 $50,000 H.O.R.S.E event was won by Scotty Nguyen, who received $1,989,120 for his victory.^[8] This was also the first time that the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy had been awarded to the winner of the competition.

The 2009 $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event was won by David Bach, for $1,276,802.^[9]

For 2010, the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship event was replaced by The Poker Player's Championship, with an identical buy-in.^[10] Instead of H.O.R.S.E., the Player's Championship uses an 8-game format, rotating among the following games (all played with a limit structure unless otherwise indicated) until the final table is reached:^[10][11]

• 2–7 triple draw
• Texas hold 'em (limit)
• Omaha hi-low split-eight or better,
• Razz
• Seven card stud
• Seven card stud hi-low split-eight or better
• No-limit Texas hold 'em
• Pot-limit Omaha

As in the 2006 H.O.R.S.E. event, the final table was no-limit hold 'em.^[10] Michael Mizrachi won the first Player's Championship and with it the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy.^[12]

The 2010 WSOP also featured a new $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship, joining already-existing events with $1,500 and $3,000 buy-ins.^[10]

See also

• HOSE

Notes