Poker variations

If you’re new to poker, you may not be too familiar with H.O.R.S.E. Perhaps you’ve heard it mentioned as an event during the World Series of Poker, or passed over its tab on your online poker game menu. Whether you’ve wondered about playing H.O.R.S.E or decided it isn’t for you, you may want to take a closer look.

How to Play H.O.R.S.E.

It may surprise you to learn that you know how to play H.O.R.S.E. already, or at least part of it. H.O.R.S.E. is a mixed game, meaning it is a combination of different types of poker. Hold’em, Omaha8, Razz, Stud, and Eight or Better.

Many of today’s players already know how to play Hold’em. Omaha8 is a four card hi/lo variation of Hold’em. Razz, Stud and Eight or Better are all variations of the same game, seven card stud. In Razz, the low hand wins, and in Eight or Better the low hand (providing it is no higher than 8 high) splits with the high.

Why Play H.O.R.S.E.?

For one thing, H.O.R.S.E. is a lot of fun. When playing a game like limit hold’em, it’s pretty easy to get into a rut and get bored. In H.O.R.S.E., every time you go around, the game changes to something entirely different, so it’s a lot harder to lose your enthusiasm.

You’ll also get to practice a lot of different poker skills in the same session. Additionally, a true poker player is proficient at many different types of poker, and H.O.R.S.E. will help you develop your skills.

Where to Play H.O.R.S.E.?

You can play H.O.R.S.E. at many online poker sites today. You can also find it occasionally in a live tournament series and even spread your own home game of H.O.R.S.E. Careful though, once you start, playing a single type of poker may no longer be enough to satisfy you.

There is no doubt that poker is a fun and exciting game.  The most well-known poker variation is off course Texas Holdem, popularized through TV and movies like ‘Rounders’.  Texas Holdem poker is the game that has defined online poker – especially in its no-limit form.

But this is changing with the increasing interest for poker in general.  More and more players want to learn to play other poker variations and especially Omaha, which has increased rapidly in popularity lately.

In this blog I will write about all forms of poker.  You will definitely see posts about Texas Holdem and Omaha, but I will also write about Seven-card stud and more unusual poker variations such as Badugi, lowball and Razz etc.  Another form of poker that has gotten more attention lately is the mixed games such as HORSE.

So whatever type of poker games you like, this will be just the place for you to find out more about the different variations of poker.

Welcome to Poker Variations.

Hi I am Edward, actually only my mother calls me Edward… everyone else refers to me as “Ed”.  Well there are a few other names of course, but I cant really share them with you.

Poker is my profession, my passion and my past-time.  I live for poker!

My parents still want me to get a “real job”, to study some boring, archaic, out of date subject, they want me to be “an engineer”, or “a lawyer”.  It becomes a little difficult for them to explain at cocktail parties what their son does, “…oh he is into profiteering from the probability of getting a flush”…somehow just doesn’t go down so well.

So far I have stuck to my dream of playing poker professionally.  I have had brief moments of success but am still waiting for the big win.

I started the Poker Variations blog to share my poker knowledge and to become famous.