Mistakes While Playing HORSE Poker

With five different games and thus five different strategies to keep track of while playing HORSE poker, it’s easy to see how and why so many players make mistakes. Even at single variation poker tables, seasoned players make a mistake now and then. In fact, anyone that plays poker long enough will eventually make a stupid mistake. Should you find yourself in that position someday, it’s important that you accept what’s happened and shake it off. While one mistake is painful, nothing is more costly than going tilt or playing while frustrated. Here are a few common mistakes that HORSE players make; often they don’t even know they’re making them.

HORSE Poker Mistake 1 – One-Game Players

HORSE’s new found popularity is drawing crowds from other tables. Hold ‘em players especially seem to be drawn to this new game. It’s fine if your playing skills are a little lopsided and you’ve got some obvious strengths, but you should never sit at a cash HORSE table if you’re not prepared to compete in all five games. With only two community card rounds and three stud variations, Hold ‘em players often find themselves in over their heads, and even stud-only players can take big hits as the Hold ‘em blinds start increasing. While you don’t have to be exceptional at every game, you should at least know which hands are worth betting on. Even if you’re a shark at Hold ‘em, if you’ve never tested your skills at the stud tables then you’ll probably be a fish at HORSE.

HORSE Poker Mistake 2 – Playing Stud like It’s Hold ‘em

The best starting hands for Hold ‘em have some similarities to those for stud. For example, high pairs are always a good sign early in the game. Where the two strategies diverge is in drawing for a straight or flush. In Hold ‘em, you only have to make one bet to see three cards in the flop and know if you should continue chasing a straight. In stud, you’ll be paying for every card you see, which means that you can invest a lot just to find out you’ve got nothing.

HORSE Poker Mistake 3 – Over-Bluffing

If you’re a perceptive player, then you’ll probably catch a lot of tells in HORSE. An aggressive Omaha player whose betting dries up in Razz poker is probably not as confident at stud. Knowing these things about your opponents can give you some valuable opportunities to bluff. But just as with any other poker game, you don’t want to turn yourself into a calling station and get trapped. Instead of automatically bullying any player you suspect is weak, play close attention to all the tells and carefully choose your bluffs.

HORSE Poker Mistake 4 – Being Obvious

As you’re watching your opponents for important clues about their game, you can rest assured that the smart ones are watching you too. Don’t make yourself an easy read. If you fold every hand in the Seven Card round, your opponents are going to peg you as an easy target. Even if you’re not 100% confident about each game, knowing a basic strategy and the top starting hands for each variation should be basis enough to bet consistently throughout the rounds.