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What is HORSE? How do you play HORSE? Horse is a mixed format game combining 5 different forms of Poker, namely the following :-
H = Holdem
O = Omaha Hi-Lo
R = Razz
S = Stud
E = Eights or Better (which is basically Stud Hi-Lo)
These are all LIMIT games. 2 community card variants of poker (Limit Holdem, and Limit Omaha Hi-Lo), and 3 stud variants of poker (Razz, 7-card Stud, and 7-card Stud Hi-Lo)
In cash games you normally change format after a set amount of hands or rotations. It is often changed every 8 hands (which is one rotation at a full table). Sometimes mistakes occur in the transistions between games, particulary from Razz to Stud (so pay attention to what game you are actually playing :)). Often online it will state the game in the center of the table, but sometimes in smallish text.
In tounament play the game format usually changes accordinng to a fixed time interval. With live poker that interval is often 30 mins. With online poker it is often every 15 minutes. In reality the time interval for the changes could be anything from 5 minutes (for more speed/turbo events) up to 1 hour (for the WSOP Horse Event).
In some tournaments the final table will just be played in one format (in the WSOP Horse, for example, the final table has previously been played only in NL Holdem...which is techincally not even a horse game, but still).
As well as HORSE, you may also see HOSE or HOE (same acronyms as above). Sometimes you will also here the expression HALF-AND-HALF, which is usually half holdem and then half stud or omaha, depending on preference.