HORSE is not one poker game.  The acronym refers to a mixture of poker games.  The name HORSE came about from taking the first letter from five different poker games.  The “H” is for Hold’em, the “O” comes from Omaha Hi-Lo, the “R” is for Razz, the “S” is from Seven Card Stud High and the “E” is from Eight-or-Better which is another name for Stud High Low.  Most poker games played in either land-based casinos or in private homes consist of a variety of games.  At most private games, the choice of games is up to the dealer, where they rotate dealers each hand.

HORSE consists of playing a sequence of different games, with the order predetermined.  The first game in the sequence is Texas Hold’em.  When that game is finished, then the next hand consists of Omaha Hi-Lo, followed by Razz and Seven Card Stud and, then, concludes with  Stud High-Low.  When the five game sequence is completed, another five game sequence begins with another hand of Hold’em.  The button is frozen between Omaha Hi-Lo and Razz in order to keep the posting of blinds fair.  Betting limits are determined by house rules. 

The introduction of HORSE into tournament play makes the games more interesting. It breaks the tedium of playing the same game over and over hour after hour.  The variety of the games also means that someone cannot just specialize in one particular game.  The player has to be good at playing all of the games included in the sequence.  Online Casinos are offering games like slot, roulette, poker, blackjack, Bingo and crap - all very popular casino games.