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Squib · Two Pair Joined: 31 Jul 2005 Posts: 61

I don't see much of that here....besides avoiding those games that you are weak in, here is some thought...

The biggest thing in HORSE is that you have to be very careful not to get to Razz with fewer than your opening chips, less normal blinds. For me, this means that I play very tight in the first round of LHE, as so many people chase with the low blinds.

O8, you just have to play the hands that make sense, which most of the time means that O8 will pass without you playing a hand, unless you have the BB. Usually, there is so much O8 action in the first session, only 3 or 4 O8 hands make.

This brings you to Razz and in the first round you can destroy, as players early will play poor starters, and remain in denial when you have the best hand. You do have to be careful, but by then you should have identified the better players at the table. I have almost ALWAYS taken the chip lead in Razz at this point.

Play the Stud hands normally, and by the time you get back around to LHE, you will have several short stacks who will push and with your chip lead you can sometimes chase and break a few players with the right odds.

LHE is the game that destroys players, much more than Razz in the later rounds. As blinds increase, you wind up playing a lot more LHE hands than any other, with limited chances to steal. If you go into the second round short stacked, you will need to get very lucky.
O8 in the second round will find the remaining short stacks pushing really bad hands. Here and in Razz is usually where the play gets down to 4, if you are lucky 3.

bigwheell · Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 10:18 pm Post subject:

I have to pretty much agree with you on your stratagy.

I play supertight the first few blind levels, especially the holdem levels. This seems to be where everyone tries to make their money...This must be due to them feeling most comfortable playing Holdem.

After the second rotation, I will start playing agressively in Razz. This is where I make most of my chips...I can usually take down the antes and forced bet at least twice per revolution with no one playing back at me. I will usually complete with any low card up. I take these down enough to come out ahead when I get played back at and have to give up the hand.
There are usually a couple of decend players at the table who realize what I am doing at the table during RAZZ, so I will play back at the restealers as well when I get a decent starting hand.

Omaha, I just play straight up tight poker in the first two revolutions...You get too many chasers to invest a lot of money in hands with the blinds so low...before you know it, you will be down 300-400 chips and you don't know what the hell happened. I will play very aggressive later in the game with my good hands, as it gets very expensive for people to call a raise with speculative hands, and they will usually fold the blinds to you...

I also play very tight in the Stud High as well...I will play moderatly looser in the Stud8, most people will play a low only hand and you can make good chips when their lows don't materialize. Many times they will play to the expensive street, and give up their hand at that point, so no free cards until after that....Push with your good high hands up to that point, then maybe slow down if you get people just calling after you.

I have been on a tear since I reloaded at full tilt...at the 5.50 SnG Horse tables, I have made the money 8/9 times taking first place 5 times...

For those of you that play higher, how much better is the competition at the higher levels...I am thinking I might make the jump up to 10's and see how it goes.

RainmanTrail · Pair Joined: 05 Jun 2006 Posts: 24

Well, I'm back from a few vacations, so I thought I'd post a reply since I just happened to click on this.

I disagree with the statement "avoid the games you are bad at" If you are bad at any of the games, THEN DON'T PLAY HORSE! You can't win if you suck at any of the games in the long run.

However, my biggest pointer without giving away too much to my opposition is this. Avoid jamming hands during the Holdem rounds. Holdem pots tend to have WAY more action than the other games. THis is largely due to the fact that it is a community card game, and much of the action is in play before you even know what you really have (ie-before the flop) Plus, everyone and their brother thinks they are a god in holdem, and they just try to get into a bidding war. I cant say how many times I see players bust out of the holdem rounds with top pair 2nd kicker to top pair top kicker or 2 small pair to 2 big pair because they couldnt slow down. SAVE YOUR DAMN BETS IF YOU DON"T HAVE IT MAN.

YOU TOO MrSmokey1 Nice donkey play in the stud rounds. Stick to holdem buddy, you are good at that. Let Ari be the good all around player from pocket5s, cause you aren't it.

Anyhow. Dodge the bullets, most of them are shot off in the holdem rounds.

Here were the very first two hands dealt to me in the last weeks HORSE. Hand #1 I get QQ on the button, the board ends up 9 high and 2nd pos shows me KK as I expected. Hand #2, I get AQs the flop comes AQ6 and 99 calls a raise, turn is the 9, and I almost folded on the turn as I KNEW FOR SURE he had 99. No other hand made since when following the action, no, not even 66. Anyways, after 2 hands I was down half of my chips. Sure, this was an unlucky start, but my point is this, be cautious during holdem, more money gets thrown around in holdem than needed. Also, play the stud rounds straight up. Omaha too. I don't know what you mean by Omaha hands just have to make sense, and that you usually don't play a hand??? Omaha has several playable hands. Just don't get caught in a hand chasing 3rd low draw with no chance at high. Play your A2s and avoid hands like KK56, AA69 rainbow, 5678, crap like that. And for heavens sake, raise with a solid high hand every once in a while AAKQ double suited IS WORTH A RAISE PEOPLE, if the flop comes 456 then just toss it, YOU MISSED! Oh, and if you have T5T in the stud hi lo round, and someone raises with an A up, FOLD IT. Let me rephrase that, if you have T5T in the stud hi lo round, AND IT'S YOUR TURN NO MATTER WHAT THE ACTION IS TO YOU... FOLD IT!

That's all for now,

Good luck at the tables

Rain

bigmac3011 · High Card Joined: 29 May 2006 Posts: 7

I agree that razz is the game people play the worst, and you can make
a lot of chips at it. So study and learn razz!

The tighter you play at Omaha hi-low, the better in my opinion ,especially
limit. When I first started playing horse, I would always lose in the omaha
rounds. In later Omaha stages you better raise any hand you play, as
you don't want to to risk your tournament on famous Omaha volatility.

IN stud hi-lo, be strongly tempted to fold any hand that can't make a low,
unless you can steal the antes. The 2nd Sun HORSE I played I finished
on the bubble when my Ks lost to someone who started with 3 suited babies
and made a flush.

asfispimp · Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2006 1:43 pm Post subject:

I played a horse freeroll last night and I noticed that everyone splashed around during holdem and o8 since Im new to horse but good at all the games so yeah I like this strategy Im best at razz and pretty good at holdem and stud hilo

phxpoker · High Card Joined: 02 Sep 2006 Posts: 2

All comes down to starting hands . . . If you got 'em you win. If not, get outta' the way & let the others kill each other off.

Steamed Rice · Message Board Junkie Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 1433

don svenne · Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2006 3:20 am Post subject: Re: HORSE Strategy

giothejammer · High Card Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 3

UFO1947 · Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 4:54 pm Post subject:

I find if you have more chips then everyone else that is a good strategy for winning. 8)

Paul Mischuck · High Card Joined: 24 Oct 2006 Posts: 2

People play Razz horribly. With door cards J and 10 calling completes.
Razz and Stud is where players seem to have the least idea of proper play, especially in the $5 dollar sit & go's. Play your strong hands in these games aggressivly.

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