H.O.R.S.E. is a form of poker commonly played at the high stakes tables of casinos. It consists of rounds of play cycling among:

• Texas Hold ’em,
• Omaha eight or better,
• Razz,
• Seven card Stud, and
• Seven card stud Eight or better.

H.O.R.S.E. is a limit game, including hold ’em. However, in some tournament situations (such as the 2006 World Series of Poker event), the final table is no-limit hold ’em.

C.H.O.R.S.E. adds Chowaha or Crazy Pineapple to the mix. This is convenient at such team events as BARGE, when it helps to have as many flop games as stud games. C.H.O.R.S.E.L. adds lowball.

T.H.O.R.S.E.H.A. is an 8-Game Mix that includes more games than any other mixed poker game. PokerStars started offering this game in 2008. It consists of limit 2-7 Triple Draw, limit Texas hold ’em, limit Omaha Hi-Lo, limit Razz, limit Seven-card Stud, limit Seven card Stud Hi-Lo, no limit Texas hold ’em and pot limit Omaha.

World Series of Poker events

H.O.R.S.E. made its debut at the World Series of Poker in 2002 with a $2,000 buy-in. John Hennigan won the event, earning $117,320.

A H.O.R.S.E. tournament with a record-setting $50,000 buy-in made its debut at the 2006 World Series of Poker. Chip Reese won the event, earning $1,716,000 for first place. When Chip Reese died at the end of 2007 the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy was created in his honor. The trophy has been, and still is, awarded to the winner of the $50,000 championship event since the 2008 World Series of Poker.

The $50,000 buy-in tournament returned for the 2007 WSOP, along with seven satellite events with a $2,250 buy-in whose winners earned seats into the $50,000 buy-in event. The $50,000 event, which awarded $2,276,832 to first place, was won by professional player Freddy Deeb. Separate H.O.R.S.E. events with $2,500 and $5,000 buy-ins were also on the 2007 WSOP program.

The 2008 $50,000 H.O.R.S.E event was won by Scotty Nguyen, who received $1,989,120 for his victory. This was also the first time that the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy had been awarded to the winner of the competition.

The 2009 $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event was won by David Bach, for $1,276,802.

For 2010, the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship event was replaced by The Poker Player’s Championship, with an identical buy-in. Instead of H.O.R.S.E., the Player’s Championship uses an 8-game format, rotating among the following games (all played with a limit structure unless otherwise indicated) until the final table is reached:

• 2–7 triple draw
• Hold ’em
• Omaha/8B
• Razz
• Stud
• Stud/8B
• No limit Hold ’em
• Pot limit Omaha

As in the 2006 H.O.R.S.E. event, the final table was no-limit hold ’em. Michael Mizrachi won the first Player’s Championship and with it the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy.

The 2010 WSOP also featured a new $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship, joining already-existing events with $1,500 and $3,000 buy-ins.