HORSE

A few months ago I played in a HORSE tournament. For those that don't know, HORSE is a mixed games limit tournament consisting of Hold 'Em, Omaha 8/b, Razz, Stud, and Stud 8/b. I drew a table that played pretty solid for the most part. I even had a former world champion at my table. I managed to make a full house against him on 5th street in stud and led right out and bet it. I read him as strong, so I thought I may get action, but I guess my read was wrong as he folded on 5th.

I played very well for the most part in the tournament, but made one misplay in stud 8/b. I had an open pair of kings showing on 5th and was leading out against a player who was clearly drawing for low. I end up with kings up on 7th and lead out again only to get raised. I know that my opponent knows that I can't have a low, but I figured he wouldn't raise me unless he had my high beat with aces up or a straight. I folded my two pair and my opponent showed the bare low hand. I did use this tight image against this same player later in hold 'em to take away a few pots.

I normally take advantage of my opponents in the omaha 8/b rounds and in razz. However, I was not getting anything playable at all in omaha 8/b. I went through three whole rotations before I ever played an omaha 8/b hand. I finally three bet on the button with A-2-3-4. I was a bit short at this point and got good action. I made the wheel and had deuces full, but ran into a bigger boat for high. I had gotten short stacked after making a "genius call" that wasn't so genius in hold 'em when I called a guy down with ace high and ran into his pocket aces.

I got lucky in the middle stages of the tournament to make a low in omaha 8/b when my opponent was holding quads for high. I accumulated some chips in stud when I made some big hands against a calling station of a player. I got paid off on an ace high straight and in stud 8/b I made aces up with a 7 low and scooped the whole pot.

Normally, razz is one of my better games, but I wasn't catching good hands at the right times. I was short stacked and was in the process of playing a big razz pot. I bet on 7th with a jack low and got my opponent to fold his 10 low. I also got lucky to win a pot with a 9 low in a situation where my opponents board was quite scary.

While I played well in this tournament outside of a few minor mistakes, I was unable to accumulate a lot of chips. I got through about 2/3 of the field and busted out shortly after my table broke. We were playing stud and I got it all in with J-(10-8). I was fortunate to have a maniac player bet out with just a pair of deuces and got the pot heads up with me after forcing others to fold better hands. Of course, I didn't pair up and I was out. Hopefully, I can do better in the next HORSE event I play.