Poker guide
Mixed poker games explained: HORSE, 8-Game and Dealer's Choice rotations
A mixed game is any poker session that changes variant on a schedule instead of playing one game all night. The schedule is the whole point: it rewards players who are competent at many structures over specialists in one, and it keeps a table from settling into the autopilot that long Hold'em sessions produce.
This guide explains the three ways the schedule is usually set, fixed rotations like HORSE and 8-Game, Dealer's Choice, and random rotation, and shows which of them SophiesPick runs and with which games.
Fixed rotations: HORSE and 8-Game
HORSE is an acronym for five fixed-limit games played in order: Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, Razz, Seven-Card Stud and Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo (the E stands for "Eight or Better"). Each game is played for a set number of hands or an orbit, then the table moves to the next, and the cycle repeats. 8-Game adds No-Limit Hold'em, Pot-Limit Omaha and 2-7 Triple Draw to the HORSE games, which brings big-bet structures into the mix.
Fixed rotations are the tournament standard for mixed games because every player sees the same number of hands of each game. Their weakness in a home game is rigidity: if nobody at the table enjoys Razz, Razz still comes round every cycle.
Dealer's Choice
Dealer's Choice replaces the fixed order with a person: the player about to deal names the next game from an agreed list. It is the natural home-game format because it adapts to the table in real time, and it is the format SophiesPick implements directly. Dealer's Choice poker covers it in depth.
Random rotation
A random rotation keeps the agreed list but lets the table pick the next game at random, never repeating the previous game. It removes the social element of calling games, which some groups prefer, and it guarantees variety without anyone having to decide. SophiesPick offers it as the alternative to Dealer's choice when you create a Mixed games table.
What SophiesPick runs
SophiesPick does not run HORSE or 8-Game as named formats, and three of their component games (Razz, Seven-Card Stud and Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo) are not in its catalog. What it runs is a Mixed games table with a pool of two or more of its twenty variants and either Dealer's choice or Random rotation. The table seats as many players as the smallest game in the pool allows.
For a table that wants the feel of a classic mix, these SophiesPick games cover similar ground:
| Classic mixed-game component | Closest SophiesPick game | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Limit Hold'em / No-Limit Hold'em | No-Limit Hold'em | Same cards and showdown; SophiesPick plays it No-Limit |
| Omaha Hi-Lo (fixed-limit) | Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better | Same split-pot game; SophiesPick plays it Pot-Limit |
| Seven-Card Stud | Studaha | Stud streets, antes and a bring-in, with an Omaha half added at showdown |
| 2-7 Triple Draw | 2-7 Triple Draw | Same game, fixed-limit |
| Badugi / Badeucey-style draw | Badacey | Triple draw split between Ace-to-Five low and Badugi |
| Pot-Limit Omaha | Pot-Limit Omaha | Same game |
| Draw high | Dramaha | Five-card draw high as half of a split with Omaha |
A Random pool of those seven games rotates through fixed-limit, pot-limit and no-limit structures and through flop, draw and stud shapes, which is most of what a mixed-game player wants from the format.
Playing a mixed game well
- Know which game is being dealt before you look at your cards; the table header and the rules drawer both show it.
- Adjust hand values to the structure: a hand that is strong in a limit game can be a liability in a big-bet game, and vice versa.
- Learn the showdown rule of every game in the pool before the night starts. Most mixed-game mistakes are showdown mistakes, not betting mistakes.
- In split-pot games, play for the scoop. Split-pot poker games explains why.
Games in this guide
FAQ
What does HORSE stand for?
Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, Razz, Seven-Card Stud and Seven-Card Stud Eight or Better, played in that order in a fixed rotation.
Does SophiesPick run HORSE or 8-Game?
No. It runs Mixed games tables with a pool of two or more of its twenty variants and either Dealer's choice or Random rotation. Razz, Seven-Card Stud and Stud Hi-Lo are not in its catalog.
How is Random rotation different from Dealer's Choice?
Both use the same agreed pool. In Random the table picks the next game and never repeats the previous one; in Dealer's choice the incoming dealer picks.
How many players can sit at a mixed table?
As many as the smallest game in the pool allows: seven for most games, six when Dramaha, Bodigiha, 2-7 Triple Draw or Badacey is included.