Stars coach players in horseplay with a difference

12/05/2007

Poker fans who want to train up online for this entertaining gaming combination have a new school in PokerStars.com, which recently completed its inaugural training session in H.O.R.S.E. playing.

H.O.R.S.E. is the acronym used to describe a combination of competitive poker games:

Hold'em
Omaha high-low
Razz (Seven card stud low)
Stud (Seven card stud high)
Eight-or-better (Seven card stud high-low)

In large cash games in brick-and-mortar casinos, the players often agree to play a mix of poker games rather than a single game. This reduces the edge that a single-game specialist has, and emphasises a player's breadth across multiple versions of poker.

Many people feel that HORSE and other mixed games are the best judge of a player's true poker ability, and the genre has received growing publicity following its addition to the 2006 World Series as a $50 000 buy-in event - the largest buy-in at the WSOP. It is now also a part of WCOOP, the World Championship Of Online Poker, held annually on PokerStars.

The growing interest in the combination game prompted PokerStars to provide training to those players with the frequent player points to go for such an opportunity. Top poker ace Barry Greenstein was engaged to conduct the Masterclass, which gives trainees the opportunity to sit down for a game of H.O.R.S.E. with Greenstein where he gives tuition and shows his hole cards at key points in the game.

Participants were also presented with Greenstein's best-seller Ace on the River.

In the inaugural class, attended by seven players, top pro Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi joined in the fun, and Greenstein donated his teacher's fee to the Children Incorporated charity.

PokerStars plans to offer the Masterclass with Greenstein four times a year. The next one is scheduled for February.