Do you love poker, but get a little bored with playing the same old poker variation all night long? Rotation poker may be just thing for you. These types of poker games let you change up the kind of poker you are playing whenever you want, which helps keep things interesting, and keep all the players on their toes!

“Normal” poker games function in one of two ways; players either settle on a style of poker, like Texas Hold’em, that is played for the duration of the game, or games are played as “dealer’s choice,” during which the dealer gets to name the poker game they want to play. Rotation poker games are a little different. During a rotation game, the variation of poker played changes at set intervals during the game. The exact specifics of how a rotation game works depends on the players themselves. In rotation poker, you make the rules, and no two game nights are the same.

One common way to run a rotation poker game is to have the game change at set intervals. For instance, you could make a rule that you will start a new type of game every 30 minutes, or that you will start a new game every two or three hands. You can decide in advance which games you are going to play, or you can make it up as you go along.

Rotation poker has become all the rage at major poker tournaments and events, and the most common incarnation seen at these events are H.O.R.S.E. games. During an H.O.R.S.E. game, the names of the poker games selected must spell out the word “horse.” For instance, the first round you choose to play may be Hold’em, then Omaha, then Razz, then Seven Card Stud High, and finally Seven Card Stud High-Low Eight or Better. Of course, you are not limited to spelling “horse”; other popular games include S.H.O.E, H.O.E, and R.O.S.S.H., but you can choose to spell whatever you like, as long as you can find a poker game that matches up to the letters!

Many poker players find they have to adjust their strategies slightly when playing rotation poker matches. In a normal game during which you stick with one type of poker, you know how comfortable you are with that particular game, and can strategize with that in mind for however many hands you end up playing. In a rotation game, you may find that some of the games are ones in which you are a strong player, while some of the other games may be types of poker with which you are not very familiar or have never had any luck with in the past. Therefore, you have to decide whether you will take bigger risks in the games you know well versus the games you don’t, or whether you will simply calculate your risks as they come. Also, you have to keep in mind that all the other players are in the same boat. If you’re playing with a group filled with people who are Omaha masters, but are not so great at Razz, do you count on them to play it a little fast and loose when Omaha comes around? If so, how is that going to affect your betting?

Rotation poker games can breathe new life into your standing poker night get together, and this is one trend that looks like it is set to get even more popular. If you’ve had it with long, boring parties filled with round after round of Hold’em, rediscover your love for poker all over again by adding some rotation games into the mix!