How To Win in HORSE

As a kid I played this game for hours on end. HORSE is a game of strategy rather than a game of athletic ability. Anyone can play this popular game and have fun and success. The more you play the more creative you will become. There are hundreds of shots that can be invented just by using a little imagination. At this point, HORSE becomes much more than a contest to determine shooting ability. Let loose, have fun, and play to win.

1. To defeat your opponent you must make them miss shots you have made. After making a shot, your foe must shoot the same shot from the same location. For each miss, they gain a letter and begin to spell horse. If your foe follows your made shot with a made shot of his own, the ball is back in your hands. Once you miss, your opponent then is in charge and takes his own shot. Now, if he makes a shot, you must follow with a made shot or you will gain a letter, H.
2. Be wise and take only shots you know you can make. Degree of difficulty and distance are a mirage in this game. If you can make a lay-up 75% of the time, it is a weapon for you. Shoot this shot and others you can make throughout the game. By playing the percentages, you will gain an edge over your foe. Most players in this game think the long distance shots or the most difficult to make. They may be correct, but their chance to make the long distance shots is very low as well. A player who uses smarts and strategy is in good shape.
3. Shooting short bank shots will enhance your chances of winning. A bank shot uses the back board to angle the ball into the basket. This shot looks easy but will be missed by your foe often. You can frustrate others by shooting these shots repetitively. Sooner or later they will lose focus and begin to miss these easy shots. As you become more advanced, you are allowed to call a bank shot before shooting. This means that after you make the shot, your partner must make a bank shot also or he will gain a letter. The more familiar you get with the angles the back board provides, the more confident you will be to take and make the bank shot.
4. Use trick shots to bury your opponent. An advanced player will develop two or three trick shots. Use these shots only when you really need your opponent to gain another letter, especially when they are one letter from elimination. A trick shot is useful only when you can make it over 50% of the time. If you can master a trick shot or two you will be dangerous. Some examples of trick shots are: shooting from behind the back board, bouncing the ball off the floor and into the basket, underhand shots, and shots with your back to the basket. The greatest trick shot is one where you spin the ball on your finger and flip the ball up and off the back board and into the basket. This is one of my most reliable shots when I want to end the game.
5. As letters pile up for you counterpart, the pressure will also mount. With each letter your opponent gains, you get closer to victory. Staying free of letters yourself will also make the gap bigger. This is a great game of strategy and perseverance. Keep that favorite trick shot when you need that nail in the coffin. Remember to return to shots that your opponent has trouble making. As they ponder this shot, they will become nervous and probably miss.

The lure of playing HORSE is being able to slay the giant. Skill and athletic ability play a small part in the overall requirements for winning. In time you can take on the NBA's best and win!