Razz Poker

What is Razz Poker Game

Razz is a popular poker variant, which is quite similar to the Seven-Card stud game. The only difference between them is that in a Razz game, unlike traditional poker, the lowest-ranking hand wins the game. It is a form of poker that developed around the start of the 20th century somewhere in Midwest USA.

During its evolution, Razz Poker adopted the Ace-to-Five Lowball ranking system of stud game, where the game is won by making the lowest hand possible. When the hands are ranked from low to high, you should always start from the highest card in your hand sequence and move downward.

The objective of razz poker is to make the best possible five-card hand from the seven cards. It requires a different strategy from traditional poker games, as players must focus on making the lowest possible hand instead of the highest.

The best possible hand in Razz is

5-4-3-2-A, or 5 low, also known as "the wheel" or "the bicycle.

It is a variant of the seven-card stud that rewards players with a solid understanding of hand rankings and betting strategies in a manner opposite to traditional poker.

Rules For Razz Poker

• The number of players in Razz is usually 2 to 8 players.
• Each player is dealt seven cards. The face-up cards are called door cards, and the face-down cards are called hold cards.
• Only the best five cards out of seven are used to form a complete hand.
• Contrary to traditional poker, the lowest hand wins the game in Razz. Here, Ace is the lowest card, so King is the highest-value card in the deck.
• The game is played in a clockwise direction, similar to the other traditional poker variants.
• Similar to other variants, Razz has a small bet and a big bet, where the big bet is double the amount of a small bet.
• After each round, the bets are incremented by a certain amount called ante, which is usually 10% of the big bet value.
• In the first two rounds, the bet size is increased by adding 10% on the small bet, while in the last three rounds, the increment is done on the big bet.
• Razz Poker is a limited-betting structure game. Hence, due to the pot limit in this game, players can make only 3 to 4 raises on a bet.

Razz Poker Hand Rankings

• Razz is a variant of Seven Card Stud, where the player with the lowest hand wins the pot.
• In Razz, straights and flushes do not count against a hand.
• Aces are always considered the lowest cards.
• Pairs weaken the chances of winning as they are high-value cards.
• Razz follows the A-to-5 lowball hand rankings, meaning the best hand is 5-4-3-2-A, also known as the wheel or bicycle.
• Any hand starting with cards lower than 8 is considered to be a good hand.

Below are the Razz poker hand rankings, starting with the lowest possible hand strength in Razz:

• 5-4-3-2-A (also known as a wheel or bicycle)
• 6-4-3-2-A
• 6-5-3-2-A
• 7-5-4-3-2
• 7-6-4-3-2
• 8-5-4-3-2
• 8-6-4-3-2
• 8-6-5-3-2
• 8-7-5-3-2
• 8-7-6-4-2
• 8-7-6-5-2
• 8-7-6-5-3
• 9-7-6-5-3
• 9-8-7-5-3
• 9-8-7-6-3
• 9-8-7-6-4
• 9-8-7-6-5
• 10-8-7-6-4
• 10-8-7-6-5
• 10-9-8-7-5
• 10-9-8-7-6
• K-8-7-6-5
• Q-8-7-6-5
• J-8-7-6-5
• T-8-7-6-5

Top 10 Razz Starting Hands

• A, 2, 3
• A, 2, 4
• A, 3, 4
• 2, 3, 4
• A, 2, 5
• A, 3, 5
• A, 4, 5
• 2, 3, 5
• 2, 4, 5
• A, 2, 6

Razz Poker Rules for Determining the Winning Hand

• In Razz poker, straights and flushes are not considered; therefore, A-2-3-4-5, also known as 5-low or “wheel”, becomes the best possible hand. 
• In Razz poker, the worse the player’s poker hand, the more chances they have to win. 
• Players should always begin with the highest card and move towards the lowest when making a low-ranking hand. That is, they should rearrange their cards in descending order.
• For example, if a player has a 7-low hand (7-5-4-2-A) and another player has an 8-low hand (8-7-6-4-2), then the player with 7-low wins the game as they hold the lower-ranking hand.
• The second card is considered if the highest-ranking card is the same for two or more players. The player with the lowest second-hand wins the game. For example, among player A with 8-low (8-7-6-5-4) and player B with another 8-low (8-6-5-4-3), player B wins as they have the lowest second card.
• If the second card is also the same, the third and even the fourth card are checked for making the lowest hand.
• If two players hold the same hand, the pot is equally divided between them.

Let's understand through two situations explained below:

Situation 1

4-5-6-7-8 and 5-6-7-8-9 (which hand is better)

The better hand is 4-5-6-7-8 compared to 5-6-7-8-9. It is because 8-low beats a 9-low.  

Situation 2

4-5-6-7-8 and A-2-3-4-5  (which hand is better)

The better hand is A-2-3-4-5. This is because a 5-low or a wheel/bicycle, in this case, beats an 8-low.

How to Play Razz Poker?

Now that we understand the basic gameplay, it is time to examine the Razz poker gameplay and its rules.

1. The dealer distributes three cards: 2 face-down hole cards and 1 face-up door card to each player. 
2. Before the first betting round begins, all the players contribute a small amount called the ante. It is usually 10% of the big bet.
3. The first betting round, also known as Third Street, starts here, with the player having the highest door card expected to bring in. In this round, this player can decide to be in the game by making a bet, or they can fold.
4. In the Fourth Street, the fourth card is dealt face-up to all players. The betting starts with the player who has been dealt the lowest (strongest) hand. 
5. In Fifth Street, the fifth card is dealt face-up to all the players. The first player to act is the one who has the strongest (lowest) hand. This player can either check, bet or fold.  After one betting round, further bets and raises are made in big-bet increments.
6. The sixth card is dealt face-up to all the players in the next round. This time, again, players need to complete a round of betting moving to Seventh Street.
7. In this round, the final card is dealt face-down, known only to the player being dealt, and the betting starts from the player with the lowest card hand.
8. If two or more players are still in the game, a showdown round is held in which all players show their cards. The last player to bet or raise will be the first to show their hands, and the showdown continues clockwise. The player who is left with the lowest five-card hand is the ultimate winner in this round.

Razz Poker Betting Options

Similar to other poker variants, Razz Poker follows the same set of betting options:

• Call: When a player matches the current bet on the table, it is called a call. The player wishes to continue in the hand without raising the bet.

• Fold: If a player decides their hand is not strong enough to win or is not worth investing more money in, they can fold. This means they give up their cards and will no longer be involved in the hand.

• Check: If no new bets have been made during a round, a player can choose to check, meaning they don't want to bet but still want to stay in the game. This can only happen if there has yet to be a bet in the current round.

• Bet: Betting is when a player decides to put chips into the pot based on the strength of their low hand. It is a chance to add to the pot or challenge opponents' hands by increasing the stakes.

• Raise: If a player wants to increase the bet size, they make a raise. This requires any player who wants to stay in the hand to either call the raised amount or raise it further.

Betting Rounds

• Deal:

Each player is dealt three cards: two face-down (hole cards) and one face-up (door card).

• Ante:

The ante is a small bet that every player at the table must place in the pot before the cards are dealt. This creates a starting pot for the game, gets everyone invested in it from the beginning, and ensures there are always some chips to win in each hand.

• Bring-in:

The player with the lowest/best face-up card is required to start the betting, also known as the bring-in. Like Stud, the player who has to bring in has two options:

• Bet an amount of the same value as Ante.
• Betting the full small bet amount.

• Betting:

After the bring-in bet is made, the action proceeds clockwise around the table, with each player choosing to either call (match the size of the bring-in), raise (increase the bet), or fold (give up their hand).

• Third Street:

Third Street is the initial stage of the game, where each player receives three hole cards. Two-hole cards are dealt face down, and one-hole card is dealt face up. This face-up card is known as the "door card." After receiving these cards, the first round of betting commences, starting with the player with the highest door card, as they are considered to have the weakest starting hand. Then, the betting action continues around the table clockwise. This phase sets the stage for the strategy for the rest of the game, giving players their first opportunity to evaluate their own and others' potential low-hand strength.

• Fourth Street:

Fourth Street is the round where each player receives a fourth card, dealt face up. After players receive their cards, the player with the lowest hand on the table initiates the betting round, where they can either bet or check. This is interesting because, unlike many other poker games where high hands lead, players aim for the low in Razz, so having the lowest cards is good. It is essential to know that the bets during Fourth Street are usually set at the lower limit of the game's structure, making it a critical point for players to begin shaping their strategies without significant financial risk.

• Fifth Street:

Fifth Street is the stage where each player receives their fifth card, dealt face-up. The player with the lowest exposed hand is the first to act. It is a critical point in the game because, from here onward, all bets and raises must be made at the higher limit in a fixed-limit game. This means the stakes are higher, and the betting can intensify.

• Sixth Street:

During this phase, players receive their sixth card, face-up. After this card is dealt, the betting round occurs, starting with the player with the lowest exposed hand. This round is crucial for strategic decisions, as players have most of their hands revealed and can more accurately evaluate their chances of winning.

• Seventh Street (or the River):

Seventh Street or River is the final round of dealing cards, where each player receives one last card face-down. It is followed by a final round of betting, which begins with the player having the lowest exposed hand. This round is crucial as it is the last opportunity for players to influence the outcome with their bets before determining the winner.

• Showdown:

If more than one player remains after the final round of betting, the players reveal their hands, and the best five-card hand wins the pot. In the event of a tie, the pot is split between the tied players.

That is the basic overview of playing seven-card stud. Like all forms of poker, the game has a variety of strategies and nuances that can take years to master.

Razz Poker Strategy

The strategies of Razz Poker are as follows:

• Starting Hand Selection:

Starting with A-2-3 is a decent way to start the game, and players should take the maximum advantage of it. If the player's starting hand has 3 cards of the bicycle, they can go aggressive. However, players must remember that they need two more cards to complete the bicycle, so they must avoid going all-in.

• Betting Tactics:

Betting tactics can hugely impact a player's success at the table. The players must understand their starting hand’s strength and adapt to the optimum betting tactics accordingly. They must also read opponents for signs of doubt or weakness and bluff strategically.

• Pay attention to Face-Up Cards:

If players see their opponents have many low face-up cards, it is wise to go conservative with their betting strategy. Experienced players often fold, given they have an 8-low combination in their face-up cards.

• Fold on 8-low or higher: 

It is always advisable for players to fold their cards if their exposed cards contain 8-low or higher hand formation. They should not let their emotions take over in such scenarios, even when getting back-to-back high cards. It is important to have patience and wait for lower cards to kick in.

• Stealing Blinds and Antes:

If players have the lowest face-up or door cards, it is strategic to raise the bet. This action can throw their opponents off the pedal and give them a chance to steal some blinds and antes here and there.

• Common mistakes to avoid:

Players should avoid chasing bad hands and overvaluing high cards. They should also avoid bluffing unnecessarily and be aware of being too predictable. By staying away from these traps, players can boost their odds of coming out on top in Razz poker.

Razz Poker Winning Tips

Here are some of the important tips that will help you play the game better:

• Study opponents' betting patterns:

You should study your opponents' betting patterns to gain insight into their playing style and help you understand their gameplay. This enables you to adjust your gameplay according to your opponent’s actions. For example, your opponent’s aggressive betting style might mean they are holding a strong, low hand, whereas their conservative betting might indicate a weaker hand.

• Select Your Starting Hands carefully:

Playing with high-value cards can reduce your chances of winning the game. Hence, it is essential to start playing with cards lower than 8 of all different suits. If you have pairs or other high-value cards, it is better to fold them.

• Avoid Building High Hands:

If your first three cards are lower-value cards and you receive a high-value card in a later round, it is better to consider folding.

• Be Selective with Your Draws:

This tip concerns your exposed cards. If your exposed cards already include some high-value cards that are weak in Razz, then it is better to be very careful while drawing more cards in the hope of getting lower-value cards, as it can prove costly.

• Position Matters:

Playing from later positions like cutoff and button is always advantageous as you get to see your opponent’s actions, allowing you to make your decisions and actions accordingly.

• Pay attention to Exposed Cards:

Paying attention to your opponent’s exposed cards will help you assess their hand strength and act accordingly.

• Mix Up Your Play:

Occasionally, keep mixing your betting pattern and gameplay style to keep control of what information your opponents are getting regarding your strengths and weaknesses.

• Practice and Experience:

Razz is a game that requires determination to excel. If you apply all the lessons of this article and practice regularly with discipline, your game will improve as your experience grows.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Razz Poker?

Razz Poker is a form of stud poker where players aim to make the lowest possible hand without straights or flushes counting against them.

How to win at Razz Poker?

To win at Razz Poker, players aim to create the lowest possible five-card hand out of the seven cards they are dealt.

What is the best hand in Razz Poker?

The best hand in razz poker is 5-4-3-2-A.

Do pairs count in razz poker?

In Razz poker, pairs count against the player, as the goal is to have the lowest hand possible without pairs.

How do you play high-low poker?

In Hi/Lo Poker, the players with the best and the worst hands win the game. Hi/Lo Poker is a seven-card stud variant.

What is the difference between Razz and Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo?

Unlike Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo, where both high-ranking and lowest-ranking hands share the pot, in Razz poker, only the lowest-ranking hand wins the entire pot. Also, the hand hierarchy is different in Razz and Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo.

Conclusion

Razz poker is a unique seven-card stud game aiming to have the lowest hand to win. Unlike most poker games, a good grasp of hand rankings and a strategic approach towards achieving the lowest possible hand are crucial. Playing Razz poker well demands a solid understanding of razz poker rules, starting hand selection, and applying effective betting tactics while paying close attention to visible cards to outsmart opponents and control the pot. Remember, practice and patience are invaluable, and keeping an attentive eye on opponents’ strategies is essential to excel in Razz poker.