Intro to Razz Poker
Razz poker is a form of 7 Card Stud played with similar rules minus a couple of important differences. Razz is also sometimes called "7 Card Stud Low" because in Razz, the lowest poker hand wins instead of the highest poker hand.
In Razz, Aces always count as low and straights and flushes are ignored but pairs count against you. So this means that the best possible hand in Razz is A-2-3-4-5. It contains all 5 of the lowest cards in the game without making a pair.
It is possible to win a pot with a pair in your hand but it's highly unlikely because most winning hands do not have pairs in them. However, if two players make it to showdown and they both have pairs in their hands, the player with the lowest pair will win the pot.
Razz Poker Rules
Hand Values
To value hand rankings in Razz, you start with the highest card in the hand and work your way down. So in the case of 3-4-5-6-7 vs. 2-3-4-5-8, the second hand would lose because its highest card is an 8.
If two Razz hands end up with the same high card, you move to the next card to determine the winner. If the next card is also the same rank, you move to the next highest card, and so on. So in the case of 2-3-4-6-T vs. 2-3-4-5-T, the second hand would win because the 2nd highest card in that hand is a 5.
Antes
Razz Poker is played with an ante, which means that each player has to pay a little money to the pot at the beginning of each hand. The size of the ante is usually equal to 10% to 25% the size of the small bet. In a $10/$20 Razz game, you could expect to see a $1 ante at the beginning of each hand.
Third Street, Bring-In and First Betting Round
After the antes have been paid, each player at the table is dealt two cards. One card is dealt face down and the other face up, one at a time, starting with the player to the left of the dealer and moving clockwise around the table. This initial deal is also called "Third Street."
After third street has been dealt, the player with the highest showing card must pay the bring-in, which is a forced bet equal to half the size of the small betting limit. In the case of $10/$20 Razz, the bring-in bet would be $5.
The player who pays the bring-in may either check or raise to the full small bet limit. If nobody else raises, all you have to pay to see fourth street is the half-bet posted by the bring-in.
After the bring-in player makes his decision, the betting continues clockwise around the table until all the bets have been matched.
Fourth Street and Second Betting Round
A fourth card is now dealt face up to each player. This time the betting begins with the player showing the lowest hand (the strongest Razz hand). In Razz, the lowest possible showing hand at this point would be A-2.
This player may check, bet or fold and the betting continues around the table clockwise. All bets are still limited to increments of the small betting limit. In $10/$20 Razz, this would be $10.
Fifth Street and Third Betting Round
A fifth card is now dealt face up to each remaining player. The betting once again begins with the player showing the lowest hand. From here on out, all bets and raises must be in increments of the higher betting limit. In $10/$20 Razz, this would be $20.
Sixth Street and Fourth Betting Round
A sixth card is dealt face up to each remaining player. There is another round of betting identical to the last round.
Seventh Street and Fifth Betting Round
A seventh and final card is dealt face down to each remaining player. There is one last round of betting beginning with the player showing the lowest hand.
Showdown
After all the bets have been matched, the remaining players show their cards. The player who initiated the last bet shows his cards first. The other players are not required to show their hands if they realize they are beaten.
The player with the best Razz hand wins the pot.
Razz Poker Basic Strategy
Razz poker strategy can get complicated in a hurry but if you follow these basic rules, you'll be able to get off on the right foot. At the lower stake Razz games you'll find a lot of inexperienced players.
In most low stakes Razz games, your best bet is to play a very conservative game. Don't get mixed up in a lot of borderline situations or bluffing. Just sit back and wait for hands that are clearly strong and then bet them. You don't have to be tricky in the slightest to get ahead in small stakes Razz games.
Slow playing is usually a bad idea in Razz. The caliber of play in low limit Razz games is atrocious so don't try to get fancy and slow play your big hands. The best strategy to win is to have a clear understanding of hand values and play an honest, straightforward game.
Razz Poker Starting Hands
As a general rule, any starting hand that contains three cards from A-5 (without any pairs) are considered strong. The best starting hand in Razz is A-2-3. If you are dealt a strong starting hand, you should start putting in raises because there's a good chance you'll win the pot.
If you start out with three cards valued at 8 or less, you still have a decent hand and it's worth checking out fourth street. Don't get too attached to these hands, though, because they aren't super strong.
Your Opponents' Up-Cards
Paying close attention to your opponents' up-cards is critical to estimating the relative strength of your hand. Even though you can't see every card your opponents have, you can still get a vague idea of how strong they are.
Keep a close eye on your opponents' up-cards and their betting actions. If you have an opponent showing a big up-card but he's betting a lot and you have three cards lower than 8, you're way ahead of him despite his betting actions.