Razz Poker

What is Razz Poker Game

Razz is a popular variant of the stud card game. It is quite similar to the Seven-Card stud game. The only difference between both is that in a Razz game, the lowest poker hand wins the game. It is a mature form of poker that developed around the start of the 20th century. It became popular when people started playing poker with a deck of 52 cards instead of a 20-card deck. 

The objective is to make the best possible five-card hand from the seven cards. It requires a strategy different 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 high, also known as "the wheel" or "the bicycle."

Overall, Razz is a challenging and exciting variant of the seven-card stud that rewards players with a solid understanding of hand rankings and betting strategies.

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

• Each player is dealt seven cards. The face-up cards are called hole cards, and the face-down cards are called door cards.
• Only the best five cards out of seven are used to form a complete hand.
• The number of participants in Raaz is usually from 2-8 players.
• The worse your poker hand, the more you can win the game.
• The K (♠) is the worst possible door card in Razz. 
• In case of a tie-breaker for a high card, the suits of door cards resolve the tie for choosing the bring-in.
• Spades (♠) is the highest possible suit, followed by hearts (♥), diamonds (♦), and clubs (♣).
• The game is played in a clockwise direction, similar to the other traditional poker variants.
• In Raaz, A-2-3-4-5 is the best hand, and the fun fact is that you will lose the game if you have this hand. As mentioned above, the worse your poker hands are, the better you win.

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. Let's look at how cards are dealt in Razz. Let us consider a fixed-limit Razz game with ₹4/₹6.

1. The betting structure is rigid in the Razz game.
2. The dealer distributes three cards (2 face-down cards and 1 face-up) to each player. 
3. The betting round starts here, with the player having the best door card being expected to bring in. In this round, all bets must equal or exceed the above-mentioned ₹4.
4. Then, the fourth card is dealt face-up to all players. The betting starts with the player who has been dealt the lowest card. Again, for this round, bets must be equal to or greater than ₹4. 
5. After the fourth card, the fifth card is dealt face-to-face with all the players. In this round, players bet more on the fifth round. So, in the ₹4/₹6 Razz game, the players will bet ₹6.
6. The sixth card is dealt face-up to all the players in the sixth round. This time, again, players need to bet, matching the ₹4 amount.
7. In the seventh round, the final card is dealt face-down, and betting resumes, matching the ₹4 stake.
8. If two players are still in the game, a showdown round is held in which all players show their cards. The player who is left with the lowest five-card hand is the ultimate winner in the finale.

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 important 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. This 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.

Tips for Success

The tips for success in Razz Poker are:

• Reading Opponents:

Reading opponents is crucial to understanding their playing style. Paying attention to their actions helps to find the signals regarding the strengths or weaknesses of their hands. This enables players to make smart and strategic decisions accordingly.

• Adjusting Strategies:

Adjusting strategies involves players altering their moves depending on the situations at the table. Players should pick up an aggressive playing style if their opponents are playing conservatively and vice versa if their opponents are inclined towards aggressive play. Players can enhance their winning chances by staying unpredictable and adjusting their approach according to the game's flow.

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.

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 a vigilant eye on opponents’ strategies is essential to excel in Razz poker.