Razz Strategy

Play Razz Poker Online @ Poker Stars .

Razz Poker is a game that many poker players love to hate. Part lowball, part 7 card stud, the goal is to make the best five-card low hand from the seven cards you are dealt. It is played with anywhere from 2-8 players.

Each player starts with two hole cards and one upcard; the dealer then gives each active player three more upcards, and then a final downcard. Each player ends up with seven cards, four face up and three face down. At the showdown, the player holding the best low hand using only five of his seven cards wins the pot. Aces are always low, and flushes and straights have no effect on the value of a hand. The best possible hand is A-2-3-4-5. If at any point only one player remains at the end of any round of betting, that player wins the pot.

The Best Razz Hand is the Wheel.

Each new hand begins with each player putting an ante into the pot. For example, in a $2/$4 limit game, each player would ante 40 cents. The ante does not count toward any future bets.

When you first sit down at a table, you are prompted to ante, after which you will immediately receive a hand.

Razz has five rounds of betting:

1. The dealer gives each player two cards face down and one card face up (third street). Only you can see your hole cards. You can tell which are your hole cards and which is your upcard, because the hole cards are situated lower than the upcard. The first round of betting commences. On the first round, the betting starts with the player having the highest upcard. This bet is a forced bet. The bet must be at least a specified minimum (called the bring-in), but can be more.

Each player in turn can call the bring-in, or complete the bet, that is, raise to the limit. For example, in a $2/$4 game, the bring-in is 50 cents. Any player can call that bet, or complete to $2.

Once completed, there is a limit of 3 reraises on the betting round. For example, in a $2/$4 game, the complete bet would be $2, with the betting being capped at $8 (first reraise to $4, second reraise to $6, and the final reraise to $8).

2. The dealer deals each active player a second upcard (fourth street). Players still in the hand participate in a round of betting. The betting on fourth street always proceeds at the lower limit. Unlike 7 card stud, an open pair does not affect the betting limit. All bets and raises on fourth street will be equal to the lower limit bet size.

3. The dealer deals each active player a third upcard (fifth street). Players still in the hand participate in a round of betting, but the bet size is now equal to the higher limit bet size. All bets from here on out will be at the higher limit.

4. The dealer deals each active player a fourth upcard (sixth street). Players still in the hand participate in a round of betting.

5. The dealer deals each active player a final card, face down (seventh street, or the river card). Players still in the hand participate in a final round of betting.

In the rare event that all eight players remain in the hand at this point, there would not be enough cards for each player to receive another card. Should this occur, a single “common” card is placed in the middle of the table face up which every player is free to use.

After the final round of betting, the software awards the pot to the holder of the best hand, and a new hand begins.

The software prompts you whether to post, when to put up the ante, when it is your turn to bet, and presents the choices for that bet (including the option to check or fold, as appropriate). To speed things up, you can select “Auto-Post Ante”, and your ante will be posted for you without prompting you. Additionally, during any round of betting, if it is not yet your turn, you may select your betting action in advance using the “Advanced Actions” located in the lower right portion of the screen.

More Information:

Comprehensive Guide To Razz Poker