Razz Rules
- Razz Poker Rules & How to Play Razz Razz Poker is a version of Seven Card Stud where the player with the lowest hand wins the pot. This game uses A-5 lowball rules, which simply means aces always count as high, and straights and flushes are disregarded as part of the hands rankings.
- Each player will receive two cards face down and one card face up and the action will begin. In Razz there is no dealer button. That means that every hand starts with the dealer dealing to the 1 Seat first and continuing to the left. Every proceeding street will continue in the same fashion.
Razz poker is a stud poker variation of lowball poker. It is essentially a variation within a variation, which is part of the game’s charm. The poker hand hierarchy is inverted for razz poker games. Therefore, the best hand is five high hand that is a 5-4-3-2-A hand. Card suits are not of importance in razz poker.
Razz is a poker game enjoyed by millions of players online. If you’re looking for quality razz poker sites, feel free to browse through our list below.
Razz is actually a 7-card stud variant rewarding the lowest ace-to-five hand. Although it’s not the most popular form of poker, Razz can be found on many well-known poker websites. Razz poker sites organize tournaments where players can compete or even qualify for Razz live events. This poker game is even featured on the World Series of Poker.
How to Play Razz Poker / Game Rules
A game of Razz is played by 2 to 8 players featuring a standard 52-card deck. Razz uses a so called “California system” for ranking hands. This means that the hand with the lowest value wins. The strongest possible hand is called “the wheel” – 5, 4, 3, 2, A. Ace always counts as a low card and straights and flushes are not included in the ranks. Each player can be dealt a total of 7 cards, although only the lowest 5 of these 7 cards (called the “hole cards”) are used to determine the best combination.
Before the cards are dealt, each player must put in an ante, a predetermined bet which starts the action. After that, the dealer gives 3 cards to each player in the clockwise direction – two cards facing down and one card facing up. This is called the “third street”. The player with the highest card facing up is first in turn to play. If two or more players have the same-value card as the highest, the card rank is determined by the suit of that card. Spades are the highest, followed by hearts, diamonds, and then clubs.
Razz Rules Wiki
The first player in action can then choose to check and pass the action to the next player in the clockwise direction, or bet. Once the player bets, the rest can choose to fold, call and match the previous bet, or raise. Bets are usually limited and the limit values depend on the online operator’s rules.
After the initial betting round has been completed, the “fourth street” is dealt where the dealer gives each player an additional card facing up. This time the first player to act is the one which has the lowest (strongest) hand exposed. After another betting round is over, the “fifth street” is dealt. After another card facing up is given to each of the remaining players, the player with the lowest exposed hand exposed starts yet another betting round. The same rules follow the “sixth street”.
After that round of betting is completed, the seventh and final card is dealt to all remaining players, called “the river”. This card is dealt facing down, just like the first two. Again, the player with the lowest ranked hand starts the final betting round. If more than one player remains after the river, the time has come for the showdown. All remaining players then must show their cards starting from the last bettor, and the lowest 5-out-of-7 hand wins the pot. If two or more players have a winning hand of the same rank, the pot is then equally split among them.
Limit Razz Rules
If there are 8 players at the table and they all reach the river, the dealer will run out of cards to deal as you would need 56 cards in a deck to complete this section. In that case, the seventh card will be placed face-up in the middle of the table, representing a community card which all players can use in combination with their hands.
Hand Ranks
Before you go to a Razz poker site, it’s essential that you fully understand how the hand rankings work in this game, as they can be a little confusing for a beginner player. The hand ranks in Razz poker are counted from the top-card-down rather than from the low-card-up. So, for example, if a player has a five-card combination of 8, 6, 5, 4, A, they will have a better hand than a player who has 9, 4, 3, 2, A. In this case, an 8-high hand will beat a 9-high hand, which will beat a 10-high hand and so forth all the way to the King-high. If two or more players have the same highest card, the next highest card in line will determine the best hand (7-5 low beats the 7-6 low; 9-5 low beats the 9-8 low, etc).
Naturally, the two best possible hands in Razz poker are the “wheel” (5, 4, 3, 2, A) and the “6-4 low” (6, 4, 3, 2, A). However, this only counts if you don’t have a pair in your combination. So, if your hand is 5, 5, 3, 2, A, you will still lose from a hand like Q, J, 10, 9, 8. Having three of a kind goes against your hand even more than a pair. Having three of a kind plus a pair (for example 9, 9, 5, 5, 5) is the worst possible hand combination you can get in this game. Remember, there are no straights or flushes in Razz poker.
Razz Poker Tips and Strategy
There are many things to consider when playing Razz poker on top poker websites. The best starting hand you can hope for is 3, 2, A. If you get this hand, you should probably bet from the start. The next important thing is to avoid pairing. This can be calculated by looking at other players’ cards that are facing up. So, for example, if you hold 4, 5, and 6 and you see a bunch of 4s, 5s, and 6s among other revealed cards, chances of you pairing up are much lower and you should perhaps consider raising.
Bets and raises are usually done by the players whose exposed cards are lower than of the other players. This is the correct play, although it does not necessarily mean that you will have a winning combination at the showdown. Always consider which of your cards are exposed and which are not, so that you can conduct strong bluffs even though your hole cards might not be as strong.
Razz Poker History
There is no strong evidence of how Razz Poker came into being, but one thing is certain – it started shortly after the introduction of Seven Card Stud to the world of gambling. The name says it all – Razz poker is a poker variation that uses a 52-card deck, unlike 20-card decks that were used in the 1800s. This implies that Razz games started around the turn of the 20th century.
Razz poker was first brought to the World Series of Poker in 1971 and is the part of the event ever since [1]. The first winner was Fiore “Jimmy” Casella who won the title yet again in 1974. Other legends of the game include Archie “The Greek” Karas and Stu Ungar who is considered one of the best and most controversial poker players of all time [2].
Although Razz poker is still less popular than Texas Hold’em and Omaha, the game has gone through a surge of popularity in the last few decades. The events are now often broadcast, leading Pokerstars to add Razz to their online rooms in 2006. Today, there are many Razz poker sites where you can test your skills on.
Razz Poker is probably the most profitable game being played right now. With basic Razz knowledge and a little practice, it’s an easy game to win. The best part about Razz is that there are so many players who have no idea how to play the game. After you read through the rules, read a couple of our beginner strategy articles and go play some micro-limit games. It won’t take long before you have a solid grasp on how to play. Practice Razz at Full Tilt Poker or Pokerstars.
For more information about the best sites for Razz, check out our Pokerstars Razz or Full Tilt Razz pages.
Rules of Razz Poker
The rules of Razz Poker are just like 7 Card Stud, except the lowest (worst) hand wins. Razz is played as a fixed limit game, with four cards dealt face up and three cards face down. Instead of blinds, Razz Poker utilizes antes and bring-ins to create action. Antes are typically 20% of the lower betting limit. At Pokerstars however, the antes are between 10-20% of the lower betting limit. Depending on where you’re playing, the bring in can be anywhere from 1.2 – 5 times the size of the ante. At Pokerstars, the antes are low, but the bring in’s are big. At Full Tilt Poker, the antes are more standard. Razz is played with no more than 8 players, as the 52 card deck cannot support more.
- The lowest 5 card hand wins.
- Aces are low, kings are high.
- The best hand in Razz is 5, 4, 3, 2, A, also known as a ‘wheel’ or ‘bike’.
- Straights and flushes do not count and have no effect on your hand.
- Unlike 8 or better games, there is no ‘8 or better’ requirement – every hand qualifies.
- Pairs do not help your hand. Only one card in any pair can be used towards your low hand.
- Razz hands are counted from the top-down, with the lowest five cards playing. So, a hand of 9, 7, 6, 4, 2 beats 10, 7, 6, 4, 2. If the highest cards are the same, move to the next card down. If those cards are the same, move to the next card down. Example; 9, 7, 5, 4, 2 beats 9, 7, 6, 4, 2.
Example Razz Hand – $5/10 Game ($1 ante, $1.50 bring in)
Ante: Before any cards are dealt, each player must post a $1 ante.
Third Street – The first three cards are dealt; 2 face down (hole cards), and one face up which is called the door card. The player with the highest door card must ‘bring in’ for $1.50. If two or more players share the highest door card, the player who must bring in is based on card suits in the following order; spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs. So, if three players have door card kings, the player with the king of spades is required to bring in. If none have the king of spades, the player with the king of hearts is required to bring in.
After the bring in, players have three options. They can fold, call the bring in, or ‘complete’ to $5. If someone ‘completes’, players must call $5 or raise in $5 increments to stay in the hand.
Fourth Street – One card dealt face-up. The player with the lowest hand showing is first to act. He can either check or bet $5. Play then moves clockwise around the table. If the first player has checked, the next player can either check or bet $5. If the first player has bet ($5), the second player can fold, call, or raise $5. Play continues around the table, with a maximum of 1 bet and 3 raises. (If two players have the same low hand after fourth street is dealt, the player closest to the left of the button is first to act)
Fifth Street – One card dealt face-up, round of betting at the $10 limit. Once again, the player with the lowest hand showing is first to act. This time he can either check or bet the higher limit, in this example $10. All bets and raises are now $10. Play continues clockwise around the table the same as it does on fourth street.
Sixth Street – One card dealt face-up, round of betting at the $10 limit. Action is the same as it is on fifth street.
Razz Rules
Seventh Street – One card dealt face-down, final round of betting at the $10 limit.
The player with the lowest 5 card hand wins the pot. Playing online, the last player that bet or raised will automatically show his/her cards first. In a clockwise direction, any player with a losing hand has the option to fold their hand face-up or face-down. Winning hands will automatically be shown face-up.
In total, there are 5 rounds of betting. While Razz Poker is a limit game, 5 betting rounds can generate sizeable pots.
Since very few players understand the rules of Razz Poker, it’s a game that can be very profitable. There are situations where you can plainly see that your opponent can’t beat you, and yet they call and raise you anyway. Learn the rules, practice Razz, and build your bankroll by winning at Razz Poker.
Razz Rules Pokerstars
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