RAZZ POKER – LOW SEVEN CARD STUD HAND

LEARN THE BASICS OF RAZZ POKER

A razz game bears many of the same characteristics as standard stud poker games, although the hand rankings will be reversed.

If you are keen to play razz, then it wouldn’t hurt to test out free games at online casinos first before you decide to throw yourself into a fixed limit betting game.

Indeed, razz invariably entails a fixed limit betting game, and they can be highly exciting. In terms of basic rules, a poker player will make a small bet during the first couple of rounds (third and fourth street), but come the latter rounds, such as the seventh street (the river), then razz players will up the ante in terms of stake size.

Anyway, in this seven card stud guide, we will provide a broad overview of the razz poker rules and discuss the significance of a razz hand, such as the relevance of straights and flushes, and whether or not, they count.

WHAT IS A RAZZ IN POKER?

A razz poker game is like any seven card stud game, and it can be found in high limit poker games, and there is even a WSOP razz event. Jerry Wong triumphed in the $10,000 razz poker tournament earlier in the summer to claim his first WSOP bracelet, and he got his hands on the entire pot which totalled $298,682.

Straights and flushes count for nothing as you will see later in this guide, but the lowest five card hand instead of the highest will be the key to success.

The best possible razz hand you can make in a razz game is as follows: A, 2, 3, 4, 5, which is also known as the wheel.

And it is imperative for razz players to understand the betting structure for this variation of seven card stud, especially if they want to get the most out of the game, from the moment betting begins through to the final round.

UNDERSTAND THE GAME’S PURPOSE

When you play poker, you need to have a clear strategy of what you intend to do for each round of betting. The same principle applies to the seven card stud variation razz.

As mentioned, you need to have the lowest hand from the seven cards that are dealt from a standard 52-card deck in order to come out on top in betting rounds.

Although in most forms of poker, the ace can count as a high and low value card, if you have this as one of your hole cards, then the ace will only be a low card. If anything, an ace is a good razz when typically played.

You will need to pay attention to any face up card, as well as establish outs to make the best possible razz hand, and clinch whatever is in the pot.

But remember that a paired hand will count to your score in razz, which can make hands higher. Therefore, if you get a paired hand when the first three cards are dealt, this could be detrimental to an active player who wants to make a strong razz hand in a later betting round.

RAZZ POKER HAND VALUES

It’s now time to bring in the razz poker hand values. We have ranked them from least to most potent, and the most potent equates to the nuts when you play razz.

Think of a razz hand as a five-digit number, and of the seven cards dealt, you are looking for the lowest number in a particular sequence of face down cards.

• 3, 3, 3, 5, 5
• K, K, 4, 3, 2
• 2, 2, 7, 6, 5
• A, A, T, 9, 8
• K, Q, J, T, 9
• K, Q, J, T, 7
• 9, 8, 7, 6, 5
• 9, 7, 6, 5, 3
• 9, 7, 6, 5, A
• 6, 5, 4, 3, 2
• 6, 4, 3, 2, A
• 5, 4, 3, 2, A

THE MOST IMPORTANT RULES OF RAZZ POKER

Having addressed the key tenets of a low seven card stud game, it’s now time to run through the main razz poker rules, so you know where you stand once betting begins.

• Razz poker always has a fixed pot limit.
• A player will always make a small bet for the first round.
• Three cards are dealt to a player. There will be two hole cards and one face up door card.
• Aces are always low in razz. The razz rules dictate the king is the highest possible door card.
• Best possible hand – A, 2, 3, 4, 5, which is known as a wheel.
• The final five cards will be ranked in poker razz from highest to lowest to determine who wins.
• Straights and flushes do not count when you play razz.
• There is no qualifying hand. The player with the lowest five card hand wins the pot.

RAZZ POKER GAMEPLAY

Now, we have shed some light on some simple razz poker rules, it’s time to guide you through each round of betting when you play razz from the ante through to the final round, which is also known as the seventh street.

LET’S START WITH THE ANTE

The first round of betting in razz is also known as the ante. Each player will receive an ante and make a small bet. In a fixed limit game where there is a limit of $1/$2, the antes would be around $0.15.

Three cards are dealt here, and of the first three cards that the dealer deals, there will be two hole cards which are cards that are faced down, and the final card face up.

Of the cards face up, this is also known as the door card, which will be significant in the first betting round.

WHAT IS A DOOR CARD?

A door card will usually be one of the up cards in seven card stud poker. The player with the highest door card or door cards must initiate the “bring in”, which is usually a little larger than the ante, or the player can complete a small bet.

NEXT BETTING ROUND IN RAZZ POKER

A betting round will always begin to the left of whoever is in the bring in. At this point, they can call, raise, or fold.

Remember, if more than one player has the same high card, then the player with the highest door card will be responsible for making the bring in for a round of betting.

As you would find in any other seven card stud poker game, a player will decide based on the first three cards that are dealt as to whether or not to continue with their starting hand.

THIRD AND FOURTH STREET

Here is how things unravel for razz poker come the third and fourth street.

Third Street

• The player with the highest exposed cards is the bring in at this point. Those with exposed cards will start the action.
• They must make another nominal bet.
• Or they can choose a full bet of the small bet amount.
• The action continues clockwise around the razz poker table.

Fourth Street

• In this round of betting, each player receives another exposed card ( a community card dealt face up in the centre of the table).
• The first player with the strong exposed hard will act (lowest hand on the fourth street).
• A player must check or bet with their fourth card.
• The amount will be a small bet for a $1/$2 limit game, and there will be a round of betting to bring in bets.

FIFTH, SIXTH AND SEVENTH STREETS

Fifth street

• Each player is dealt another card (a fifth card) face up.
• A round of betting commences in the fifth street and the player with the lowest exposed card acts first.
• A player will now need to stump up a fresh betting amount at the fifth street.

Sixth street

• At the sixth street, a player will be dealt another card face up (the sixth card).
• Again, the first player to act will be the player with the lowest exposed cards face up.
• To determine a bring in for the following betting round, ties in cards will be broken down by suit (order is from the highest to the lowest here).
• The betting proceeds.

Seventh street

• Each player will now be dealt one final card face down at the seventh street. There will now be seven cards allocated to a player (three cards dealt face down and four up cards).
• As before, the first person to act will be the player with the lowest up cards will have the bring in.
• There will be one final betting round at this point.
• If there are say two to eight players involved, we will head to the showdown. A bet placed here will be at the upper limit.

REMEMBER THE SHOWDOWN

And don’t forget about the showdown! This is the climax for any razz game where the seventh card is revealed. Whoever has the best five card combination here ace to five low will scoop the pot.

If there are two or more hands that are of the same value, then the pot will be equally split among the remaining players.

WHAT STRATEGY TO CHOOSE FOR RAZZ POKER?

For any razz game, you will need to employ some basic strategy if you are going to get the most out of the games you play.

We have outlined a couple of tips that should help you, especially if you want to be the “bring in” kind of player.

START BY CHOOSING STARTING HANDS

If you can get a good starting hand, this will put you in a good position when you play razz. An A-2-3, for example, is a cracking starting hand, and if a player is dealt this, then they shouldn’t hesitate to use, as this combination is strong in terms of razz hand rankings.

As long as you have a low hand, including the third card, then you will be better placed to play within range and steal blinds in the later streets.

Sometimes, it is possible to have a “lock” on a hand for poker razz. Essentially, you are betting on the chances that your opponent won’t be able to draw to a better hand to you whether it be the sixth or the seventh street.

WHEN TO GIVE UP?

For razz as with any poker game, you need to know when to pull back if things start to go awry or against you. You need to pay attention to the cards as and when they are dealt face up and dealt face down.

If a player is dealt a card that is low, and you need to hit a low hand, then it is unlikely there will be too many community cards in the deck that are low that will help you achieve your objective.

INTERESTING FACTS RELATED TO RAZZ POKER

If you are new to razz or don’t know much about the game, we have picked out a few facts that might pique your interest. Check out some razz trivia that you can impress your friends with.

• Razz has a bring in tie-breaker on the third street that will determine which player must pay the bring in. The ranking of the suits is as follows (lowest to highest): Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, and Spades.
• Fixed limit caps – For razz games, there will be fixed limits attached, so for example, if there is a $1/2 limit, the antes will be $0.15.
• Jerry Wong won his first WSOP gold bracelet by claiming nearly $300,000 at a razz championship event.
• The 2004 WSOP razz event was staged on TV by ESPN, and it was won by TJ Cloutier.
• Doyle Brunson, Barry Greenstein, and Huck Seed also claimed WSOP razz bracelets during their careers.
• It’s unknown how razz first started, although it has been a WSOP event since 1971, bar a small hiatus in 1972, and it became a permanent fixture in 1973.
• Several razz events will be played in Las Vegas every summer, and Vegas is a hub for razz.
• The game, which uses a standard 52-card deck, is best suited for two to eight players.

RAZZ POKER IN ONLINE CASINO

Razz provides an intriguing dimension for online casinos, especially as it is the lowest hand that will win with this poker variant as opposed to the highest five card combination. And as we have seen, cards of the same rank don’t necessarily matter so much.

You can play razz poker for real money, and you will need to be on the ball when a card is dealt face up or down, especially if you want to make the bring in for the next betting round. As mentioned, there will be fixed limits attached for each game, so the first small bet you make in the ante may equate to $0.15.

Some razz games will also have bonuses or special promotions to take advantage of, and these will relate to existing players. They may need to enter a promo code, but should you wish to play razz, you need to read all the terms and conditions before proceeding. Online casinos will have an FAQs section should you seek any further advice or there will be a live chat facility where you can speak to a team representative if you encounter any problems.

However, if you don’t want to jump in feet first and play for real money, then there is an alternative. You can choose to play for free and most digital casinos will have a demo mode, so you can get a feel for the game and what to expect before putting your hard-earned cash on the line. You may pick up some useful tips or nuggets of information that you can use moving forward.

CONCLUSION

The razz variant of poker, for some, can be a slow burner, especially as there are seven streets involved in terms of betting rounds, and then a showdown before you find out who the winner is. However, with seven card stud games, there is still an element of strategy involved even if you are trying to assemble the lowest five card hand possible.

It isn’t a game for the faint-hearted, and if you can alter the traditional mindset that you would adopt for other versions of poker, then you will be able to master razz and earn more money in the future. If you have enjoyed what you have read in this guide, then razz is certainly worth exploring further. After all, as there are regular razz WSOP events, it is a poker game that has mass appeal and it is highly lucrative.

Always remember to gamble responsibly, and once the fun stops, stop!

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