Take a deep dive into one of the most intriguing poker variants out there: Razz Poker. Played at the highest levels, including the World Series of Poker (WSOP), this lowball poker game serves up challenging gameplay and a few betting twists. Get a breakdown of this classic game in this article, from Razz poker tips for beginners to expert insights on Razz poker strategy.

What Is Razz Poker?

So what does “Razz Poker” refer to? Simply stated, Razz is a lowball Stud poker game in which the aim is to form the lowest poker hand, according to an ace-to-five low hand ranking system. Professional players learn how to play Razz in order to participate in tournaments that consist of mixed poker games, such as the well-known HORSE format (the initial letters stand for Hold’em, Omaha, Razz, Seven Card Stud, and Seven Card Stud Eight or Better).

Origins of Razz Poker

The origins of different poker names are often somewhat mysterious, and Razz is no different. In fact, nobody can say for sure how it got its name. What is clear is that Razz dates back to the early 20th century, around the time that the 52-card deck became standard.

How Razz Differs From Other Stud Games

So, how is Razz different from other types of stud poker? Apart from the lowball aspect, there are also special rules to determine the bring-in. In addition, there’s a rule to cover the eventuality of the deck running out of cards. 

It’s also worth noting that a Limit betting structure applies, so you can’t shove your stack the way you might in a game of No Limit Texas Hold’em. In fact, Razz requires a different way of thinking – a good enough reason to learn types of poker other than Texas Hold’em.

Razz Poker Rules: The Basics

The most important aspects to grasp when learning how to play the different types of poker are the rules governing betting and gameplay. Razz is a game for up to eight players, with a limit betting structure, meaning there’s a fixed amount players can bet each round.

Each player places an ante bet and then receives two cards face down (known as the hole cards) and one card face up (the door card). The player with the highest door card has to place the bring-in, which is a mandatory first bet. If two players have the highest door card, the bring-in depends on their suits. Spades beats hearts, followed by diamonds, and then clubs. A door card showing K♠ is an automatic bring-in.

After the bring-in has been settled, the first betting round takes place. After that, any remaining players are dealt another card face up. Importantly, the player with the lowest visible cards starts the action. This pattern continues, with players alternately betting and receiving cards. However, from the fifth street, bets double. Finally, the seventh card is dealt face down, and the final betting round takes place, followed by the showdown.

If the deck runs out of cards before all players receive a seventh card, a single community card is dealt for anyone to use.

Hand Rankings in Razz

Razz hand rankings are pretty simple compared to high hand ranking systems such as Texas Hold’em, making Razz one of the best types of poker for beginners to get behind. Aces are low, and straights and flushes don’t count in anyone’s favor. As a result, the best Razz poker hand is the so-called “wheel,” consisting of A-2-3-4-5.

What Qualifies as a “Low” Hand

Some Seven Card Stud low rules have specific qualifying criteria for low hands, but that’s not the case in Razz. Any hand can win as long as it is lower than all the other hands.

Examples of Winning Razz Hands

So, how to tell if you have a winning hand in this lesser-known poker variant? It’s quite simple. Razz hands are counted from the top down, with the lowest five cards playing. So, a hand of 10-8-7-5-2 beats J-8-7-5-2. If the highest cards are the same, look at the next card down. For example, 9-7-6-4-2 beats 9-8-6-4-2. If the top two cards are a tie, move one card further down. Another example: 9-8-6-4-2 beats 9-8-7-4-2.

Hands to Avoid

Hands to avoid in Razz are types of hands that would get you excited in a game of Hold’em. Since kings are the highest cards, any hand with a king is bad, and a Royal Flush is terrible. The same goes for straights, full house, quads, and trips—none of them are worth much in Razz. What’s good about the simplicity of Razz is that players don’t have the same problems with overplayed and overvalued poker hands as Hold’em players do.

How To Play a Hand of Razz Poker

Ready to take a walk through a hand of Razz Poker?

Step-by-Step Gameplay

Here’s an easy breakdown of a game of Razz:

• Ante: Each player posts an ante, usually a fraction of the small bet. For example, in a $2/$4 game, the ante is often $0.30.
  
• Third Street: Each player receives two hold cards face down and one door card face up. The player with the highest door card makes the bring-in bet.
  
• Fourth Street: Players receive a second card face-up, and the player with the lowest exposed hand begins the betting.
  
• Fifth Street: A third face-up card is dealt, and the betting limits double.
  
• Sixth Street: A fourth face-up card is dealt, followed by another round of betting.
  
• Seventh Street: The seventh and final card is dealt face down, and the final betting round takes place.
  
• Showdown: If there’s more than one player in the hand, the lowest five-card hand takes the pot.

Betting Rounds Explained

Betting rounds in Razz are pretty simple. There’s no poker flop, turn, and river, as in Texas Hold’em. One street simply follows another as additional cards are dealt, until the seventh card, followed by the showdown. The only noteworthy feature is that the player with the lowest exposed cards has to begin the action on any given street.

Also, Razz typically has a fixed betting system based on a small bet and a big bet. For example, in a $2/$4 game of Razz, the small bet of $2 applies until fifth street, at which point the big bet size of $4 applies.

The Showdown

Showdown determines the winner. When the last betting round is done, players all reveal their hole cards. The pot goes to the player with the lowest hand, according to Razz hand rankings.

Strategy Tips for Razz Poker

Razz is far from being the most complicated form of poker. One strategic tip will stand you in good stead, and that’s card removal. Keep an eye on what cards are missing from your opponents’ hands and from the deck. That way, you can figure out if they have paired their hole cards or had a weak starting hand.

Starting Hands to Focus On

Starting hands in Razz fall into two categories: Smooth and rough. 

Smooth hands are ones that have good drawing potential to improve and can possibly redraw to the nuts.

Rough hands have the potential to draw to strong hands with little redraw potential. In other words, you might hit your draw, but your hand is unlikely to improve beyond that.

Unlike Texas Hold’em, where you can memorize a chart of the top poker starting hands, Razz is situational. The best strategy for Razz poker? It’s all about reading other players, counting the cards, and playing the board, rather than crushing with a strong hand.

That said, some starting hands are better than others. The strongest hands are three unpaired cards worth 8 or lower, with the best being A-2-3, A-2-4, A-2-5, and A-3-4. These all give you a good chance of forming a good five-card low hand. These hands give you a great chance of making a solid five-card low by the river. Just keep an eye on your opponents’ exposed holdings—there’s no use in trying to draw to a dead card.

Reading Upcards and Opponents

Reading upcards is a critical skill in Razz, as they can enable players to figure out how many outs they have. Also known as live cards, these are cards that are still in play, that you can still potentially draw to. 

Dead cards are cards that are not outs. Say it’s the first betting round and you have 2-3 in the hole and 4 in the door. If all your opponents’ door cards are 2s and As, there’s a slim chance you’ll draw an A or 2 yourself. This makes it relatively difficult to bluff in Razz, so you can focus on reading the cards instead of watching for poker tells.

Managing Your Bankroll in Limit Razz

As a limit betting game, Razz makes it easy to practice responsible bankroll management in poker. Since nobody’s going all-in, you only have to look at the big bet size and work out how many streets your bankroll can stretch to.

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