Poker Strategy - Razz Poker Rules

Razz Poker Strategy Articles

Razz Poker Rules

One of the most challenging poker games out there is the game known as Razz. Razz requires discipline and patience, and even hardened pros often find themselves pulling their hair out over this vexing poker game.

Speaking of which, you’ll be able to watch some really exciting Razz games in the 2008 WSOP.

Anyway, while winning at Razz may be a challenge, the rules are fairly easy to learn, as you’re about to find out.

Razz Structure
Razz is a seven-card stud game. In stud games, each player has their own cards, but some of these cards are exposed. This is in contrast to community card games like Omaha and hold’em, where all players share the exposed cards. Players ante a pre-determined amount, and then receive two down cards and one up card. The player with the highest up card has a forced bet, called a bring-in, which is a fraction of a full bet. Play then proceeds clockwise, with players either calling the bring-in, completing to a full bet, raising if the bet has already been completed or folding.

Players are then dealt a fourth card face up. Now the lowest hand showing is first to act and may check or bet. Proceeding clockwise, players may check or bet if there has been no bet, call, raise or fold if there has. This continues with a fifth and sixth card, then a seventh card face down, and then a showdown.

Winning At Razz
Unlike in traditional poker, in Razz, the worst five card hand takes the pot. Aces are low and straights and flushes do not count, so the worst hand is A 2 3 4 5, also called a wheel. Any hand with a pair will almost never win, since any five unmatched cards beat it.

Razz Strategies
Many players will fold as soon as they “catch bad,” that is, they are dealt a card higher than an eight or a card that pairs them. If they have three or four very low cards, they may continue in the hopes of catching a low, but this will also be dependent on the other exposed cards and how the betting has progressed.

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