Razz Basics
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Published On:
12/13/2005 1:32 PM
Quick Bio:
Paul Thomas is from Brooklyn, New York. He enjoys playing in both the finest and dingiest poker rooms you can imagine.
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Razz has arguably the most fun name to the least fun game ratio in all of poker. It is 7-card Stud for low hand only. Everything fun about poker flies out the window when you play Razz. Full Houses, Flushes, Straights and all the other tasty hands out there don’t count. If you want to play Razz on line, we don’t think you can, at least not at an established poker site. If there are places, please write to us and let us know. It doesn’t mean we’re going to play it though. However, here at PokerSchedule.com we insist on catering to the full poker experience. So if you still want to play this odd game, here’s how, starting with:
To get the pot started, all players must post an “ante”, which is like buying admission into the hand. All players post an equal amount regardless of their position. It is usually a small amount, about half or one-third of the single bet limit. Once everybody coughs up the ante, it’s time for:
Three cards are dealt to each player. The first two are face down and known as “hole” cards. The third is face up and is know as the “door” card. Now the real wagering begins with:
Whichever player has the highest value card showing now has to post another bet, usually twice the ante, called the “bring-in”, which is mandatory. If two players tie with the highest card, who “brings in” is decided by suit in alphabetical order. So it’s clubs, diamonds, hearts, then spades with the suit closer to the front of the alphabet responsible for the first act. This player has two options, either just to bring in the minimum amount or “complete” the bet by wagering the full amount of the low limit bet. Wagering continues with the player to the left of the “bring in”, either matching the previous bet, raising, or folding. This continues around the table until all players have acted. The hand continues to:
Everyone still in the hand gets another card face up. At this point and for the rest of the hand, the best low hand showing starts the betting. If two hands tie for lowest, it’s up to the player first in line clockwise from the dealer. This player can only bet the low limit, for example $1 in a $1/$2 stakes game. A pair showing has no effect on raising the betting limit as it does in 7-card stud. The action is completed around the table. Any raises are restricted to whatever the low limit is at the time, and now it’s time for:
Remaining players get another face up card and again the lowest hand starts the betting. It is at this point where the betting limits go up to the high limit, here $2 in a $1/$2 stakes game. The raise limit also goes up to $2 and both remain at that level for the rest of the hand. Action is completed around the table. It’s getting expensive to stay in as we head to:
This is identical to Fifth Street, except remaining players receive their sixth card, the last face up card they will get in the hand. Once again the lowest hand starts the action, it moves around the table until it’s completed. The hand is close to the end because next is:
Those players who’ve gutted it out and remain in the hand receive their final card. This one is face down. Again the betting starts with the lowest exposed hand at the high limit and continues until all bets and or raises are called (completing the action), and then it’s time to see who wins the hand in :
The best five-card low hand held by the remaining players wins the pot. In the rare case that there is a tie, the pot is split equally. The dealer position moves one spot to the left and the next hand begins.
A qualifying low hand must consist of five cards of different values all of 8 or less. Whatever your highest low card is to start your low hand is the first determining factor. For example, 7-6-5-4-2 beats 8-4-3-2-Ace. If players are tied at the top of their low hand, then the winner is the hand that goes lower first. An example of this is 7-6-4-2-Ace beats 7-6-5-2-Ace because the hands are tied until you reach the third lowest card, with the 4 being lower than the 5. Like the pot distribution on high hands, half the pot goes to the best low hand and if there are ties then the low pot is split. The best low hand possible is 5-4-3-2-Ace. If you must play a low game, we encourage you to check out Omaha Hi-Lo, which is a much more fun game.
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