Razz Poker

A variation of 7 card stud, Razz Poker is poker that is played for low only. You can think of it as playing stud in reverse: the worst hand wins. Straights and flushes do not count against your hand and aces are always low. A pair of aces is actually lower than a pair of deuces in Razz. The card rank is the only thing that matters and suits are irrelevant. The best hand in this Poker game is the wheel, or an A-2-3-4-5. One more important thing to remember is that there is no qualifier in razz. You win if you hold 4-4-8-7-5 and someone holds A-2-3-6-6.

A couple of rules with regards to betting is changed when playing Razz on poker sites. One, the highest card showing on the third street is the bring-in. Two, starting the fourth until the seventh street, the lowest showing hand opens the betting.

As a beginner, it is advisable that you play with a very tight strategy at first. You want to start with three cards 8 and lower and may want to prefer hands that have an ace and a deuce or a three. The lower your starting hand, the better. If your starting hand is nine and the door card is higher than nine, just abandon it. When you already have more experience, you will learn how to play a card that’s higher than 8. But as a beginner you will need a solid strategy so just stick to the basics for now. The only time you can play a hand with a card above an eight is if have a three card nine and your opponents are showing a nine or higher.

Some players will play a high card with an A-2 or an A-3 in the hopes that they can catch a couple of low cards to make a good draw. First, if you call a bring-in or a completion with a card higher than a nine showing, it is basically saying that you have a couple of solid low cards as hole cards. Your opponents will tend to punish you with extra bets when do this. If you don’t catch immediately, it is best that you just abandon the hand.

Know what a boardlocked situation is. This is when a player is locked into a certain hand and cannot improve to beat you. For example, you have a 7-6-5-4-A low on fifth street and your opponent is showing 9-10-8. Even if both are his down cards are perfect, there is no way they can outdraw you with two cards remaining. You have the nuts so bet as much as you want. This is also important if you are drawing to a hand. Recognizing boardlock situations means you should pay close attention to what your opponent is showing, and what the best possible hand it is that he can draw to.

The key to playing razz is playing a strong board and drawing hands out. If you are on fifth street with a three card seven and your opponent is showing a couple of high cards, you may want to bet. If your opponent pairs up on his board or catches high cards that leave him drawing lower than you, then you should also bet. Sometimes it doesn’t really matter what your hole cards are. For example, you call a bring in with a deuce up and a A-4 in the hole and you immediately catch a 4 while your opponent has a 10-8 showing. While you are technically behind right now, it will be difficult for your opponent to know this. If you bet at this point, there is a chance that he will fold. But if he doesn’t, then you can push him out, depending on how the board falls. At best he has a four card ten. The key is to bet aggressively when the boards seen scary.

Razz is a game that is typically only played in either tournament or at higher levels at a casino. But there are games online which you can play and practice at. Just follow the basics and you’ll be well on your way to mastering a new Poker Games variant.