Razz Poker FAQ

Q: What is razz poker and how does it differ from regular poker?

Razz is a lowball variant of seven-card stud where the lowest hand wins instead of the highest. Unlike traditional poker, straights and flushes don’t count against you, and aces are always low. The best possible hand is A-2-3-4-5 (the wheel), while the worst possible hand would be K-K-K-K-Q. Each player receives seven cards total (three down, four up) and makes the best five-card low hand.

Q: How do you determine the winner in razz?

The winner is determined by who has the lowest five-card hand at showdown. Compare hands starting from the highest card and work down. For example, 8-7-6-5-4 beats 9-4-3-2-A because the eight-high beats the nine-high. If the highest cards match, compare the second-highest, and so on. A-2-3-4-6 beats A-2-3-5-6 because the four beats the five when comparing the fourth card.

Q: What happens if I pair up in razz?

Pairs hurt your hand significantly but don’t disqualify you. You simply use the pair as two of your five cards. For instance, if your seven cards include a pair of fours, your best hand might be 8-7-6-4-4, which is quite weak. Multiple pairs are disastrous, as you must use at least two pairs in your five-card hand, making it nearly impossible to win against any reasonable low hand.

Q: Who starts the betting on each street?

On third street (the first betting round), the player showing the highest door card must make the forced bring-in bet. On all subsequent streets (fourth through seventh), the player showing the lowest board acts first. If boards are tied, the player closest to the dealer’s left acts first. This is opposite from high-hand stud games where the best showing hand acts first.

Q: Can you check on third street in razz?

No, there must always be a bet on third street. The player with the highest door card must make the bring-in bet (usually 1/3 to 1/2 of the small bet) or can choose to complete to a full small bet. Other players can then call, complete (if only the bring-in was made), or raise. Checking isn’t an option until fourth street and beyond.

Q: What are the best possible hands in razz?

The best hands in razz, from strongest to weakest, are: 1) A-2-3-4-5 (the wheel), 2) A-2-3-4-6, 3) A-2-3-5-6, 4) A-2-4-5-6, 5) A-3-4-5-6, 6) 2-3-4-5-6. Any five unpaired cards eight or lower constitute a strong hand. Remember that straights don’t count against you, so A-2-3-4-5 is the nuts despite being a straight.

Q: Do suits matter in razz?

No, suits are completely irrelevant in razz. Flushes don’t count against you, and there’s no extra value for having suited cards. A-2-3-4-5 all of hearts is exactly the same strength as A-2-3-4-5 of mixed suits. This differs from some other lowball games where flushes might hurt your hand.

Q: How do you read ‘eight-low’ or ‘seven-low’ hands?

These terms describe the highest card in a five-card low hand. An “eight-low” means your highest card is an eight, like 8-6-4-3-A. A “seven-low” has seven as the highest card, like 7-5-4-2-A. Within each category, hands are further distinguished by the other cards. 8-4-3-2-A (called “eight-four”) beats 8-7-3-2-A (“eight-seven”).

Q: What makes a good starting hand in razz?

Good starting hands contain three cards eight or lower, preferably with no pairs. Premium hands have three wheel cards (A through 5), like A-2-3 or A-3-5. Playable hands include three cards to an eight, like A-6-8 or 3-4-7. The lower and more connected your cards, the better your chances of making a strong hand. Position and opponents’ door cards also affect starting hand value.

Q: Should I play hands with a high door card?

Generally avoid hands with door cards nine or higher, even if your hidden cards are perfect. The high door card telegraphs weakness, encouraging opponents to attack you with raises and steals. Additionally, you’ll often have to make the bring-in bet, putting you at a positional disadvantage. Only play high door cards with exceptional hidden cards (like A-2) in specific steal situations.

Q: How important are suited cards in starting hand selection?

Suited cards are completely irrelevant in razz since flushes don’t count against you. Don’t give any extra value to suited holdings. Three suited wheel cards are no better than three unsuited wheel cards. This differs from games like Omaha or Hold’em where suited cards add significant value.

Q: What adjustments should I make based on opponents’ door cards?

Tighten up when multiple opponents show low door cards, as you’ll face more competition for low cards. Loosen up when opponents show high door cards, as they’re likely weak and low cards are more live. Pay special attention to cards you need, for example, if you hold A-7-8 and see multiple twos, threes, fours, fives, and sixes exposed, your hand decreases in value significantly.

Q: When should I steal the antes in razz?

Steal when you’re in late position with a low door card and the remaining opponents show high door cards. Your actual hidden cards matter less than the perception created by door cards. If you show a three and both blinds show paint cards, raise regardless of your hidden cards. However, don’t steal into multiple low door cards, as you’ll likely get called or raised.

Q: How do I play when I brick on fourth street?

If you started with a premium hand (three wheel cards), you can often continue after catching one brick on fourth street, especially if opponents also caught poorly. With marginal starts, fold immediately when bricking unless the pot is large and opponents show weakness. The key is recognizing when your equity justifies continuing versus when you’re throwing good money after bad.

Q: Should I slow-play strong hands in razz?

Rarely. Razz is primarily a value-betting game where you want to build pots with strong hands. Slow-playing occasionally works with hidden strength (like when your board shows 8-9-J but you have A-2 underneath), but generally bet and raise aggressively with strong holdings. The fixed-limit structure means you can’t make up for missed bets later with one large bet.

Q: How important is position in razz compared to hold’em?

Position matters less in razz than in hold’em but remains valuable. The exposed cards provide information regardless of position, reducing the information advantage of acting last. However, position still helps with stealing opportunities, pot control, and making better decisions with marginal hands. Late position allows more marginal hands to be played profitably through steal equity.

Q: What are dead cards and why do they matter?

Dead cards are cards you can see in opponents’ exposed hands that you need to improve. They matter enormously because they reduce your chances of catching good cards. If you need fives and sixes to improve but see three fives and two sixes already exposed, your hand loses significant value. Always scan the board before making decisions, adjusting your strategy based on how live your outs are.

Q: How do I calculate pot odds in razz?

Pot odds in razz work identically to other poker games. Divide the amount you must call by the total pot after your call. If the pot contains 10 big bets and you face a 1 big bet call, you’re getting 11-to-1 odds, needing to win only 8.3% of the time to profit. However, implied odds matter less in razz due to the fixed-limit structure and the visibility of boards reducing surprise factor.

Q: Can you profitably bluff in razz?

Yes, but selectively. The best bluffs in razz are board-based, where your exposed cards look strong despite your actual hand being weak. If you show A-3-4-6 but have a pair hidden, you can often bluff successfully. Pure bluffs without board support rarely work because opponents get good pot odds to call. Multi-street bluffs require consistent boards and work best against thinking players who can fold.

Q: How do tournament dynamics differ from cash games in razz?

Tournament razz requires tighter starting hand selection due to the irreplaceable nature of chips. Stealing becomes more important as antes increase relative to stacks. ICM considerations affect decisions near bubbles and pay jumps. Short-stack play becomes push-or-fold with limited post-flop maneuverability. Cash games allow patient, mathematically optimal play without survival pressure. See our detailed guide on tournament versus cash strategy for comprehensive coverage.

Q: Is razz just luck since everyone can see most cards?

No, razz requires significant skill despite the visible information. Expert players excel at hand reading, dead card tracking, opponent profiling, and marginal decision-making. The exposed cards create a different skill set requirement, not a reduction in skill importance. Long-term results clearly separate skilled players from amateurs, with professionals maintaining consistent win rates.

Q: Should I always play three low cards?

Not automatically. Three low cards like 6-7-8 become marginal when many low cards are dead, from early position, or facing a raise. Context matters more than absolute hand strength. Premium hands like A-2-3 play from any position, but marginal three-card eights require favorable conditions. Consider position, dead cards, opponent tendencies, and pot odds before entering.

Q: Is it correct to chase when I have four to a wheel?

Usually yes, but not always. Four to a wheel typically justifies continuing, but consider the cost and competition. If you’re facing multiple raises from made hands and many of your outs are dead, even four to a wheel might not offer proper odds. Generally, four to a six or better warrants aggressive play, while four to an eight or nine requires more careful evaluation.

Q: Do I need to defend my bring-in?

Only with playable hands. Don’t defend with garbage just because you’ve already invested the bring-in. That money is gone and shouldn’t influence your decision. Defend with three cards eight or lower against a single raise, but fold trash like K-Q-J regardless of the bring-in investment. The bring-in is a fee for having the highest door card, not a reason to play bad hands.

Q: What bankroll do I need for razz?

For serious cash game play, maintain 300-500 big bets for your regular stakes. Tournament players need 100-200 buy-ins for their average tournament level. Razz has moderate variance compared to other poker forms, higher than limit hold’em but lower than PLO. These recommendations assume solid fundamental play; beginners should be more conservative until skills develop.

Q: Is razz profitable in modern poker?

Yes, razz remains quite profitable, especially in mixed games where many players lack experience. Pure razz games are less common but often feature weak competition when they run. The game appears in HORSE, 8-Game, and other popular mixed formats, where razz specialists gain significant edges. Online sites like SwCPoker regularly offer razz at various stakes.

Q: What stakes should beginners start at?

Start at the lowest available stakes to learn without significant financial pressure. Online micro-stakes (0.04/0.08 to 0.25/0.50) provide excellent learning environments. Live games typically start at $2/$4 or $3/$6. Focus on learning proper fundamentals rather than winning money initially. Move up only after demonstrating consistent profit over meaningful samples (10,000+ hands online, 200+ hours live).

Q: How do I find good razz games?

Online, check sites specializing in mixed games like SwCPoker. Look for HORSE and 8-Game tournaments which include razz rounds. Live razz appears during major tournament series and in some regular mixed games at larger card rooms. Home games often include razz in dealer’s choice rotations. The WSOP and other major series offer dedicated razz events with generally soft fields.

Q: What happens if we run out of cards?

If the deck runs out before seventh street, a single community card is dealt face-up in the center, which all remaining players use as their seventh card. This rarely happens but occasionally occurs in full-ring games where many players reach seventh street. The community card doesn’t affect the dealing order or betting action, which proceeds normally.

Q: Can I choose which cards to expose?

No, the dealing pattern is fixed. First and second cards are always down, third through sixth are always up, and seventh is always down. You cannot choose to expose or hide specific cards. If a down card is accidentally exposed, it typically plays as an up card with specific rules varying by card room. Always protect your cards to prevent exposure.

Q: What if two players have identical hands at showdown?

The pot splits equally between players with identical five-card hands. Suits never break ties in razz. If the pot doesn’t divide evenly, the odd chip goes to the player closest to the left of the dealer button. This follows standard poker rules for splitting pots in limit games.

Q: How does the betting structure work?

Razz uses fixed-limit betting with small bets on third and fourth streets, and big bets (double the small bet) on fifth, sixth, and seventh streets. In a $2/$4 game, bets and raises are $2 on early streets and $4 on later streets. There’s typically a cap of three or four raises per betting round. The bring-in on third street is usually $0.50 to $1 in a $2/$4 game.

Q: How does razz fit into mixed games like HORSE?

Razz is the ‘R’ in HORSE, typically played as the second game after Hold’em. In mixed game rotations, razz often proves profitable as many players are weaker at lowball games. The skills transfer somewhat to the Stud Eight-or-Better round, as both involve making low hands. Success in mixed games requires competence in razz, as it represents 20% of hands in HORSE and 12.5% in 8-Game. For detailed mixed game strategy, see our HORSE guide.

Q: What’s the difference between razz and lowball draw games?

Razz is a stud game with exposed cards and no drawing/discarding, while lowball draw games like 2-7 Triple Draw involve discarding and drawing new cards with all cards hidden. Razz uses ace-to-five low rankings (aces are low, straights/flushes don’t count), while 2-7 uses deuce-to-seven rankings (aces are high, straights/flushes count against you). The visible information in razz creates different strategic considerations than the hidden information in draw games.

Q: Is London Lowball the same as razz?

No, London Lowball is a seven-card stud variant where straights and flushes count against you, and aces can be high or low. Razz ignores straights and flushes, with aces always low. The hand rankings differ significantly; A-2-3-4-5 is the nuts in razz but a straight (thus terrible) in London Lowball. London Lowball is rarely spread in modern poker.