Razz Poker

A beginner’s guide to Razz

Razz is a version of 7 card stud, but that is where the similarities to any other poker game that you have played ends. In this game, to be a winner, you have to be a loser. Sounds crazy I know, but the game has a great twist and allows you to finally be happy when you get the worst hand.

Everything about the structure and betting is identical to 7 Card Stud, except the value of the hand that you are looking for. The only change is that instead of the low card having the forced bet on the first up card, the high card (Aces are low unless stipulated, so the King is the high card) will initiate the opening bet.

The key to this game, as it is in regular stud, is to get established early and not chase down a losing hand. You are going to have to use your memory skills to both realize the possibility of your hand hitting and to also be able to rate the strength of your opponents hands. This is not a game where you can sit back and listen to your music and stargaze, you need to pay attention to every card at every time.

The game starts with 2 down cards and one up card. With lowest hand winning, you are looking to start off with 3 cards to a low of 7 or under. The only way you can even consider playing without 3 low cards is if you are looking down and see A2 as two out of your three. At this point, you can pay to see the 4th card, but you are going to have to fold immediately if that card does not peel off on the next round.

It is not very often that you will see a raise before 4th street unless someone is exploiting position or is looking down at A23. If you have that, by all means hammer the pot and reduce your competition. 4th street is going to be the tell tale card though as if you manage to hit another low card, you now have 3 cards to fill in your low hand. This is why it is so important to watch what the other players have.

Let’s say that you are dealt A23 to start the hand off. On board you see (1)A, (2)3’s, (1)4 , (1)6 and (1)7. This is actually fairly good news for you as far as exposed cards go because of the 16 cards that you can fill your hand with, only 3 of them are dead. When 4th street comes out, the totals are now (2)A, (2)2’s, (2)3’s, (2)4’s, (1)5, (1)6 and (1)7. Let’s also assume that you were dealt a five, which would mean that there are now only (2)5’s left live in the deck.

This is a situation where you would start to raise down through the river if anyone else is betting. At this point, you only need one more card to hit your low and out of the 12 cards that will improve your hand, there are still 8 of them left alive. For an 8 handed game, the dealer will hold 16 cards (I have already eliminated burn cards from the count) in his hand that can hit the board. Out of those 16 cards, half of them will improve your hand. You can assume that one or two of them are in other people’s hands, but regardless, you have a huge percentage to hit your hand.

Also, when you are looking at the other hands that are going to need help, you can obviously eliminate all the cards that you are holding that will improve their hands. Now this is a dream situation, but you get the general idea of how important it is to be able to crunch the numbers and recall what everyone is dealt. As players fold, you must be able to remember what cards they took to the much in order to be able to compute the advantage over your opponents.

This is a great game to learn online as most of the tables that are active are micro-limit tables so you won’t be putting very much at risk. However, as H.O.R.S.E. continues to rise in popularity, you will have a huge edge on anyone that is playing the game if you can hone your Razz skills. We are going to have some more in depth articles about Razz coming up, but this will get you started in what is one of the more enjoyable and interesting games of poker being played today.

Tags:
7 Card Stud, HORSE, Online Poker, Poker, Poker Game, Razz Poker

The Transition to Playing Razz

Transitioning to Razz

If you mention that you play poker to the average person on the street, they will almost always assume you mean Texas Hold’em. Tournament Texas Hold’em was accepted as “the poker game” when the poker boom hit the United States in 2003, after Chris Moneymakers historic World Series of Poker Main Event victory. Millions of college students, middle aged men and women, and retirees began playing the game which was made famous through ESPN’s coverage.

Many people inside the game of poker only play Texas Hold’em and many of these people do not even understand the other forms of poker that are our there. I recently hosted my weekly home poker game and decided to make it a dealer’s choice game. I selected Omaha Hi/Lo, Razz, and 7 card stud as my dealer’s choice games and had to explain the rules and concepts of the games numerous times. A few of my friends, who are quite talented Texas Hold’em players, were not big fans of these new games, as they did not fully understand the strategies to excel at the new games and could not be bothered to apply themselves. A few of the other players at the game, loved the new additions. They liked the added action created in Omaha, as well as the new information and betting rounds created in Stud and Razz.

There are so many different and unique caveats of each game, that it creates new and different challenges amongst each game. I, like many, first learned how to play Texas hold’em competitively. I got into Razz by playing online and reading books such as Super System. At the time I first got into these other games, I was a bit burnt out on Texas hold’em. That’s what really turned me onto playing Razz competitively. Learning the nuisances Razz and different strategies involved with the game brought back my passion for playing poker. I became a student of the game again, studying and learning everything I could about the game. In the end, I became much better at Razz, but these strategies and new thought processes also helped me in my Texas hold’em game as well.

Some sites do not offer every form of poker or have as high as volume of games in these different games that they do in Texas hold’em. However, most of the large sites and many medium sized sites have many game types. Paddy Power Poker, Virgin Poker, and Ladbrokes Poker all offer games in Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi Lo, Razz, 7 Card Stud and 7 Card Stud H/L. Just like Texas Hold’em, these sites offer micro stakes, .01/.02, low stakes, $1/2, medium stakes, $10/$20, and large stakes, $50/$100 and above. I would suggest starting at very low stakes if you are just learning the game of Razz. It can be very confusing at first and you don’t want to blow your whole bankroll before you even understand the game.

Throughout the next few weeks, I will take you on a journey through the game of Razz. I will not only give you a better understanding of the game, but I will teach you some proven winning strategies for this form of poker and the various opportunities involved with Razz.

Tags:
7 Card Stud, Holdem, Ladbrokes Poker, Omaha, Paddy Power Poker, Poker, Razz, Stud, Tournament, Virgin Poker, World Series of Poker

Bring-In Bet Defense

As most of you know, in Razz, the player that has the highest board card showing is the bring-in bet. This bet is usually equal to double the size of the ante. A player in the bring-in bet in Razz is in worse shape than player in other stud games due to the fact that the low hand is the best hand, and you are already drawing to the worst hands from the start. In other stud games, you could possibly have a relatively decent starting hand depending on your hole cards.

There are some situations that can lend themselves to a player defending their bring-in in a Razz game. First, what is your door card? In most cases, you do not want to defend your bring in with a card higher than ten. Some players will defend with a jack but you are severely handicapping yourself. You are also telegraphing your play in most cases if you follow the next step in determining if you should defend your bring-in.

What are your hole cards? In order for me to defend my bring-in with a high door card, I want A-2 or A-3. I may defend with A-4, but if I do, I want a non-pairing wheel card as my 4th street card. Note that when you defend your bring-in with a big card showing, most players will have a good idea of what your hole cards are. Expect your opponent to jam you.

Next, how many of your cards are still live? If you were paying attention, you should know how many of your needed wheel cards are out. I also keep track of cards under eight when I count my outs.

The last thing to consider in defending your bring in is what type of opponent you are facing. Are they a tight player or one that will try to steal from you? Don’t defend against a really tight player as they are likely to actually have picked up a hand.

Once you decide to defend your bring-in, each street becomes important to determine whether you stay in the hand. When you start with a large door card and two small cards, you want to either improve or have your opponent catch bad. If I catch a bad card on fourth, I will likely abandon the hand to a bet. Of course, if my opponent catches bad, I may bet into him. In this case, when I say they catch bad, they have caught a card higher than my door card. Now they are drawing worse.

In the event you catch good, you need to evaluate the type of hand that they are drawing to. If they catch a low card, what are they potentially drawing to? At this point, it is a matter of what your read is on them at to whether you want to continue in the hand.

Fifth Street is the crucial card. At this point you need to have 4 cards to a decent hand or you need to get out. Of course, if your opponent catches bad, this will help your decision, but you want to have four cards to a hand that will “outdraw.” What your opponent is representing.

As you can see, a big part of defending your bring-in bet depends on your ability to put your opponent on a hand. If you do not feel comfortable in doing so, then go ahead and take the safe way out and fold your hand.

Tags:
Bring-In Defense, Poker, Razz, Razz Poker, Stud Poker

Bad Plays to Look for During Razz Rounds in H.O.R.S.E. Games

Since 2006 a game that has been growing in popularity has been H.O.R.S.E.  H.O.R.S.E. is a game of five rotating poker variants of Holdem, Omaha 8 or Better, Razz, Stud, and Stud 8 or Better.  Most players have exposure to many of the games but the one game that players are the least experienced in is Razz.  As a result, they make many bad plays or do things that you would not normally see in a razz game.  Today let’s talk about a few things that you can look for during a Razz round in an H.O.R.S.E. game.

First, depending on how the game is structured, there may be players in your group that will decide to sit out many of the hand in the Razz round.  This is more common in H.O.R.S.E. cash games as opposed to tournaments.  As a result, these players may only play a hand that is really strong.  Sometimes, you can play a marginal hand against these players in the hopes that they may catch bad and fold to pressure.  I’m not saying to call down this type of player if you are showing a King and they come in with an ace.  However, if you are showing a 9 or 10 and they are showing a card from 5 to 8, sometimes you can come in and see 4th street.  Sometimes if they catch paint and you improve, they will fold to a bet on fourth.

Next, if a player calls a completion bet on third that was a bring-in or has a card 10 or higher, it is a safe bet that they have a couple of really strong low cards underneath.  As a result, pay close attention to how they improve and if you are improving, bet your hand strong.  Usually if someone calls a completion with a 10 or higher, I am going to put them on A-2 or A-3 in the hole.  If by 6th street they are showing potential to have a better hand than yours, slow down or even fold if you can’t outdraw them.

If someone hits a pair on their board and they call a bet from you, their hole cards are either strong or perfect.  I would continue to push my advantage unless they happen to improve or you fall behind.

Next, as in any form of poker, don’t try and bluff a calling station.  There are some players that will not fold their hand even if you are showing A-2-3-4 and they are showing K-7-8-9.  I know this seems odd, but I have experienced it.  (I have also lost when my hole cards were 8-9-10 to this type of player.)

Remember that most players that play H.O.R.S.E. tend to specialize in some games and just are average in some games.  Razz is the game that most players have the least amount of experience with.  As a result you will see some bad plays during the course of a H.O.R.S.E. game that you may not see that often in a Razz cash game.

Tags:
Holdem, HORSE, Omaha, Omaha 8, Poker, Razz, Stud

Razz Poker Tips for Beginners

Razz Poker is a variation of seven card stud poker that is played for low only. It can be thought of as playing stud in reverse. The worst hand wins. Straights and flushes do not count against your hand. Aces are always low in Razz. In fact, a pair of aces is actually lower than a pair of deuces. The card rank is the only thing that matters in razz. Suits are irrelevant. The best hand in Razz is the wheel, or an A-2-3-4-5. Unlike stud eight or better, there is no qualifier in razz; therefore if you hold 4-4-8-7-5 and someone holds A-2-3-6-6, you win.

There are a couple of rule changes in regards to betting that make stud eight different than other stud game. First, the highest card showing on third street is the bring-in. Next, from fourth through seventh street, the lowest showing hand opens the betting. Otherwise, the game is dealt as a normal stud game.

As a beginning player you will want to start with a very tight strategy in regards to playing razz. You really want to start with three cards eight and lower. Preference should be for hands that include an ace and a deuce or a three. The lower your starting hand is in razz poker, the better off you are. If your hand contains a card higher than nine, abandon the hand, especially if the door card is higher than 9. There are times where you can actually play hands that contain a card above an eight, but starting out, you need to start off with a solid strategy. The only time I would recommend playing a hand with a card above an eight is if you are holding a three card nine and your opponents are showing a nine or higher. In this case, you can play a nine low. Otherwise, wait until you get a better grasp of the game. There are many players that will play a high card with an A-2 or an A-3, hoping 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, you are telegraphing that you have a couple of solid low cards as hole cards. Player will punish you at the tables with extra bets when you make this play. Also, if you don’t catch immediately, you have to almost always abandon the hand.

If you do not improve your hand by fifth street, in most cases it is time to abandon the hand. Betting limits double and you must catch both cards perfect to make a hand. There may be times that you will want to abandon your hand at fourth street. For example, if you start with a three card eight and on fourth, you opponent catches a 7 to go with a low card, then you are very likely against a seven low draw. You will have to catch every card perfect to outdraw a seven. In this case it’s time to fold.

Learn how to recognize a boardlocked situation. When a player is boardlocked, they are locked into a certain hand and cannot improve to beat you. For example, let’s say you have a 7-6-5-4-A low on fifth street and your opponent is showing 9-10-8 as their board. Even if both are their down cards are perfect, such as A-2, there is no possible way they can outdraw you with two cards remaining. You have the nuts and need to bet like mad. This is also a helpful thing to know if you are drawing to a hand. If you have four cards to a six low on sixth street and your opponent is boardlocked into an eight low, you can usually call a bet in most cases because you can catch many cards to beat his hand. Recognizing boardlock situations requires you to pay careful attention to not only what your opponent is showing, but keeping in mind what the best possible hand is that he or she can draw to. Doing this will win you bets or over time.

Play your board aggressively. Razz is a game where you need to play a strong looking board aggressively to push drawing hands out. If you are sitting on fifth street with a three card seven and your opponent is showing a couple of high cards then you need to bet. The same is true when your opponent pairs up on his board or catches high cards that leave him drawing lower than you. In some cases it does not matter what your hole cards are. Lets say you call a bring in with a deuce up and a A-4 in the hole. You immediately catch a 4. Your opponent has a 10-8 showing. While you are technically behind right now, it’s hard for your opponent to know this. You might have started with A-2-3 and just now picked up a wheel draw as far as he knows. Betting will likely cause him to fold. If he does not fold, you may be able to push him out depending on how the board falls as right now, he has a four card ten at best. Remember, bet scary boards aggressively.

Now that mixed games are picking up popularity, it is important that you stay versed in all forms of poker. Razz is a game that you will likely see only played in either tournament or at higher levels at a casino. You can easily find it in most of the larger poker rooms online. Like stud eight or better, many people do not play this game well so building a solid foundation for the game will prove profitable over the long haul. With the above tips, you should be able to win in most lower level Razz cash games. Being a solid razz player will also help you when you play mixed poker games and in H.O.R.S.E. tournaments. Good luck and I hope to see you around the tables.

Tags:
Betting, Poker, Razz, Razz Poker, Seven Card Stud, Stud, stud eight or better