Razz Poker

Razz: Understanding and Appreciating the Game

Many of the best players in the world become frustrated playing the game of razz. It can be a tough game to play, as just a few face cards can ruin your hand! I’m sure you are now thinking, how could face cards ruin your hand in a poker game!! Well, Razz is a very unique game in the fact that the object of the game is the exact opposite of nearly every other poker game. The whole point of the game is to get the lowest possible hand. Meaning, those hands that you continually throw away in Stud are now the nuts in Razz.

The game of Razz is actually very similar to seven-card stud, in fact some places in the world refer to Razz as seven-card stud low. Razz is played using antes and limit betting. The format of the game is almost exactly the same as seven-card stud, where players all post an ante before receiving their first cards. This means, if you join a .25/.50 Razz room online, you are going to have to post a .05 ante at the beginning of each hand in order to receive cards. Each player will then receive two face down cards and one face up card. The player with the highest showing card, Aces are low, then has to “bring in” which is a bet of double the ante. So in this particular game, if one player has showing a K, they would bring-in for .10. All other players can either call the bring in, raise to .25 or fold. The first two rounds the limit bet would be .25, with all remaining rounds allowing .50 bets. Players can also raise bets by the limit allowed in each round.

So we have posted our ante’s received the first round of cards and called the bring in. Now each player receives another face up card and another betting round commences. Players can still only bet .25. After the betting is complete, players receive another face up card before betting again. Players can now bet the large limit of .50. This sequence of betting continues after each player receives a card. There are 7 rounds of betting in total, pre cards:1st round, 2nd round(3 cards), 3rd round(1 card), 4th round(1 card), 5th round(1 card), 6th round(1 card) and then the final betting round after all cards are out, 7th round.

One important thing to remember in Razz is that there is no dealer button or pre-determined position before a hand. Position for the hand shifts during the hand, with the High card acting first after the cards have been dealt. Position then shifts again, when the 4th card is dealt, with the first to act being the player with the lowest visible card. This player remains first to act throughout the entirety of the hand.

OK, now we know how the betting patterns work in Razz, let’s look at hand rank and how we actually win. As we know the lowest hand wins the pot. In Razz, straights and flushes have no merit on the hand, so it doesn’t matter if you have 5-4-3-2-A all spades, you don’t have a straight flush, you have the nuts in Razz. Although flushes and straights don’t count, pairs do count against you. Therefore if you have 9-9-A-K-K-4-2, your best Razz hand is A-2-4-9-9. You are most likely not going to win that hand.

Finally we have an understanding of this intriguing game called Razz. Now how do we proceed, do we just go out and hope we get bad cards, which in turn are good? Join me tomorrow as we get into our strategy for crushing Razz games, both live and online.

Tags:
Razz, Razz games, Razz Poker, Stud

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

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