Rules of Razz Poker

Razz Poker is a form of 7 Card Stud in which the low hand wins the pot. The game is played identically to 7 Card Stud and 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo except that in Razz the only hand that wins the pot is the low hand.

Razz Poker Hand Rankings

The object of the game is to get the best low poker hand. Aces always count as low and straights / flushes have no meaning in this game. The five best Razz poker hands are as follows:

1.    A-2-3-4-5
2.    A-2-3-4-6
3.    A-2-3-5-6
4.    A-2-4-5-6
5.    2-3-4-5-6

In Razz, poker hands are evaluated from the top down. This means that the hand with the lowest high card always beats a hand with a bigger high card. For example, A-2-3-4-K would lose to 5-6-7-T-J even though the A-2-3-4-K hand appears to have more low cards. We start from the top and work our way down.

How to Play Razz Poker

Antes

Every hand of Razz Poker begins with each player paying a small, forced bet called the “ante.” In Razz, the ante is usually equal to about 10% of the small betting limit. For example, in a $5/$10 Razz game, the antes would be $0.50.

3rd Street

Each player receives three cards. Two are dealt face down and one is dealt face up.

The player with the highest card showing must pay the “bring-in.” This is a small forced bet that is equal to half the small betting limit. In a $5/$10 limit game, the bring-in would be $2.50.

After that, a round of betting begins with the player to the left of the player who just paid the bring-in. This next player may call, raise or fold. Betting continues clockwise around the table until all the bets have been matched.

4th Street

One card is dealt face up to each player.

There is another round of betting. This time the betting begins with the player who has the best “low” hand showing. This player may check, bet or fold. The betting then continues clockwise around the table.

5th Street

One card is dealt face up to each player.

There is another round of betting similar to the previous round. The difference this time is that all bets must now be in increments of the upper betting limit. In a $5/$10 limit game, the bets would now be in multiples of $10.

6th Street

One card is dealt face up to each player.

There is another round of betting and this round is played identically to the previous round.

7th Street

One last card is dealt face down to each player.

There is one last round of betting identical to the previous round.

Showdown

The player with the best “Low” hand wins the pot.

Best Poker Site for Razz

Full Tilt Poker has a very nice selection of Razz tables. The game isn’t popular so you won’t find tons of tables but I did find a good number of tables at a wide range of limits. If you can’t find any decent tables at Full Tilt, I recommend you try PokerStars.

Click here to play Razz at Full Tilt Poker

Click here to play Razz at PokerStars