What Are the Rules of Razz?

Basic Gameplay

1. First Street: Razz uses antes instead of blinds, an ante is a small force bet that all player needs to pay before the start of every new hand.
2. Second Street: Each player will be dealt three cards: two face-down (called hole-cards) and one card face-up (called door card).
3. Third Street: On this street the first betting round starts, the poker rules in Razz says that the player with the highest door card must post a forced bet called a bring-in. The player to the left of the bring-in now has the option to match the bring-in by calling, or by raising or folding. The betting round proceeds clockwise around the table until all players had the possibility to act.
4. Fourth Street: The players who continued from the previous round will now be dealt a fourth card face-up, now the player with the lowest face-up card begins the betting round and the action proceeds clockwise around the table until all players have acted.
5. Fifth Street: On this street another face-up card will be dealt out to all remaining players, like previous street the player with the lowest face-up card begins the betting. In this round the bets increase in size.
6. Sixth Street: Again, all players will receive a new face-up card and the player with the lowest visible card starts to act.
7. Seventh Street: On this final street all players will be dealt their last card (called the river), this time face-down. The player with the lowest face-up card from the previous round will start the final betting round. After the final betting round is finished all remaining players will reveal their cards in a procedure called showdown. The player who manages to combine the lowest five-card hand of their total seven individual cards wins the hand.

Key Terminology

Lowball: The objective with “lowball” poker games is to make the lowest possible hand, the opposite of most other poker variants where the aim is to make the highest possible hand.

Door card: The first face-up card is called the door card; it is the third card each player receives in a hand of Razz. The door card determines which player who acts first in the betting round. The player with the highest door card in the first betting round posts a bring-in and is first to act.

Face-up Cards: There is a total of four face-up (also called Upcards) cards in a complete hand of Razz. When the cards are dealt faced-up it means they are visible for all players.

Face-down Cards: There is a total of three face-down (also called Hole cards) cards in a complete hand of Razz. When the cards are dealt faced down it means they are hidden from all players.

Betting Structure

Razz is game that typically uses fixed limits, meaning that you can only bet or raise predetermined amounts and from the fifth street onwards the fixed bets increase in size. Even though Razz is usually played with fixed limits, the multiple betting rounds and the increasing blind at later streets gives opportunities for big pots.

Winning Hands

When the final betting round is finished it’s time for a procedure known as the showdown, where all remaining players reveals their cards. The player who made the last action (bet or raise) usually shows their cards first. If there was not betting in the last round the player left to the dealer starts to show their hand. In Razz the player with the lowest possible five-card hand out of the seven individual cards (four face-up cards and three face-down cards) wins the showdown and gets the pot. If players have the same low hand the next lowest card is used as a tiebreaker. For example, A2357 beats A2367. If they have identical cards, they will split the pot.

What Makes Razz Special?

Unique Rules

Lowball games like Razz really flips the script for most players that are used to playing poker games when the objective is that the highest hand wins. This change in focus to create the lowest possible hand compels players to reassess their typical decision-making process. Razz is also a game with only individual cards with perfect- (visible cards) and imperfect (hidden cards) information which also requires a different strategy approach compared to poker games with community cards. Moreover, Razz is typically played with fixed limits, with antes and bring-in instead of blinds and the game consists of multiple betting rounds. Straights and flushes don’t count in Razz, something that changes the value of hands. For new players there is plenty of unique rules and aspects that separates Razz from other traditional poker variants.

Strategic Depth

The mental shift of the lowball objective, the absence of community cards, how the multiple betting rounds are structured and the importance of your opponents’ visible cards makes observation and memory more impactful in Razz.

In many other poker variants aggression and positional play is rewarded, Razz requires a more balance approach with more factors to consider. The fact that more than half of your hand is revealed board awareness and hand reading skills are essential, your opponents can gather a lot of information from your cards and your actions and it’s your job to keep the same track of your opponents. Bluffing for example will only be effective if your visible cards appear strong then you can keep pressure whether you have it or not. The strategic depth of Razz is complex and multifaceted, posing challenges for players at all levels. Success in Razz demands a combination of patience, board awareness and hand-reading skills and discipline.

Player Popularity

While Razz may not be as widely popular as Texas Hold’em or Omaha, but it rewards players who relish a poker game centered around deep strategy and skill. The popularity of Razz is strongest among poker seasoned poker players and mixed game enthusiasts. Razz is part of the popular mixed game format H.O.R.S.E. together with Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Lo, Seven Card Stud and Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo (Eight or better). The popularity of niche games like Razz and mixed games in general is growing and even if more experienced player tends to prefer these poker variants, poker players of all kinds of levels are starting to see the appeal with a lowball poker variant like Razz.

Where Can You Play Razz Online in 2024

Best Online Platforms

PokerStars

PokerStars is one of the largest and most reputable online poker platforms, known for its vast player base and diverse selection of poker games. They offer Razz in cash games with a range of buy-in options. While Razz tournaments are less common than the more popular Texas Hold’em and Omaha, you can still find them during PokerStars’ special event series or promotional periods. Additionally, PokerStars allows players to practice Razz and other mixed games for free at their play money tables, offering a great way to sharpen your skills.

888poker

888poker is a well-established and user-friendly online poker platform that offers a wide variety of poker variants, including Razz. 888poker makes it accessible for beginners by offering play money tables where you can practice for free. Utilizing the site’s filter options makes it easy to locate available Razz games. Your best opportunity to find active tables is typically during peak hours, such as evenings and weekends. The platform offers both cash games and tournaments for Razz, primarily at lower stakes. However, tournament availability is limited and often tied to special promotions or event series.

PartyPoker

PartyPoker has earned a reputation as one of the most trusted and user-friendly online poker platforms. The poker site is known for its intuitive software, enhancing the overall poker experience. While PartyPoker primarily focuses on Texas Hold’em and Omaha, it also offers Razz. Cash games are available in the lobby, with peak hours typically evenings and weekends being the best time to find active tables. Though, Razz tournaments are rare, PartyPoker occasionally hosts special events catering to enthusiasts of this poker variant.

Availability of Tournaments

Finding regular Razz tournaments can be challenging, but major poker platforms often include mixed games like Razz during their larger tournament series. These events typically offer buy-in options that cater to both low- and high-stakes players. For those specifically seeking Razz tournaments, it’s worth keeping an eye on PokerStars’ special event series, such as the World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) and the Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP). Both series feature a broad selection of poker variants, including Razz. PokerStars also offer weekly or monthly mixed games tournaments where Razz is a part of the rotation.

Special Promotions

While most online poker sites don’t provide bonuses or promotions exclusively for the poker variant Razz, many general offers such as welcome bonuses, reload bonuses, cashback rewards, and freerolls can be applied across all poker variants, including Razz.

Key Tips to Succeed in Razz

We will share some key tips and strategic advice how to approach the lowball game Razz so you can improve your chances of winning.

Starting Hand Selection

With the objective in Razz to make the lowest possible five-card hand we flip the traditional hand values upside down. We want to avoid pairs and face cards and instead look for lower cards, aces count as low. If the first three cards you receive is below eight, they are considered as strong starting hands in Razz. Hands like A23, A25 or 246 are ideal starting hands with potential of winning the low hand. The strongest staring hands in Razz consist of three low cards including an ace, but also 235 or 346 are also strong starting hands. Moderate starting hands you will find in the range 3-8, these are playable but should be played with caution. If your visible cards are low, these starting hands can still be valuable. Starting hands with 9 or higher are weak and should generally be folded unless your opponents are showing high face-up cards.

Betting Strategy

When to bet or raise in Razz are mainly based on hand strength, table dynamics and your own and your opponent’s face-up cards. In early stages you should only continue with strong starting hands and most moderate hands especially if your face-up cards are low. On the first betting round on the third street, it’s a good decision to start to apply pressure if you have the lowest visible card even if your hidden cards are weak or moderate. On later streets your visible cards compared to your opponent’s card will often determine your action, if you should continue to bet or slow down.

On the fifth street where the third betting round takes place there you will have a clearer picture (with more visible cards on the board) of your opponent’s hand strength compared to your own. Keep building the pot with strong hands or moderate hands with low face-up cards and hope that your hand either improves or hope that your opponent’s buy your story and gives up. If your hand doesn’t improve and your opponents are sticky it’s time to slow down. The betting strategy in Razz demands a fine balance of aggression, board awareness, observation and tactical adjustments.

Common Mistakes

Many players fall into the trap of playing too passively with strong hands, it’s import to build the pot and narrow down the field. In Razz a good starting hand can quickly change to a mediocre hand if it doesn’t improve on later streets, but you should still bet aggressively while you have a good hand and let your opponent’s pay the price when trying to catch up. Overvaluing starting hands is also a common mistake, if you start with a high card, it’s usually a mistake to continue unless the table dynamics or your opponents’ visible cards also are high cards. Another common mistake is to hold on to marginal hands for to long, let’s say you start with a promising hand but it doesn’t improve, you might have to give it up at some point.

Advanced Strategies

Hand development is essential in any poker game and especially in a game like Razz without community cards. Stay alert how your hand evolves on each street and pay close attention to how it compares with the other players face-up cards. Reassess your hand for every new street and your action should be based on your hand strength combined with the available information you have of your opponents. If you are not memorizing or incorporating your strategy based on your own and your opponent’s visible cards you will give up a big edge, by missing out of valuable information and not and adjusting accordingly. Aggression is important in Razz but it needs to be calculated aggression in the right moments. Be adaptable and flexible and always base your actions on new information. Razz is a dynamic game where the conditions can change rapidly.

Final Thoughts on Razz

For many players, transitioning from traditional high-hand poker variants to a lowball game like Razz requires an adjustment period to get into the right mindset. Therefore, a game like Razz among with its unique aspects can be the new strategic challenge you are looking for. Patience, observation, hand reading skills and the ability to adjust your gameplan based on new information is key ingredients to be successful in Razz. If you are up for the challenge, you can find cash games and tournaments on the

largest poker sites online typically during peak hours, evenings and weekends. If you are more into live poker you should reach out to casinos and local poker communities for more information. Razz and other mixed games are also popular among seasoned poker players in casual settings and home games.