Razz
No, Razz is not a game where you make fun
of the losers. Razz is a poker game where the object
is to get the lowest hand possible. There
is no high hand winner in Razz! Razz is somewhat
uncommon, being played primarily in tournaments and some
cardrooms. Try
introducing it at your next home game for a very fun experience!
We will cover the following topics on this
page.
 What
is a Low Hand?
Basic
Game Play
Betting
Structures
All-In
Situations
Dealer
Rotation and Position
WHAT IS A LOW
HAND?
Rather than take up a lot of page space here, we created
a separate page to help you learn exactly what a low hand
is, how to calculate what you have, and some variations
of low hands. CLICK HERE to
learn the details of low hands.
Razz is played by the Ace-to-Five low hand rules.
BASIC GAME PLAY
This will tell you the very basics of game
play. Following these basics, we will briefly discuss
some other elementary topics of value.
Razz is played with 2 to 8 people
at a table, and with a standard deck of cards (no Joker
and no Wild cards unless playing a variation of the game).
 Play
begins by putting in an "ante". The ante
is usually 10-20% of the lowest allowed bet. Will
will cover betting structures and antes in more detail
after
the basics.
Cards
are dealt in order, starting with the first person to the
dealers left. Each player receives 2 cards, face
down, and 1 card face up. (The first face up card is called
the "door" card)
To
start the first betting round, the person with the highest up
card must make a "bring-in" bet. (King
is considered the highest, as the Ace is a low card in
Razz)
See the next section for a more thorough explanation.
Each
player then receives a second card face up, and the second betting
round takes place. (This round is called "fourth
street")
Each
player then receives a third card face up, and the third betting
round takes place. (This round is called "fifth
street")
Each
player then receives a fourth card face up, and the fourth betting
round takes place. (This round is called "fifth
street" - and is the last card dealt face up)
The
dealer then gives players a final card, face down, followed
by the fifth and final betting round.
After
the final betting round, the person who bet last shows
their cards, and it proceeds clockwise from there.
A note on how cards are used. A poker
hand is generally made up of 5 cards. In Razz,
you get 7 cards total. Out of these 7, you pick the best
5 that will make your hand. You may use any combination
of your down cards and up cards.
We have now covered the basic construct of
the game! When playing Razz, you will most
always use this basic structure. We will now dig
in to some other elementary topics necessary to fully understand
the game.
BETTING STRUCTURES
There are lots of ways to play Razz. In
home games, there is typically a set ante size, a stated
maximum bet size, and a maximum number of raises. Though
this is a perfectly acceptable way to play the game, casino's
and cardrooms typically run it in a slightly differnt manner.
Most games will be advertised as two amounts
(a low amount and a high amount), such as 2$/4$, or 5$/10$. You
may know that Texas Hold'Em Limit games are advertised
this way, and the concept is very similar.
The smaller of the two amounts represents
the betting increment that a bet or raise must be during
the first and second betting rounds.
The larger of the two amounts represents
the betting increment that a bet or raise must be during
the third, fourth, and fifth betting rounds.
NOTE: Unlike 7 Card Stud, an exposed
pair on the second betting round does not affect the betting.
ANTE & BRING-IN
BET
The ante is made by all players prior to
cards being dealt. The ante is typically 10-20% of
the low bet amount.
The Bring-In bet is made at the start of
the first betting round. The player with the lowest
value door-card (up card) is required to make an initial
bet. The amount of this bet is less than the required bet
increment for the round. It is typically between
2 times the ante, or half of the required betting increment.
For example, in a 1$/2$ Razz game, the
ante would typically be 10 cents (10% of the low bet),
and the bring-in bet would be 20 cents or 50 cents, depending
on the house rules.
After the Bring-In bet, the next player in
turn can call the bring-in amount, raise to the full bet
amount (1$), or fold.
ORDER OF ACTION
The order of action in a 7-Stud game is determined
by the value of the upcards. This is in contrast
to Hold'Em, where the order of action is determined by
position in relation to the dealer.
In the first betting round,
action is started by the person with the HIGHEST valued
up card. (King is the lowest)
In all remaining rounds, the action is started
by the person with the LOWEST HAND showing. Ace
is the lowest value. In the event of a tie, the person
closest to the dealer will act first.
ALL-IN SITUATIONS
It is important to describe what happens
when a player does not have enough money to cover a bet
that has been made.
First of all, a player is not obligated to
fold because they do not have sufficient funds. If
a bet has been made, and the player wishes to remain in
the hand, they simply put what they have into the pot.
What happens next is a division of the pot,
based on the amounts that have been bet. The pot
is divided into a main pot and a "side" pot.
The "main" amount includes the
amount of money already in the pot, the amount of money
that the "all-in" player has bet, and an equal
amount of money from all remaining players. Any money
that is left over is the "side" pot. Consider
this example.
In a 10$/20$ Razz game, player A and B
each have 100$ in front of them. Player C only has
25$. During a hand, all three have wagered 10$ so
far, giving a pot of 30$. Player A then bets 20$.
Player B calls the bet, and player C wants to remain in
so he puts in his last 15$. The main pot would be the original
30$, and 15$ from all players, for a total of 75$. This
is what player C is eligible to win if he/she wins the
pot. The remaining 5$ from player A and B go into
the side pot. Player C has no stake in the side pot,
only A and B are eligible. Any additional money wagered
by players A and B will go directly to the side pot.
DEALER ROTATION
The dealers position in Razz determines who gets cards
first. The dealer position in Razz is not
as important as it is in Texas Hold'Em. This is because
the order of action is determined purely by card value. Whomever
has the lowest up card after the deal acts first, and in
subsequent rounds the highest card acts first.
In home games, the deck of cards generally gets passed
around to each player in turn. In casinos and cardrooms,
the dealer is a fixed non-player for the duration of the
game.
Having read this section, you will be well armed to go
play some 7-Card Stud! though we did not discuss
strategy, these basics will enable you to feel comfortable
with the basic game play.
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