Razz Poker Rules – Reward a Bad Hand

Andrew | June 28, 2011
Razz Poker

Some nights in poker, you just cannot get a good hand. Everyone else around the table seems to be winning. Meanwhile, you keep getting poor hand after poor hand. Maybe it is time to switch to Razz Poker. Razz Poker rewards the poorest hand on the table. However, if your luck is against you, this might be when you start getting the cards you wished for all night.

Winning at Razz does not require a poor hand; it is relative to other poker games. Playing and reading other players, along with combining your cards for a specific outcome, are as important in Razz as in any other game.

Lowest hand takes the pot

Remember, in Razz, if you hold the lowest hand, you win the pot. The game style is similar to Seven Card Stud high but with a key difference in the high card. In Razz, aces are considered low. Additionally, flushes and straights have no ranking. The best possible hand is 5-4-3-2-A, known as a wheel.

Betting begins with a forced bet on the holder of the highest card by suit. After this, and in all subsequent rounds, the holder of the lowest hand acts first. If there is a tie for low hands, the player closest to the dealer in a clockwise direction plays first.

Know your limits

Razz can be played as a Fixed-Limit game. The lower limit applies on the third and fourth streets. On all subsequent streets, the upper limit is used. The limit is not affected by an open pair. The dealer announces all pairs when they first occur, except face card pairs, which are not announced.

Variation in poker is always good. Razz Poker can help you hone your skills. Thinking about card combinations and how other players react is always beneficial. Razz offers another style of play. It may not be the most common poker game, but it provides an enjoyable twist and a break from the usual routine.