Guide to Playing Razz
The New Players Guide to Playing Razz
Many people love the game of Poker, as it is an exciting fast paced game, with its great twists and turns. However, many are turning to a variation of the regular poker games; this game called Razz Poker is an exciting addition to the Poker family. Razz Poker has been around for a while but has reached a new level of popularity because the low man on the totem pole is now the winner. Razz Poker has the distinction of being the low of the poker hands. Razz Poker is almost like seven card stud, with the exception that the lowest hand is the winner of the pot. In fact the best hand in Razz is A-2-3-4-5.
The Ante
Before the dealer deals in the game of Razz, all of the players are required to put up an ante, usually this amount is about 1/5 of the lowest bet. So if you used 1-2 then the ante would be $.20.
Bring In
When everyone has put up their ante, then the players will receive their first three cards. The first 2 cards are dealt face down, while one card is dealt face up so that everyone can see it. After the deal, the player who has the largest card will “Bring In” the Razz hand. If you have two people with the same high card, then the player on the dealers left brings in the hand. The bet for the Bring In must be half of the low bet, so to bring in if you had a 1-2 Razz, you would have $.50 bring in bet. Although you may want to lift the amount to the full $1, you only have to play the $.50. The next step will be decision time for the players, at this point you can fold, call, or raise the bet. Betting will be done in increments, depending on the table high.
Fourth Street
At this point in the game, the initial bet has been made and the dealer will give each player another card, usually face up so that you are showing each other your next card. Then you will be betting again, the last round uses the low betting round. When you get to this point a player who had the lowest Razz Poker hand must start another round of betting that may include the check, bet, and the fold. The lower hand of the cards showing in the game would be an A and 2. When two people show the same hand then the one sitting near the left side of the dealer bets first.
Fifth and Sixth Street
In the next couple of rounds of the game is called the fifth and the sixth street, is dealt face up as well. The only difference is that in these rounds the minimum bet is now on the high side. Meaning in a 1-2 Razz, the bet would now be the $2 instead of the one dollar minimum up until now.
Seventh Street
The final card dealt is the seventh street, and it is dealt facing down. The players who remain in the game must perform another betting round, and they are to use the higher betting limit.
The Showdown
The remainder of the game Razz Poker game will soon get to show their hand, it must be the lowest hand to get the pot. Using five of the seven cards you must come up with the lowest possible hand among the cards you have. The last player who made a bet shall show his hand first, if his hand is lower than yours, you can muck your cards without revealing what your cards are.
