Razz Poker Strategy
Strategic Moves for Razz Players
Many people enjoy the game of Razz Poker, and some have devised well thought out plans on how to take well calculated risks, so they can earn the optimum amount of money.
When Playing the Starting Hand
A Razz hand will be great if all of your cards are between an Ace and a 5, then you have a pretty great starting hand. The A, 2, 3 hand is the best hand to start with and should be played in an aggressive manner. However like any hand you will want to play it with caution if other players are playing aggressively. Three cards that are a seven or lower is also a good starting hand, and before you throw the hand in, this hand is worth seeing what your fourth street card is, even if you find you must have to call a bet or two. If you play this hand you may be able to slide in and steal a couple of ante. Don’t make playing the three card aggressively all the time, because it may cause you to lose many chips.
Using the Opponents up Cards to Guide you
One of the most important aspects of playing Razz is being observant, you will want to view all of the up cards of each person at the table, that way you get a better ideal of their probable hand strength. Many times the up card will tell you what your next play should be. If you have three cards of a nine low ant there are no other up cards that are lower than the nine, you will know that right now you are one of the best hands in the third street and that you should bet and raise, even if nine low is not a hand that you would play. You should continue to watch the cards that the other players get for the rest of the hand and bet aggressively.
Know when to Fold
One of the most important aspects of playing the game of Razz is knowing when you are beaten and it is time to fold. In other words if it looks like you are beaten, you are so fold the cards. Save your money for a hand you can win or play aggressively. Especially when you are playing low limit games, the players usually have the hand they are betting, so don’t give them a couple more bets of your money to make them prove it. Even if you had a good hand and it suddenly goes south, then just let it go.
Steal Antes
Stealing antes are very important especially when the limits go up. There are a few situations that are good ante stealing possibilities. One of the opportunities include the bring in player on your left and everyone has folded up to you, in this situation all you have to do is complete the hand to get all of the antes. Another good shot at stealing is when you are the lowest up card. You would do good to try to steal if your card is an ace because it makes people think your hand is really low.
Learning the strategies of the game will make it easier to play the game and win, and give you more opportunities to walk away with the highest pots imaginable. Many times you can win just on your knowing a few strategies and knowing when to fold your losing hand.
