How to Play Razz Poker: Rules Explained

Razz poker, as a lowball format, has its own characteristics that distinguish it from other games. In this article, we’ll explore basic and special Razz rules, from forced bets to how the gameplay flows at every street and what affects combinations. Our guide also includes strategic tips for beginner players, so it’s a great departure point if you’re fresh to the game.

What is Razz Poker?

Razz is a type of 7 Card Stud poker game in which the showdown glory belongs to the holder of the absolute weakest combination. That's because the game has lowball hand-ranking rules as the basis. Hence, the highest cards are the most harmful for the final lineup. In contrast, cards with the smallest value are the most favourable for the punter. These typically claim victory during the exposure.

To play Razz, the bare minimum you need is 2 to 8 people, a 52-card deck and basic poker knowledge (mandatory contributions, player actions, etc.).

Despite it being an engaging pastime, Razz isn’t a very popular format, actually, so you will not find much standalone action online. However, it’s included in the content of mixed games. Among them is HORSE, where “R” refers to Razz, and participants play it in the third matchup.

Basic Razz Poker Rules

Never played Razz before? You can start from these basic rules:

• Cards. They are dealt so that each punter receives seven cards, not all at once but throughout the gameplay. Three make up the hole, and only the holder is eligible to see them, not the opposition. Four are laid out face up and thus visible to your rivals at the table. Since this isn’t a community board, rivals can only use it to judge your strength rather than to make their own lineups. You leave two of the seven out because the showdown requires the best “lo” 5-card hand.
• Streets. As per Razz poker rules, you, together with others, go through seven streets. Each circle is the same: 5 dealings and 5 betting rounds. Step by step, the table builds winning combinations, goes after the pot or gives up.
• Limit betting format. Playing Razz usually abides by a fixed-limit structure. Simply put, punters bet for preset chunks and not a penny more. Early bets are typically half of what you pay at the latter rounds. E.g., a £0.50/£1 game requires £0.50 wagers on the first two streets, and £1 wagers on the subsequent circles.
• Ante. Everyone participating contributes ante poker bets instead of blinds with the advent of the new gaming circle. It's always a preset sum, and how much you have to pay varies by table. This collective amount creates the initial pot that you and your opposition will be clashing over.
• Bringing in. Who holds the highest "door card" (it’s the first upcard players get) must also put in a bring-in – 1/3 to 1/2 of the regular stake.
• Player actions. When it’s your turn to take action, the decision is between fold, check, call and raise, as the current spot permits. In the case of a bring-in, the responsible player has an extra option. They can choose to “complete the bet” and pay the full sum instead of what’s required to be a bring-in.
• Razz poker hand rankings. In Razz, low hands take the spotlight, not high. Combinations are ranked by the “California” system, otherwise dubbed “Ace to Five.” It works “backwards” from Texas Holdem and Omaha. E.g., Aces never play high, so K, not A, sits on the top of the ranking. Strong lineups are those with low items that exclude pairs, where A2345 is the best possible.

Special Rule in Razz Poker

• No qualification for the “lo” hand. There’s a major qualification to the showdown hand in Omaha Hi-Lo – it must be sorted 8 or lower. Conversely, in Razz, these must be just five cards – the smaller the rank, the better.
• Suits help define who posts the bring-in. If two or more participants have matching “door” items, the dealer adheres to suit seniority. Spades go first in the hierarchy, then hearts, diamonds, and last are clubs.

How to Play Razz Poker on Each Street

A full hand is a rotation of seven streets. Gameplay circle starts with forced bets and proceeds to dealing cards, plus there are five “windows” for betting in between.

Showdown Rules — Who Wins?

As soon as the betting on Seventh Street ends, the exposure of hands comes in next. At showdown, punters turn over their hole and compare whose holding is stronger for this type of game. Remember that the strength is counted upside down here: the lower it is, the more desirable.

To settle the result and establish the winner, the comparison should move from worst to best low card. See an example:

• Participant 1: 2-3-4-5-7. This is the clear winner because their 7-low is better than the rival’s 9-low.
• Participant 2: 3-5-7-8-9. In our showdown case, this hand is losing.

If top cards match in rank for several opponents, then you look at the next lowest value in each combination. If the second ones carry identical weights, do the same thing – compare the next smallest value in lineups. Participants split the pot in half if they cannot find different cards because the holdings match from top to bottom.

Razz Poker Hand Rankings

Once again, Razz isn’t a typical poker game – it’s a lowball format, so the casual ranking of hands that we use in Holdem/Omaha doesn’t apply here. This pastime uses the inverted order, so you aim to collect the combo with the five weakest cards that don’t match into pairs.

The best hand the punter can build in Razz poker is a “Wheel”, and the term stands for A-2-3-4-5 (the nuts).

Although Ace opens the low ranking, this isn’t a straight, as, in this game, straights are irrelevant. The same applies to flushes, so the Wheel, or any other composition, may only include diamonds or spades, etc.

Top 10 Hands in Razz Ranked Best to Worst

1. 5, 4, 3, 2, A
2. 6, 4, 3, 2, A
3. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2
4. 6, 5, 3, 2, A
5. 6, 5, 4, 2, A
6. 6, 5, 4, 3, A
7. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2
8. 7, 5, 3, 2, A
9. 7, 5, 4, 3, A
10. 7, 5, 4, 2, A

Best Razz Poker Strategy & Tips

Raz is a specific game that requires experience and mastery due to its A‑to‑5 lowball rules. Studying them and practising will bring results, but to see long-term success and supercharge your skills, you need an effective strategy.

The following Razz Poker strategy insights will help you get more confident and successful in your play:

• Starting hand selection. The strongest starters are everything below 8. Ideally, A-2-3, or something close to it (A-2-4, A-3-4, etc.), as well as 2-3-5, 2-4-6 and similar without aces. Pairs, 9s, 10s and faces (Jacks, Queens, Kings) are what you want to fold because these have minimal potential of winning. Values from 3 to 8 are moderate starters – they are playable but shouldn’t be your top range.
• Wise raising. Your actions in how to play Razz should always be grounded in how strong you are. Visible cards and the opposition’s tendency are important, too. If your upcard is the smallest versus opponents on Third Street, show pressure even with a moderate or weak hole. On later streets, apply aggression or slow down by first comparing your upcards with those of your opposition.
• Folded doors. You already see from two to eight cards (this varies by player count) when defining who brings in. Not all of them will continue, so it’s important to memorise the folded ones to play Razz smartly. This information is worth bottling and helps you choose the right directions during later phases. If big values are folded, then the chance is higher that you’ll get the desired low items. If something you need to finish your draw is already in the muck, this reduces the odds of building what you planned.
• Hand development. Your hand will evolve on every street, with every coming upcard. Therefore, you should be flexible and reassess your strength at every point, plus compare it versus active rivals. Grasp new information, analyse it and adapt your actions accordingly.

What Helps and Hurts Your Lineup

How do you play Razz early on? Mind these checkboxes:

• The smaller the rank of your top card, the better your position on the strength ladder (e.g., 6‑high loses to 5‑high).
• Unpaired cards work perfectly, as you cannot use repeated values for the showdown hand.
• Conversely, one pair, two pair and triplets work to your disadvantage. They burn hand slots with duplicated values.
• A single high item (8, 9, 10, J, Q, K) may turn your strong low draw into a marginal combo.
• Many low upcards that you need to improve, e.g. 2, 3, 4, decrease your chances.

Where to Play Razz Poker Online?

PokerStars UK is currently the only safe option for online players. The platform has both separate cash games and tournaments with different stakes. Also, there’s an option to play the Razz game within HORSE or mixed tables.

Our Summary

Although it’s mainly played by professionals at big festivals like WSOP, this shouldn’t push you away from studying Razz poker rules. The game itself is very interesting and dynamic: conditions change rapidly and so you have to change your behaviour. We’ve textually illustrated what happens at every street and who starts the action, so with this detailed guide, you’ll get started in no time.