How to Play Razz Poker
In Razz, low is the way to go. Unlike most online poker variants, the aim is to make the lowest possible five-card hand and take the pot. Whether you’re new to Razz or brushing up on the rules, here’s everything you need to know about the game, from hand rankings to betting rounds.
What Is Razz Poker?
Razz is a Seven Card Stud variant where the lowest hand wins the pot at showdown. Each player receives seven cards over the course of a hand, but only their best five-card low hand counts.
Razz uses the Ace-to-Five lowball ranking system, where Aces count as low and straights and flushes don’t count against your hand. Unlike Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo or Omaha Hi/Lo, there’s no qualifying hand required. The lowest hand takes the entire pot.
Ready to get to grips with the rules? Let’s take a closer look.
Razz Hand Rankings
Razz uses the Ace-to-Five, also known as the California, system to rank low hands. The best possible hand is A-2-3-4-5, commonly called the wheel.
When comparing hands, start with the highest card and work down. The hand with the lowest highest card wins. If the highest cards match, compare the next highest cards, and so on. Pairs count against your hand, while straights and flushes don’t.
Here are 12 example hands, ranked from weakest (#1) to strongest (#12):
- 3-3-3-5-5
- K-K-4-3-2
- 2-2-7-6-5
- A-A-10-9-8
- K-Q-J-10-9
- K-Q-J-10-7
- 9-8-7-6-5
- 9-7-6-5-3
- 9-7-6-5-A
- 6-5-4-3-2
- 6-4-3-2-A
- 5-4-3-2-A
An unpaired hand is named after its highest card. For example, hand #10 is a Six-low, hand #9 is a Nine-low and hand #5 is a King-low.
If two hands share the same highest card, the next card breaks the tie. So a Six-Four low (hand #11) beats a Six-Five low (hand #10). The lower hand takes it.
Razz Poker Rules
A Razz hand follows a series of betting rounds, known as streets. Players receive a combination of face-up and face-down cards.
Here’s how each stage works.
Ante
Before the cards are dealt, every player posts an ante. This is a small, mandatory contribution to the pot that gets the action started. The amount depends on the game and is displayed in the table information.
For example, in a $1/$2 limit game, the ante might be $0.15.
Third Street
Each player receives three cards: two face-down hole cards and one face-up card.
The player showing the highest card must post the bring-in to start the action. They can either make the required bring-in bet or, where permitted, complete it to the full small bet.
Action then moves clockwise around the table, with each player choosing how to respond until the betting round is complete.
Fourth Street
Each remaining player receives another face-up card, known as Fourth Street.
From this point, the player showing the lowest exposed hand acts first. They can check or bet, depending on the action so far.
In a $1/$2 limit game, the small bet is $1. You can only bet in increments of the small bet on fourth street. Once the action is complete, the hand moves to the next street.
Fifth Street
Each remaining player receives a third face-up card, known as Fifth Street.
The player with the lowest exposed hand acts first. For example, an Eight-high exposed hand would act before a Queen-high hand or a pair of Sevens.
Fifth Street also marks a change in betting limits. From this street onwards, all bets and raises are made in the larger betting increment. In a $1/$2 limit game, that means $2 per bet or raise.
Sixth Street
Each remaining player receives another face-up card.
As on Fourth and Fifth Street, the player showing the lowest exposed hand acts first. A further betting round follows, with all bets and raises made at the larger limit.
Seventh Street (The River)
Each remaining player receives their seventh and final card, dealt face down.
Players now have four exposed cards and three hidden cards. The player showing the lowest exposed hand acts firsts, in the final betting round.
If more than one player remains after the betting is complete, it’s time for showdown.
Showdown: Determining the Winner
If two or more players remain after the final betting round, the last player to bet or raise shows their cards first. If nobody bets on the final street, the player in the earliest seat shows first. Any other players reveal their hands clockwise around the table.
Each player uses their best five-card combination from their seven cards to make an Ace-to-Five low hand.
The lowest hand wins the entire pot. There’s no qualifying requirement, so you don’t need an Eight-low or better to claim the win.
If two or more players have exactly the same five-card hand value, the pot is split equally between them. Suits don’t break ties at showdown.
Once the pot has been awarded, it’s time for the next hand.
Betting Options in Razz
The available betting actions in Razz are familiar to most poker players:
- Fold: Give up your hand and take no further part in the pot.
- Check: Pass the action without betting, provided no bet has been made.
- Bet: Put chips into the pot when no bet has been made in the current round.
- Call: Match the current bet to stay in the hand.
- Raise: Match the current bet and increase the amount other players must call.
The options available depend on the action before you. If nobody has bet, you can usually check or bet. If a bet has been made, you can fold, call or raise, subject to the game’s betting rules.
In fixed-limit Razz, bets and raises must follow the predetermined limits for each street.
Additional Razz Rules
A few extra rules are worth knowing before you take your seat.
Determining the bring-in
If players tie for the highest exposed card on Third Street, suit determines who posts the bring-in. Suits rank from highest to lowest as follows: spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs.
For example, if the highest exposed cards are the Queen of Hearts and Queen of Diamonds, the Queen of Hearts posts the bring-in. This suit ranking applies only to the bring-in and doesn’t determine the winner at showdown.
When the bring-in player is all-in
If the player showing the highest card on Third Street has only enough chips to cover their ante and can’t post the required bring-in, the obligation passes clockwise to the next player at the table, regardless of their exposed card.
When the deck runs out
In the rare event that all available cards are needed before Seventh Street can be dealt, such as in a hand involving eight players, a single community card is dealt face up. All remaining players share this card.
Other Stud Poker Variants
Want to explore more Stud games? Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo offers a different challenge. In this variant, the pot is split between the best high hand and the best qualifying low hand, which must be Eight-low or better.
Razz keeps things simpler: there’s one pot, one winning hand and one goal — make the lowest five-card hand.
Learn to Play Razz Poker
New to Razz? If you’re familiar with Stud poker, you’ll already know some of the basics. If you’re just getting started, take some time to learn how the cards are dealt, how the betting rounds work and how low hands are ranked.
Practising at free poker tables is a useful way to get comfortable with the game before moving on to real-money tables. Take your time, learn the rules and build your confidence one hand at a time.
Razz is just one of the poker variants available to explore.