How to Play Razz Poker: Winning Strategies for Competitive Play

Master the ins and outs of how to play Razz Poker with our handy guide, perfect for beginners looking to sharpen their skills.

Ashley Adams, a seasoned professional poker player and respected blogger will share with you his wealth of experience to break down the complex aspects of Razz into easy-to-understand sections. 

Ashley's years of success on the poker table and insightful writing make him an excellent mentor to guide your journey into this exciting poker variant.

In this guide, you will learn:

• What is Razz?
• Razz Rules Explained
• Before Diving into the Razz Strategy 
• 4 Key General Considerations for Razz Strategy
• Razz Strategy: Street by Street
• Razz Strategy Example Round
• Ranking of Top 21 Razz Hands
• Reading Hands in Razz
• History of Razz

Without further ado, let's get right to the action!

What is Razz?

Razz (formally razzle-dazzle) is a form of 7-Card Stud where the lowest hand wins. Razz is played with a 52-card deck, with no joker.  

It is played as a limit game with 2 tiers of bets. 

The small bet is usually half of the large bet and is made on third and fourth street. The large bet is double the small bet and is bet on 5th Street, 6th Street, and the River (a/k/a 7th Street).  

Still, a few key differences exist in how the betting begins and progresses.

More on that later.

Razz Rules Explained

Just like in  7-Card Stud, each player antes before the cards are dealt.  The ante is generally 10% to 20% of the small bet.  

But unlike 7-Card Stud, which has the low card bring in the bet for a fraction of the small bet, in Razz, the high exposed card on third street begins the bet. 

If the highest card ties, the player with the higher suit (ranked club, diamond, heart, spade) commences the betting. 

After that, each betting round begins with the player with the lowest board.  

A player with no pair and an 8 high hand would start before a player with no pair and a K high hand.  A player with no pair would begin before a player with a pair.

Another key difference from 7-Card Stud, is that in Razz, on fourth street, if the door card pairs, players may not bet the big bet.  

Flushes and straights do not count as high hands in Razz.  They are to be ignored entirely.

Let’s look at a few starting hands to see how the betting progresses immediately.

This is a $20/40 Razz game, with a $3 ante and a $5 forced bet.

Let’s say you see around the table the following hands:

• Biff: (x x) Kh 
• Bob: (x x) Jh 
• YOU: (7d 8c) Ad 
• Sam: (x x) 7c 
• Stu: (x x) 9s 
• Jao: (x x) 8s 
• Lee: (x x) Qd 
• Sue: (x x) Qc 

Every player antes $3, making the initial pot $24.

Who has the forced bet in this Razz game?

Did you get Lee with the Kh?  

If so, good!  That’s right.

If you got Sam with the 7c, you confuse Razz with Stud.  

In Razz, the high card brings it in.  Aces are low for that purpose.  So the Kh is the high card and would start the betting.

On Fourth Street the hand is as follows:

• Biff: (x x) Kh 6d
• Bob: (x x) Jh Js
• YOU: (7d 8c) Ad 3c
• Sam: (x x) 7c 7h
• Stu: (x x) 9s 2c
• Jao: (x x) 8s Jd
• Lee: (x x) Qd Kd
• Sue: (x x) Qc 4c

Who starts the betting here?

Did you get YOU?

You’re right. You have the lowest board: no pair and the two lowest cards.

Let’s say you bet your hand and the 9s 2c called you.  Everyone else folded.  On fifth street you got the following cards:

• YOU: (7d 8c) Ad 3c 3s
• Opponent: (x x) 9s 2c Kc

Who starts the betting here?

Your opponent, with a King high.  You have a pair.  They have no pair.  They are lower.

I think you get the hang of it.  

Let’s move on to some strategy considerations.

Before Diving into the Razz Strategy 

Razz is considered to be a relatively simple game to play.  It really isn’t. 

Before we dive into the general strategy, please consider this - 

If you want to become an expert, you should read advanced poker books like:

• David Sklansky’s book "Sklansky on Poker";
• Doyle Brunson’s "Super System";
• Ken Lo’s book "A Poker Player’s Guide to Mixed Games".

All are excellent and include chapters on Razz.  Then you should play the game for a few thousand hours.  

4 Key General Considerations for Razz Strategy

Here are the 4 key things you need to master if you truly want to learn how to play Razz:

1. Your Cards

This is your first and most important consideration, as it is in every poker game.  In Razz, you want low and unpaired cards. 

Generally speaking, you don’t want to play with a hand higher than an 8. 

2. Your Board

This is what your opponents see of your hand. You want to bet your board to intimidate your opponents into playing incorrectly.  

Generally speaking, you should be the aggressor when you have the lowest board.

3. Your Opponents’ Boards

This is important for two reasons:

1. It is a window into their hands;
2. You can use it to size up the likely strength of your opponents’ hands. 

These boards also show you cards that you cannot be dealt, while helping you estimate your chances of getting the cards you need to make a good low.  

You should work on your card memory to have a good sense of what cards remain that can help or hurt your hand.

4. The Cards You Need

These are cards that will improve your hand.  You must be aware of them. 

If you see them in front of other opponents, your hand is weaker than if you do not see them.  The boards of other players help define the true strength of your hand.

Razz Strategy: Street by Street

Now, for each street, there are certain strategies you need to adopt. 

Let’s explore them in more detail:

1. Third Street Strategy

Third Street is the first betting round, when players have two concealed hole cards and an exposed card.  

It is the most important street in Razz, though it is not quite as important as it is in Stud.  In Stud, a winning hand can be formed from the first three cards.  

A pair of Aces or trips, for example, can easily win even without any improvement.  But in Razz, a hand must improve from third street.  

The first three cards alone do not determine the final strength of the Razz hand.  

As mentioned before, starting with three babes is no assurance that you’ll end up with a good Razz hand.  But it’s still the best way to start.  

A hand headed by a 6 or 7 is also an excellent starting hand.

The next best starting hands are those that show a babe but may have a 7 or 8 to go with another babe in the hole: (3 8) 2 or (7 A) 3 for example. 

 

The 7 low hands are better than the 8 low hands obviously.  And having the 7 or even 8 concealed is much better than having it exposed – as your opponent won’t know the true weakness of your hand.  

This increases your ability to bluff – and it also diminishes the chances that your opponent, who may be ahead of you, will bet into you when you are drawing for your low.

You can play with three starting cards 9 or lower – even T or lower, but you surely want the high card in the hole and the other two cards to be babes.  You don’t want to call a double raise with this hand.  

You also need to pay attention to your opponents’ cards and how live are the cards you need.  

 

2. Fourth Street Strategy

You want to be aggressive with your best four-card hands, even though you don’t yet have a made Razz hand.  

An excellent four-card hand is four cards to a wheel, four cards to a 6, or to a smooth 7.  

Also be aware of your hand relative to other likely hands – and bet aggressively when you believe you are in the lead.  

If, for instance you catch good and your opponent catches bad, go ahead and bet.  

This is generally true even if your board but not your hand catches good and they don't.  

Don’t worry that you really have a bad hand and now have a long way to make a good low (needing two out of three perfect cards on each of the next three streets).  

Bet your hand and expect most if not all of your opponents to fold.

If you catch bad and your opponent catches good, you may need to fold, but not necessarily.  Consider how many good and bad cards have already been folded.  

If, for example, you have a holding like (2 6) 5 and catch a total brick like a King for (2 6) 5 K, but no A, 3, or 4 are out, and a couple of 2s or 5s or a combination of the two have already been folded, and your opponent has (x x) 6 7, consider taking another card off.  

If you catch good you’ll be ahead, and the deck looks good for you.

This is especially true if they have good but not great boards – rough 8s and 9s with, presumably, perfect hole cards.  

Your position is important as well.

Let’s consider the (x x) 6 3 bets.

You have (7 A) 5 6 and are followed by (x x) 7 5 who is in turn followed by (x x) 6 8.  Go ahead and raise.  You are in second place.  

But you don’t want to have three opponents drawing against you. 

Make it expensive and raise.  

And then, on fifth, if he catches bad and you catch good (even if it’s just a good board) bet.  Your opponent may well give up there.  

But even if you catch bad on sixth street, unless your opponent catches perfect, you’re likely to appear to be in the lead.

If you catch a brick on fourth street you don’t want to automatically fold.  

Consider the pot size.  

If it is big, you can take another card off to see if you catch good and your opponent catches bad.  But if the pot has been heads up since third street, with no raising, go ahead and fold .

3. Fifth Street Strategy

Bets double on fifth street in Razz.  

Opponents who might have been calling just to see what things looked like when they had a hand, are now likely to be taking bets more seriously, and thus more likely to fold to a bet if you have the best board. 

In general, you should bet with the better board.  But you have to be aware that you may not be in the lead, even if you have the best hand.  

Rough hands like (7 6) 8 3 9 are behind smooth drawing hands like (A 2) 3 4 K.  If you’re raised, don’t re-raise.  

You should be more likely to bet your rough hands when your board is good.  (7 8) A 3 9 is a much stronger holding against (x x) 3 4 K than the earlier example.  Villain doesn’t know that you’re rough and may concede – especially if the pot is small.

Consider having (8 6) 4 7 8 against an opponent with (x x) 7 K 2.  

You didn’t catch good, and your board doesn’t look stellar against what might be a great draw.  You might tend to check/call.  Instead, bet this hand.  

Your opponent may have paired his 2 – throwing his hand away to a bet.  If you check, he might check behind, giving him a free card that could beat you.

Slowplaying

In general, it is a mistake to slowplay in Razz.  It is too easy for opponents to catch up and overtake your hand if they catch good and you catch bad on sixth street.  

You then won’t know where you stand on the river and may either miss a bet when you are ahead or, even worse, lose, if you catch bad on the river and your opponent catches good.  You should tend to bet straightforwardly.  

When you are strong bet and raise. Be willing to take down the hand right then rather than giving your opponent a chance to catch up.

But there is one rare exception.

You will very rarely have what is known as a “Board Lock” on fifth street.  

This means that your hand will win no matter what cards your opponents have and eventually may have. 

Here’s an example of that:

• YOU: (A 3) 4 5 7
• Bob: (x x)  8 9 T

You cannot lose with this hand.  

Even if your opponent gets two perfect cards he will lose to your 7 5.  You may sometimes check here, feigning that you paired your 7 perhaps, and hope that this gets you an extra bet. 

But even here, a clever opponent may not fall into your trap.

4. Sixth Street Strategy

In general, if your board is still in the lead on sixth street, continue to bet.  

Do not slowplay, again with the possible exception of a board lock, as described above.  

It’s possible that you might win an extra bet this way, as some weak opponents who would fold to you on sixth street if you bet, will call your river bet, after your sixth street check, thinking you might be bluffing.

5. Seventh Street (a.k.a “The River”) Strategy

Most of your money in Razz will be made from poor players calling you too frequently on earlier streets and then calling you on the river with second-best hands.  

You exploit their tendency to call by generally betting on the river if you think you are in the lead, checking and calling when you don’t think, but aren’t sure, you are in the lead, and folding your draws that caught a brick and didn’t come in. 

Since the pot will tend to be large compared to the size of a bet, you should call with any hand that you think has a chance to be best.

In general, an 8-high hand is the average winning hand – though this depends largely on the play of the hand, including the cards that have been folded.  

If there have been few low cards folded – many players starting with bricks – assume that your opponent’s hole cards are perfect or nearly perfect.  

On the other hand, if there have been lots of low cards exposed during the play of the hand, be more dubious about the strength of your opponent’s hole cards.

But don’t let the fear of showing down a loser prevent you from calling if there is even a remote chance that you will win.

Razz Strategy Example Round

Let’s take a look at a sample hand to see how you should be thinking when playing a $10/20 Razz game.

Third Street

• YOU: (As 7d) 5d
• Bob: ( x  x ) 7s
• Biff: ( x  x  ) 3d
• Jao: ( x  x ) Jd
• Lew: ( x  x ) 2h
• Moe: ( x  x ) 7c
• Shi: ( x  x ) 9h
• Zak: ( x  x ) Kc

All players ante $1 each.  

Bring-in bet is the high card Kc who puts in $3.  

Initial pot is $11.

You have a good low.  It is made even better by the two 7s on the board that can’t counterfeit your hand.  

You complete the bet to $10, hoping to fold out a couple of two card draws that might be better than your low hand.

The 7 folds, the 3 calls, the J folds, the 2 folds, the 7 calls, the 9 folds, and the King calls.

Fourth Street

• YOU: (As 7d) 5d 3s
• Biff: ( x  x  ) 3d 2s
• Moe: ( x  x ) 7c Ts
• Zak: ( x  x ) Kc 2d

Biff is low and bets $10. Moe calls the bet.  So does Zak.  You figure to be at worst in second place, and maybe in the lead.  

Fifth Street

You caught good, but you are a little concerned that two good cards for you showed up in front of other players.  

• YOU: (As 7d) 5d 3s 6c
• Biff: ( x  x  ) 3d 2s 7h
• Zak: (  x  x) Kc 2d 4s

You are now low, having caught a beautiful 6.  You bet $20. Biff calls and Zak calls. 

Sixth Street

• YOU: (As 7d) 5d 3s 6c Tc
• Biff: ( x  x ) 3d 2s 7h 6s
• Zak: ( x  x ) Kc 2d 4s Qs

Biff bets $20. Zak folds.  And you call.

The River (Seventh Street)

• YOU: (As 7d) 5d 3s 6c Tc (4h)
• Biff: ( x  x ) 3d 2s 7h 6s (x)

Biff bets $20.  You raise. Biff calls.

You turn over your hands and Biff reveals a 76 low.  You have a 6 and win the pot of $225.

Summary

In Razz, you are generally going to bet your board when it appears to be the best low hand – to get other players to fold.  

You will take note of all of the exposed cards, remembering them when they are folded, to best assess the likelihood that you will catch the cards you need to make a good low. You will chase only when your draw beats your opponent’s likely hand.

You will call on the River even if you think you only have a longshot possibility of having the best hand. 

Ranking of Top 21 Razz Hands

Here’s an list of the best Razz hands:

1. 5 4 3 2 A (wheel)
2. 6 4 3 2 A
3. 6 5 3 2 A
4. 6 5 4 2 A
5. 6 5 4 3 A
6. 6 5 4 3 2
7. 7 4 3 2 A
8. 7 5 3 2 A
9. 7 5 4 2 A
10. 7 5 4 3 A
11. 7 5 4 3 2
12. 7 6 3 2 A
13. 7 6 4 2 A
14. 7 6 4 3 A
15. 7 6 4 3 2
16. 7 6 5 2 A
17. 7 6 5 3 A
18. 7 6 5 3 2
19. 7 6 5 4 A
20. 7 6 5 4 2
21. 7 6 5 4 3

Reading Hands in Razz

It’s generally thought that reading other players and their hands is less important in Razz than in other games.  

This is largely true, as Razz hands, with their exposed cards, are more clearly defined as good or bad in Razz than in other games.  If you have a King, for example, it’s pretty difficult to fool anyone into thinking you have a strong hand.  

Even so, there are certain tendencies that you should look for and remember about your opponents.

Some players are extremely tight in Razz – and will not play any three-card holding worse than a 7 or an 8 on third street.  

There is no gamble in them.  

If they have a Ten or higher door card and start the betting, you will always get them to fold if you show a lower card and raise.  

Similarly, some players play so tightly that you can get them off any hand on fourth or fifth street if you are leading.  

Some players never bluff in this game – never play a hand strongly unless it is a made hand 7 or below.  

Remember who they are and take countermeasures accordingly.  

Some players are incredibly loose.  They’ll play two card holdings on third street, regardless of the third high card.  They’ll make three card draws on fifth street no matter what they face.  

Some players may habitually make certain moves. 

History of Razz

Razz was a big gambler’s game in Las Vegas and Reno in the 1970s and 1980s but faded considerably after that, replaced by Hold’em and Omaha as games of choice by high rollers.  Today, it is rarely spread as a cash game in public poker rooms.  

You will still find it played in tournament format, at large tournaments like the World Series of Poker.  It is most commonly spread as part of a mixed game.  

It is the R in HORSE.

Conclusion

Razz is a fascinating game. Few people know even the rudiments of the game so far.  

By learning to recognize good quality starting hands, and to play your hand aggressively when you are likely in the lead (or sometimes in second place in a multi-way pot), you will be on your way to knowing how to play Razz better than your typical opponent.  

I recommend checking out my other Poker Academy guides to discover more about the amazing poker game.