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razz poker rules
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rules for razz poker
In razz, unlike most other poker games, the objective is to make the best 5 card low poker hand with the 7 cards you are dealt. Straights and flushes do not affect the value of the hand. Aces are low so the best possible hand would be (A,2,3,4,5). Below are the rules for Razz including definitions of common Razz terms. Razz poker is a 7 card stud variation.
What Beats What?
In razz poker you are trying to get the lowest possible 5 card hand. In determining the best hand you look at the highest of the 5 cards used for your hand. A hand with the highest card being a 7 would beat a hand with the highest card being an 8. For example (7,6,5,4,2) beats (8,4,3,2,A). If the highest cards are the same you move to the second highest card and so on.
Razz Bets
- Ante – This is the amount that each player must pay in order to get dealt into the hand. The ante is usually about 1/5 of the low limit bet size.
- Bring In – The player who has the highest up card after the initial 3 cards have been dealt must ‘bring in’ by placing half of the low limit bet size in the pot, or raise by making the full low limit bet. If two players have the same up card then the one closer to the dealer must bring in.
- Low Limit Bet – In the first two rounds of betting all bets and raises must be equal to the low limit bet size.
- High Limit Bet – In the final three betting rounds all bets and raises must be equal to the high limit bet size. The high limit bet size is usually double the low limit bet size.
- Game Play - Razz is an ante poker game, so every player has to put in an ante to be dealt into the hand. Players are then dealt 2 down cards and 1 up card. The player with the highest up card must then choose to either bring in or raise by betting the full low limit bet.
- 4th Street - Players are then dealt another up card, so that each player now has two down and two up cards. The player with the lowest hand showing is the first to act. For example a player showing (A,2) would be the first to act at this stage of the hand. Each bet and raise must still be equal to the low limit bet size.
- 5th Street - A fifth card is dealt face up to each player. The player with the lowest hand showing acts first and play proceeds around the table. At this stage all the bets and raises must be equal to the high limit bet amount.
- 6th Street - A sixth card is dealt face up to each player. The player with the lowest hand showing acts first and all bets and raises must be equal to the high limit bet amount.
- 7th Street - A final card is dealt face down to every player. The player with the lowest showing hand acts first again and all bets and raises must still be equal to the high limit bet amount. At this stage if all 8 players are still in hand a single card is put in the middle of the table for all players to use as their final card. Needless to say this is extremely rare.
- Showdown - The player who bet last is the first to show their hand at showdown and it proceeds clockwise from there. The player that shows the lowest 5 card hand wins the pot.
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Poker Guides
2012 U.S. Poker Rooms