RAZZ

Overview

Razz (also called Seven-Card Stud Low) is Seven-Card Stud played as a lowball game. The LOWEST hand wins the pot. Straights and flushes don't count against you in Razz.

Deal

Identical to Seven-Card Stud:

• Two cards face down, one card face up
• Then four more cards dealt one at a time (face up for fourth-fifth-sixth, face down for seventh)

Low Hand Rankings

In Razz, Aces are LOW. The best hand is -2-3-4-5 (the wheel).

• Best Hand: -2-3-4-5 (wheel)
• Next: -2-3-4-6
• Next: -2-3-5-6
• Continue upward... highest card matters most
• Worst Hand: K-K-K-K-Q (four Kings) — with aces low, the ace is the best kicker, so the worst possible low tops out at a Queen

How to Read Low Hands

Read from the HIGHEST card down to compare low hands:

• A-2-3-4-5 reads as "five-low" - one of the best
• A-2-3-4-7 reads as "seven-low" - not as good as five-low
• 2-3-4-7-8 reads as "eight-low" - worse than seven-low
• The lower the highest card, the better the low hand

Ante & Bring-In

Razz has no blinds. Every player posts a small ante before the deal to seed the pot (that's the $12 already in the pot when the sample hand begins). After the first three cards are dealt, the action is opened by the bring-in.

Because Razz is a lowball game, the bring-in works opposite to regular Stud: the player showing the highest door card (upcard) — the worst card for low — is forced to open the betting. If two players tie for highest, suit order breaks it (spades highest, then hearts, diamonds, clubs — highest to lowest).

The bring-in works together with completion:

• The forced player can post just the bring-in (a fraction of the small bet), or complete it — raise it up to the full small bet. Completing is not a raise; it simply brings the opening bet up to the full small bet.
• Going around the table, each player may fold, call the bring-in, complete it to the full small bet (if no one has yet), or raise.

Betting Limits — Small & Big Bets

Razz is usually played fixed limit, with a small bet and a big bet worth double the small bet (e.g. $2 / $4). Small bets are used on third and fourth street; big bets are used on fifth, sixth and seventh street.

No open-pair exception: unlike regular Seven-Card Stud, an open pair on fourth street does NOT unlock the big bet in Razz — the limits follow the street schedule above every time.

Third Street

The player with the HIGHEST visible card starts the betting with the forced bring-in. This is the opposite of regular Stud!

Fourth Through Seventh Street

The player showing the LOWEST visible hand starts the betting.

Straights and Flushes Don't Matter

In Razz, straights and flushes have no effect:

• is still A-2-3-4-5 (five-low)
• is just 2-3-4-5-7 (seven-low by heart)
• The flush doesn't make it worse in Razz

Strategy Tips

• Starting with three LOW cards is ideal (A-2-3, A-3-4, 2-3-4, etc.)
• Aces are extremely valuable in Razz
• Pairs are bad - you want all different ranks
• Watch for which low cards are already out (dead cards)
• If your upcards are high (8-9-10-K), you're probably drawing dead
• Paying attention to opponent's exposed cards is crucial

Example Hands

reads as "five-low" - excellent hand!

reads as "seven-low" - decent hand

reads as "eight-low" - marginal

has two Kings - this is a terrible Razz hand

Key Differences from Regular Stud

• Low wins instead of high
• Aces are low instead of high
• Straights and flushes don't count
• Highest card starts betting on third street
• Pairs are terrible, not good