Razz

Razz is always dealt limit. Razz is the exact opposite as Seven Card Stud. Although the dealing of the cards is exactly the same the players are going for the worst possible hand. Aces are always low. Straights and flushes are ignored and can be played low. Just as in Seven Card Stud there is an ante that is usually 10% of the small bet and there is a bring in of 25%-40%. The difference in Razz is that the highest card brings in. The highest possible card is the king of spades. Although the bring in has the ability to come out with a full bet this almost never happens as they almost always are showing a face card which is worthless in razz.

After the highest card brings and the action goes around clockwise others that wish to see fourth street may either call or complete the bet. Completing is a raise that makes the bring in a full bet. For example in $1/2 let’s say the bring in is $.25. If someone raised they could make it $1, not $1.25. If anyone raised after the bring in was completed they would raise a full bet to make it a total of $2. After all the betting is completed and players have called or folded the hand moves on to fourth street. As with any street if nobody calls then the hand is over and the last bettor wins the pot.

Fourth Street

All remaining players are dealt a fourth card. The player with the lowest hand showing bets first. The best hand showing on fourth street would be 32, the worst would be KK. The lowest hand is determined by the lowest high card. For example 76 would be lower then 82. After the player with the lowest hand bets the action goes around clockwise from the lowest hand. After all of the action is finished another card is dealt up.

Fifth and Sixth Streets

Just as on fourth street, fifth and sixth streets are dealt up and the player with the lowest hand starts the action. On fifth a player with 765 would be lower then a player with 82A and on sixth a player with 7654 would be lower then 832A. After the low hand acts the action goes clockwise around the table. As long as there are two or more players in the hand then the action moves to the next street.

Seventh Street

Seventh street is the last card and it is dealt down. The same hand that had first action on sixth has the action first. If that hand was folded then the same criteria that determined the bettor on sixth street is used on seventh. If there are still two or more players left after the last bet then there is a showdown. The best five card low out of seven cards wins the pot. The lowest high card is the winner. The best hand is called a wheel. A wheel is A2345. If two players have the same low high card then the second card is used. For example 76543 would lose on the fifth card to 76542. Even if those two hands at a pair of kings as their sixth and seventh card they would not matter since in razz only five cards are used. In the rare case there is a tie of all five cards then the pot is split.

Rake

Online poker rooms usually take 5% up to $3 from the pot. Live poker rooms usually take 10% up to $4 or $5. Your rakeback is based on the amount of rake the house takes out of the pot. The rake is usually seen to the dealer’s right. Online you can either hover over the pot or the rake box to see how much rake was taken during a hand.