RAZZ RULES AND ADVICE!!

Razz Poker

So Ive seen a lot of blogs about needing help with RAZZ so as its my best game id thought id share hope it helps!!

Razz is an ante game. Everyone is required to put in their ante before the cards are dealt. Razz plays very much like Stud with a few important differences....in Razz the highest up card on third street has to make the forced bring in bet. This starts up the pot, on all the rounds the lowest hand showing acts first. If there is a tie for low hand showing, the first active player clockwise from the dealer begins the round's action.

The lowest hand wins the pot at the showdown(AkA after 7th Street). Aces count as low and flushes and straights aren't counted. This means the best five card hand in Razz is A,2,3,4,5. Figuring out the best low hand is simple enough. Start with the top card and work down. An eight low beats a nine low for example. If the top card is the same number, then you move to the second card until they aren't the same then lowest wins.(EXAMPLE 6543A beats 65432). One player has an A on bottom and the losing player has a 2.

Razz is a game of patience.It is important to play tight and not make the pot 2 big where as if u dont have made hand dont risk your stack against a draw on hope to hit , but attempt well timed ante steals when the chance presents itself. Razz is also a creul game but if you want to play it you have to get used it it!
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Razz starting hands. They are easy to remember. If you have three cards between Ace and five, you have a great starting hand. A23 is the best starting hand(Cursed IMO LOL), but any three cards between Ace and five (no pairs of course!) is a hand to bet and raise with on third street. Three card starting hands between Ace and six are good starting hands and should be played aggressively as well, but with a little more slowly if several other players with lower hole cards are 3 and betting the action. Three cards of seven or lower is a good starting hand that you'll want to see 4th street with, even if you have to call a bet or two to do so. A three card eight is pushing it. If you can limp in or steal the antes with it, do so. Playing three card eights will cost you chips in the long run.
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The other players' up cards. This is a very important part to Razz strategy. Good Razz players will view the shown cards and have a much better idea of their hand strength. Sometimes the up cards will tell you exactly what to do. If you have three cards to a nine low and there are no other up cards lower than a nine, you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you have the best hand on third street and can bet and raise, even though a "nine low" isn't usually a hand that you would play. You should continue to keep an eye on the other players cards as the hand progresses. Even if you catch low cards that pair your hole cards, if the other players are catching bad high cards, you can still usually win the pot by betting aggressively.
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Live and Dead Cards(Outs). Before you play a hand try to catch a glimpse of everyone's window card to count your outs. For example if you hold A36 to start and you see two other 3s, a 6, and an A, you can feel even better about your hand because it means there is less of a chance that you will make pairs,and that the odds your you catching the cards you need are much better! Catching pairs can kill a great starting Razz hand, so the more dead cards you see the better.
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Best Draw vs. Made 9 Low after five cards. In Razz is the little known fact that after five cards are dealt, the best drawing hand is a favorite over any made nine low. Because its a drawing game, if you have A23410 to a 97 low your the favorite to win because there 3 more cards to be drawn.On the flip side say the draw misses on 6th getting another face card no matter what the 9 low gets its the favorite to win so BET it does not mean that the draw wont call and get lucky but u were ahead on 6th and with so much invested a check call is a good move IMO.
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Knowing when to fold 'em. If you make a habit of starting with sub par hands or drawing with weak hands vs. powerful boards and stronger draws, then you will just be leaking chips and blowing your bankroll/chip stack. Save your money for when you have the best hand and then play aggressively. Especially in low limit games, players tend to have the hands they represent, so don't pay off three or four more bets to "keep them honest"! When good hands turn bad, muck them. Even if u started A23 if u get KQ10 the odds of you wining are slim depending on the player and his board youll just give your chips/money away!!Patience is Key!
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Stealing the Antes. Ante stealing is important, especially the higher up you go in limits. Several situations are great for ante stealing attempts.If the bring in player is immediately to your left and it is folded up to you, you should always complete the bet to steal the bring and antes. You do not have to be successful every time for this to be a profitable play. Another good stealing shot to take is when you are the lowest up card.You can also attempt to steal with second highest up card if it is folded up to you in late position. Don't get carried away here. Stealing becomes less effective and less profitable the lower the limits you are playing. There will always be donks at low limits calling you down hoping to get lucky outdraw you. Always be willing to let go of a steal attempt if another player plays back at you!
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THIS IS FOR ALL THE RAILBIRDS WHO NEED HELP LEARNING OR BEING GOOD IN RAZZ I HOPE IT HELPS
I WILL UPDATE THIS AS TIME GOES ON!!

And thanx to my RiverRats telling me it was a good idea!! BRING HOME THE CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESE!!!!!!