Razz
Seven-Card Stud for low hands — the worst poker hand wins. Aces are always low; straights and flushes don’t count against you.
What Is Razz?
Razz is Seven-Card Stud played upside-down — the LOWEST hand wins the pot. Aces are always treated as the lowest card. Straights and flushes do NOT count against you. The best possible hand is A-2-3-4-5 (called ‘the Wheel’). If you’ve ever been frustrated by bad poker hands, Razz is your game.
What You Need
- A standard 52-card deck
- 2 to 8 players
- Poker chips
Low Hand Rankings
In Razz, straights and flushes are ignored. The lowest 5 unique cards win. Pairs are bad — they raise your hand’s value. Aces are always low.
- Best hand: A-2-3-4-5 (the Wheel)
- Second best: A-2-3-4-6
- Worst hand: K-K-K-K-K (four of a kind is still just a K-high for low purposes — actually, four Kings with a King = K-high, very bad)
How to Play — The Five Streets
Third Street
Ante up. Each player gets 2 cards face-down and 1 face-up. The player showing the HIGHEST face-up card posts the bring-in (reversed from Stud — high card is worst, not best). Betting round.
Fourth through Sixth Street
One face-up card dealt each street. The player showing the LOWEST visible cards acts first each time (reversed again — lowest visible = currently best hand). Betting round each street.
Seventh Street
Final card is dealt face-DOWN. Last betting round. Showdown.
Showdown
Each player selects the 5 lowest cards from their 7. Pairs count AGAINST you — avoid them. Lowest 5-card combination wins.
Winning
The player with the lowest hand wins the pot. In case of a tie, the pot is split.
Strategy Tips
- Start with three low cards (8 or below) including an Ace — that’s a strong Razz starting hand.
- Fold if you pair your low cards on fourth or fifth street — pairs are very damaging.
- Watch opponents’ visible cards — if you see many low cards are showing, your low draws are less likely.
- Bluffing is effective when your visible cards show all low cards, even if your hidden cards are high.