Razz Poker: The Lowball Stud Game Where Worst is Best

What is Razz Poker?

Razz is the lowball variant of Seven Card Stud where the lowest five-card hand wins the entire pot. The game uses Ace-to-Five lowball rankings, meaning Aces always count as low cards, and straights and flushes are completely ignored for hand evaluation. The best possible Razz hand is A-2-3-4-5, universally known as "the wheel."

The game structure mirrors Seven Card Stud exactly: each player receives seven cards across five betting rounds (three face-down, four face-up), with antes, a bring-in, and fixed-limit betting. The critical difference lies entirely in determining the winning hand—where Stud rewards the highest poker hand, Razz awards the pot to the lowest unpaired five-card combination.

Razz gained prominence through its inclusion in mixed game formats, particularly HORSE poker (Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, Razz, Stud, Eight-or-Better). The World Series of Poker has featured Razz as a standalone bracelet event since the 1970s, and it remains essential curriculum for serious mixed-game specialists. According to the World Series of Poker, Razz events consistently attract dedicated lowball specialists and mixed-game professionals.

Razz Hand Rankings: Understanding Lowball

Razz uses Ace-to-Five lowball rankings (also called California Lowball), which differ fundamentally from traditional poker hand rankings. Understanding this system is essential before playing a single hand.

The Core Rules of A-to-5 Lowball

Aces are always low. In Razz, an Ace counts as the lowest card (value of 1), making it extremely valuable. Unlike high poker where Aces can be high or low, Razz Aces are exclusively low.

Straights and flushes don't count. A hand like 5-4-3-2-A of hearts is simply "a five-low" (the wheel), not a straight flush. This rule makes more low hands possible and changes strategic calculations significantly.

Pairs hurt your hand. Any pair forces you to count your next-lowest cards, weakening your hand dramatically. A hand like 7-5-4-2-2 becomes a pair, which loses to any unpaired seven-low like 7-6-5-3-A.

Hands are read from highest card down. Compare hands starting from the highest card. A-5-4-3-2 (five-low) beats A-6-4-3-2 (six-low) because the highest card in the first hand (5) is lower than the highest card in the second (6). If highest cards tie, compare the second-highest, and so on.

Razz Hand Strength Rankings

The best possible Razz hands, ranked from strongest to weakest:

• The Wheel (5-4-3-2-A): The absolute nuts in Razz. Unbeatable.
• Six-low (6-4-3-2-A): Excellent hand that wins most pots.
• Seven-low (7-5-4-3-2): Very strong, rarely beaten at showdown.
• Eight-low (8-6-4-3-A): Solid hand, usually wins unless facing strong competition.
• Nine-low and higher: Marginal hands that often lose to better lows.
• Paired hands: Weak—any unpaired hand beats any paired hand.

The Pagat card games reference provides additional details on lowball hand evaluation and tie-breaking procedures used in Razz tournaments worldwide.

The Complete Razz Deal Structure

Razz follows the identical dealing structure as Seven Card Stud, with one key difference in the bring-in determination. Understanding each street is crucial for strategic play.

Antes and the Bring-In

Before cards are dealt, all players post an ante—a small mandatory bet that seeds the pot. In a $2/$4 Razz game, the ante might be $0.25-$0.50 per player. After antes, each player receives three cards: two face-down (hole cards) and one face-up (the door card).

Unlike Seven Card Stud where the lowest door card brings it in, Razz requires the player showing the highest door card to post the bring-in. This makes sense—in a low game, showing a King is bad, so that player pays the penalty. If two players tie for highest card, suits break the tie (spades highest, then hearts, diamonds, clubs lowest).

The bring-in player can post just the bring-in minimum (typically one-third to one-half the small bet) or "complete" to a full small bet. Action then proceeds clockwise with players folding, calling, or raising.

Third Street Through Seventh Street

Third Street: After the bring-in, remaining players receive action based on their door cards. Premium low cards (A-4 showing) can raise to build pots or steal antes from players showing bricks (high cards). Players with two low hole cards and a low door card hold strong starting positions.

Fourth Street: Each remaining player receives a second face-up card. Now the player showing the lowest exposed hand acts first—the opposite of Stud. This rewards strong low boards with positional advantage. Betting remains at the small bet increment.

Fifth Street: A third face-up card is dealt. The betting increment doubles to the big bet (in $2/$4 Razz, bets become $4). This street significantly changes pot odds for drawing hands. Players with four low cards often have strong made hands or excellent draws, while those who bricked (caught a high card or paired) face difficult decisions.

Sixth Street: The fourth face-up card is dealt. Players now have four exposed cards and two hidden. Board reading becomes straightforward—someone showing A-3-5-7 likely has a made seven-low or is drawing to an excellent six or five. Betting continues at the big bet increment.

Seventh Street (The River): The final card is dealt face-down. Each remaining player now has three hole cards and four board cards, selecting the best (lowest) five to form their hand. One final betting round occurs at the big bet, followed by showdown if multiple players remain.

Starting Hand Selection in Razz

Razz rewards extremely tight starting hand selection. With five betting rounds at fixed-limit stakes, entering pots with marginal holdings creates expensive situations where folding later wastes significant investment. Premium starting hands give substantial equity advantages.

Premium Starting Hands (Always Play)

Three wheel cards: Any combination of A-2-3-4-5 across your three starting cards represents a premium start. Hands like (A-2) 3, (A-3) 4, or (2-3) 5 (where parentheses indicate hole cards) have immediate wheel potential and should be raised aggressively.

Three cards to a six-low: Starting hands like (A-2) 6 or (3-4) 6 have excellent potential for strong made hands. While not as powerful as wheel draws, these hands win a high percentage of pots when they connect.

Smooth seven draws: Hands with three cards seven or lower where the cards work well together—like (A-4) 7 or (2-5) 7—offer reasonable value, especially when your cards are live (no duplicates visible on other boards).

Marginal Hands (Situational)

Rough eight draws: Starting hands with an 8 as the highest card—like (3-5) 8 or (A-6) 8—are playable in late position or when antes are high relative to the bring-in. These hands can develop into competitive eight-lows but rarely scoop pots against aggressive opponents holding wheel draws.

Steal opportunities: When holding a low door card (A-4 showing) against high door cards from opponents, raising to steal antes becomes profitable even with weak hole cards. If opponents show K-Q-J around the table and you show a 3, the bring-in may fold to pressure regardless of your hidden cards.

Hands to Fold (Always)

Any starting pair: Beginning with a pair (like 4-4-7) puts you at massive disadvantage. You're essentially starting with only two low cards, needing five more unpaired cards to make a competitive hand. Fold immediately.

Two or more cards nine or higher: Hands like (K-Q) 5 or (9-T) 3 lack sufficient low cards to develop competitive hands. Even if you start with one low card showing, your hidden high cards doom the hand.

Three cards eight or higher: Starting hands containing multiple bricks—like (8-9) J—have almost no path to winning. Fold without hesitation.

Reading Boards and Dead Cards

Like all Stud variants, Razz demands careful attention to exposed and folded cards. The cards visible around the table directly affect your hand's potential—if your needed cards are "dead" (visible elsewhere), your equity drops dramatically.

Tracking Live Cards

Suppose you start with (A-3) 5, an excellent wheel draw. If you scan the table and see two other Aces, a 3, and two 5s on opponents' boards, your hand loses significant value. The cards you need to complete your wheel are partially or fully dead—only one Ace, three 3s, and two 5s remain in the deck. Compare this to seeing no wheel cards exposed, where all your outs remain live.

This principle extends to all Razz decisions. A player drawing to a seven-low who sees three 7s folded around the table knows they can never make a seven—they're now drawing to a six or bust. Adjusting hand strength based on live cards separates strong Razz players from weak ones.

Reading Opponent Boards

With four cards eventually exposed, opponent holdings become increasingly readable. A player showing A-4-6-8 almost certainly has a made eight-low or is drawing to a seven or better. Someone showing 2-3-9-K has likely bricked and may be bluffing or holding an unlikely monster in the hole.

Pay attention to betting patterns relative to boards. An opponent who bets aggressively while showing A-2-4-J has either made a strong low despite the Jack (with hidden low cards) or is bluffing. Context from previous streets helps—did they bet strongly before catching the Jack, suggesting real strength, or did they suddenly become aggressive after the brick, suggesting a bluff attempt?

The Two Plus Two poker forums contain extensive discussions of Razz board reading and strategic considerations from experienced mixed-game players.

Razz Strategy: Street-by-Street Play

Optimal Razz strategy varies significantly across the five betting streets due to increasing information and changing pot odds.

Third Street: Tight Entry, Aggressive Raising

Enter pots only with genuinely strong starting hands—three low cards with wheel potential or live draws to strong six or seven lows. When you do enter, raise frequently to narrow the field and build pots for your premium holdings.

Stealing becomes profitable against tables showing high door cards. If multiple opponents hold Kings and Queens while you show an Ace, the mathematical expectation often favors raising regardless of your hidden cards. Opponents correctly fold to avoid chasing against apparent strength.

Position matters less in Razz than in Hold'em variants because the first-to-act position changes based on boards. However, acting after the bring-in allows you to see how many players enter before committing chips.

Fourth and Fifth Streets: Evaluate and Commit

Fourth Street reveals whether your starting hand is developing well. Catching another low card (especially an Ace through 5) maintains your equity. Catching a brick (8 or higher) or pairing severely damages your hand. The fixed-limit structure means folding on Fourth Street when you brick is often correct—continuing costs two small bets on Fourth plus two big bets on Fifth through Seventh.

Fifth Street marks the critical decision point. The bet doubles, and pot odds shift dramatically. A player with four low cards likely has a made seven or eight low, or an excellent draw to a six or wheel. Someone showing two bricks (high cards) has almost no equity and should fold to any aggression.

Made hands (already-complete lows like A-2-4-6-7) bet aggressively to charge drawing hands. If you've made a seven-low by Fifth Street, betting and raising extracts value from players drawing to sixes or wheels who may not get there.

Sixth and Seventh Streets: Value and River Decisions

By Sixth Street, most hands are either made or clearly drawing. With four cards exposed, disguising your hand becomes difficult—if you show A-3-5-7, opponents know you have at least a seven-low or better. Bet made hands for value; fold draws that bricked.

Seventh Street arrives face-down, allowing some mystery. A player who showed a four-card wheel draw (A-2-4-5) through Sixth Street could have made the wheel or paired. Betting patterns throughout the hand provide context. If they bet strongly on every street, the wheel is likely. If they suddenly checked Sixth Street after catching a card, they may have bricked.

Calling down suspicious opponents on the river becomes cheap in limit Razz—one big bet to verify honesty. When pot odds justify it and opponent behavior seems inconsistent with their board, consider calling to keep opponents honest.

The Wheel and Near-Wheel Hands

The wheel (A-2-3-4-5) represents the pinnacle of Razz—an unbeatable hand that scoops every pot it enters. Understanding wheel dynamics and near-wheel play is essential for advanced Razz strategy.

Playing Wheel Draws

Starting with three wheel cards (any combination from A-2-3-4-5) gives you direct wheel potential plus backup draws to excellent sixes and sevens. These hands justify aggressive raising on Third Street to build pots and isolate opponents.

When you make a wheel, the decision becomes how to extract maximum value. In limit Razz, slow-playing rarely profits—opponents get correct odds to draw, and bet sizing is fixed. Generally, bet and raise made wheels to build pots, even if opponents might fold. The risk of giving free cards outweighs the benefit of trapping.

Six-Low and Seven-Low Play

Made sixes (like A-2-3-4-6) and smooth sevens (like A-2-4-5-7) are extremely strong Razz hands that win the vast majority of showdowns. Play them aggressively for value, especially against opponents who may be drawing to similar hands.

The key strategic consideration with made sixes and sevens is whether opponents can beat you and whether they're likely drawing live. A made 6-5-4-2-A loses only to a wheel. If you've tracked the board and several wheel cards are dead, your six becomes nearly unbeatable. Conversely, if wheel cards are all live and an opponent shows A-2-3 on their board, respect their potential to outdraw you.

Razz in HORSE and Mixed Games

Razz is the "R" in HORSE poker, the classic mixed game format rotating through Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, Razz, Stud, and Eight-or-Better. Understanding Razz within this context adds strategic dimensions beyond standalone play.

Why Razz Matters in Mixed Games

Many Hold'em specialists avoid Razz, creating exploitable leaks when mixed formats rotate to the lowball round. Players who don't understand wheel draws, fail to track dead cards, or overvalue marginal hands donate chips to Razz specialists. According to Card Player Magazine, mixed-game tournaments often see the largest chip swings during Razz rounds as specialists exploit unprepared opponents.

The mental gear-shift from high-hand games to lowball challenges even experienced players. Aces suddenly become low cards. Straights are irrelevant. The worst-looking traditional hand wins. Players who struggle with this transition make fundamental errors—playing high cards, overvaluing pairs, or misreading opponent boards.

Transitioning Between Games

When HORSE rotates from Omaha Hi-Lo to Razz, take a moment to recalibrate. Remind yourself that Aces are pure gold, high cards are poison, and straights don't exist. Some players benefit from a mental checklist: "Lowest hand wins. A-2-3-4-5 is the nuts. Track dead low cards."

The skills from Razz transfer directly to Eight-or-Better Stud (the "E" in HORSE), which awards half the pot to the low hand. Understanding how low hands develop, which draws are live, and when to compete for the low helps in all split-pot formats. For more on lowball concepts in split games, the Upswing Poker mixed games section offers strategy content from professional mixed-game players.

Common Razz Mistakes to Avoid

New Razz players consistently make predictable errors. Recognizing and avoiding these mistakes accelerates improvement.

Playing Too Many Hands

The most common leak is entering pots with marginal starting hands—rough eights, any hand with a 9, or three-card hands containing two medium cards. Razz rewards patience. Premium hands come infrequently, but they provide substantial edges over marginal holdings. Fold and wait for quality.

Ignoring Dead Cards

Failing to track which cards have been exposed and folded leads to massive miscalculations. A player chasing a wheel who doesn't notice three deuces folded is drawing nearly dead. Similarly, not recognizing when opponents' draws are live or dead leads to incorrect decisions about betting, calling, and folding.

Overvaluing Made Hands That Are Beat

Making an eight-low feels satisfying, but when an opponent shows A-2-4-5 and bets aggressively, your eight likely trails. Recognizing when your made hand is second-best and folding disciplined prevents expensive hero calls. In Razz, the betting tells a story—respect it.

Chasing After Catching Bricks

When you start with (A-3) 5 but catch K-Q on Fourth and Fifth Streets, your hand is effectively dead. Continuing because you started well wastes chips. Cut losses early when the board turns against you. The beautiful three-card start has become worthless.

Slow-Playing in Limit Formats

Making a wheel and checking to trap opponents rarely works in limit Razz. Opponents get correct odds to draw, and even if they fold to a later bet, you've lost value. Bet made hands—the fixed betting structure limits how much you can extract anyway, so maximize every opportunity.

Razz Tournament Strategy

Razz tournaments, including World Series of Poker Razz events, require strategic adjustments from cash game play. Understanding these differences helps players navigate bracelet events and mixed-game tournaments.

Stack Size Considerations

As blinds and antes increase, relative stack sizes shrink. Shorter stacks cannot play as selectively—antes consume too much equity. When your stack falls below 10 big bets, loosen starting requirements and look for spots to get chips in with any reasonable three low cards.

Deep stacks allow patient play. With 50+ big bets, wait for premium hands and avoid marginal situations. The implied odds of tournament survival favor tight play when you have ample chips to outlast opponents who take unnecessary risks.

Bubble and Pay Jump Dynamics

Near the money bubble or at significant pay jumps, survival-oriented players tighten drastically. This creates opportunities for aggressive players to steal antes without resistance. If your stack supports the risk, attacking tight players during bubble play accumulates chips for the final table push.

The WSOP tournament structures for Razz events typically feature slow blind increases, allowing skilled players to realize their edges over many hands rather than forced coin-flip situations common in fast-structure Hold'em tournaments.

Learning Razz: Resources and Practice

Razz receives less instructional attention than Hold'em or even Omaha, but quality resources exist for dedicated students.

Books and Written Material

Mitchell Cogert's "Razz Poker" provides focused strategy content specifically for the lowball variant. For broader context, Doyle Brunson's Super/System 2 includes Razz coverage as part of its mixed-game sections. The Two Plus Two "Other Poker Games" forum contains years of archived discussions on Razz strategy from professional and serious recreational players.

Online Practice

Major online poker sites offer Razz tables, though traffic is considerably lower than Hold'em or PLO. PokerStars maintains dedicated Razz cash games and tournaments. Playing at micro stakes allows practice without significant financial risk while developing intuition for lowball hand reading and dead card tracking.

Home games provide excellent learning environments. Razz works well with small groups, and the slower pace allows discussion of hands and strategy during play. Many mixed-game home games include Razz in their rotation, giving players exposure within a familiar setting.

Related Games and Variants

Understanding Razz connects to several related poker variants that share lowball or stud elements.

Seven Card Stud Eight-or-Better: The "E" in HORSE combines high and low hand evaluation. Half the pot goes to the best traditional high hand, half to the best qualifying low (eight or better). Razz skills directly apply to competing for the low half.

2-7 Triple Draw: A different lowball variant using Deuce-to-Seven rankings where straights and flushes count against you. The best hand is 7-5-4-3-2 of mixed suits. Understanding one lowball system helps learn others, though A-to-5 and 2-to-7 differ significantly.

Omaha Hi-Lo: Uses A-to-5 low rankings for the low half, similar to Razz. Understanding wheel draws and low hand development transfers between these games. See our Omaha poker guide for more on this variant.

For a complete foundation in hand evaluation, review our poker hand rankings reference, then apply the inverted logic for lowball games. The pot odds calculator and expected value calculator help analyze Razz decisions mathematically.

Frequently Asked Questions

Responsible Gaming Reminder

Razz, like all poker variants, involves elements of chance and, when played for money, carries financial risk. The skills discussed in this guide can improve decision-making but cannot eliminate variance. Even optimal play results in losing sessions due to card distribution.

If you choose to play Razz for money, set strict loss limits before each session and respect them regardless of circumstances. Never chase losses or play stakes beyond your comfortable bankroll. For support with gambling-related concerns, the National Council on Problem Gambling offers confidential resources at 1-800-522-4700.

Razz can be enjoyed without money through play-chip sites, home games with chips, or as a learning exercise. The strategic challenge remains engaging regardless of stakes, and many players find the mental puzzle of lowball fascinating independent of financial outcomes.