Best Razz Poker Online
Razz is increasing in popularity among online poker players. A variation of 7-card Stud where the lowest hand wins, Razz can be played in cash game or tournament form.
While the game has always been a favorite among old-school Vegas gamblers, it's now starting to be played by casual real-money poker fans on the net.
While not that common at sites offering online poker, Razz games can be played at a handful of the best poker rooms. The team at OnlinePoker.com hunts around for great gambling websites with top Razz online poker action.
Enjoy the best Razz online poker in 2024
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Brief History of Razz
7-card Stud had been a mainstay of road gamblers and backroom games across the US for years, but the lowball version of the game, Razz, only became prominent at the 1971 World Series of Poker.
That year, the games on offer were expanded to include Razz. The $1,000 Limit Razz event was taken down by legendary pro, Jimmy Casella. More recently, ESPN televised a 2004 WSOP Razz event for the first time, a tournament won by the legendary T.J Cloutier.
Razz has maintained its popularity in casinos and cardrooms across America (and particularly in the UK), but 2024 will see the introduction of the $10,000 Razz Championship at the WSOP.
In terms of big winners, Phil Hellmuth most notably bagged his first ever non-Texas Hold'em WSOP bracelet when he won the ,500 Razz event at the 2012 series.
As for its online incarnation, while not hugely available on the web, low-stakes Razz cash games are popular with Internet poker players.
How To Play Razz Poker Online
If you have played 7-card Stud, you'll know the basic rules of real-money Razz. However, where 7-Stud awards the pot to the highest hand, Razz rewards the lowest, or worst, hand. The game begins with each player posting an ante, or enforced bet. Three cards are then dealt out to each player, two face down and one face up.
After a few rounds of online poker Razz betting, when the 4th, 5th, and 6th cards are dealt face up, a round of betting follows and a 7th card face down.
Remaining players in the hand go to showdown, and the lowest, or worst, 5-card hand from the seven available wins the pot. Therefore, the best hand in Razz is 5-4-3-2-A, then 6-4-3-2-A, and so on.
Ranking hands start with the best card and move down from there. For example, 8-4-3-2-A beats 8-5-3-2-A.
What To Look For in Good Razz Online Poker Sites
While it's easy to find plenty of Texas Hold'em card game action, hunting out Razz poker online can be trickier.
That's why it's important to find betting websites that offer at least a few tables of Razz around the clock. You need to find good traffic and low stakes limits too so that you're not left waiting for a game.
If you're new to the game, try the play-money tables at your favorite sites for online poker. Razz is much more fun when you have a proper handle on the rules.
Find the Best Poker Rooms For Razz
If you're looking for great poker websites with lots of action and an unrivalled range of games, look no further than OnlinePoker.com.
Our team eats, sleeps and breathes online poker. Razz is just one of our favorite disciplines when hunting out a good card game on the net, and our experts compare and test dozens of poker rooms to find the best.
When you select one of the top picks from our guide, you know you're signing up to a respected gaming room with fast cash-outs, solid traffic and good bonuses.
And once you've registered to play poker online, Razz nuts like you can take advantage of a superb welcome bonus upon making a first deposit.
Razz in 60 Seconds
Razz is a classic card game played with antes instead of blinds. Each player received three cards each initially (two face down and one face up), with the 4th, 5th and 6th cards dealt face up. The last 7th card is dealt face down. There are no community cards in Razz.
At showdown, the player with the ''worst", i.e. the lowest, qualifying 5-card hand wins the pot. The best (or lowest) hand in Razz is the 'wheel', or a straight consisting of A-2-3-4-5. Betting in the game is usually Limit.
The player with the highest up-card shown at the start is forced to 'bring in' the action, or start the betting. Players can raise pre-flop but are restricted by the Limit stakes in whatever game they are playing.
Betting rounds follow, with the worst hand at showdown scooping the pot. In Razz, cards are ranked on their suits, with Spades, Hearts, Diamonds and Clubs (in that order) deciding the winner in any tied hands.
Top Tip: Starting Hands
The quality of starting hands in Razz can be divided into four groups: Excellent hands, Good Hands, Fair Hands, and Poor Hands, as classified by poker pro and author, David Sklansky. Knowing the difference is key to becoming a solid newcomer to the game.
While it may seem obvious, you need to fold hands with two big cards in your starting hole cards. They're hard to improve upon.
At the start, you want to have three cards containing an ace, or even better, any three between Ace and 5. Certainly, three cards that can make a 'wheel' (A-2-3-4-5) are advantageous.
Therefore, you want to be hitting hands like A-2-3, 4-3-A, and 5-4-3. Hands that have the potential to make a 6-low are also good such as 6-3-2, 6-3-A and 6-2-A.
While noticing that an opponent is showing x-x-A-2-5 means they are in a potentially strong position, you need to keep a track of betting patterns. Have they bluffed their hand to represent strong down cards?
Conversely, if you yourself show x-x-3-2-4, do you bet strongly to represent that you have A-5 in the hole or play it slowly to hide your made hand? Razz is a game of representing certain situations, so it's vital to get a good handle on our opponents, especially online where you can't spot live tells. Want to know more? Find out in our guide to Razz poker strategy and also our Top 10 Razz tips
