If you enjoy seven card stud and the other games in the seven card stud family, then you will definitely want to learn how to play razz. While razz is not the most popular game in the world, it is certainly one of the most challenging and rewarding. Some feel that razz is a real purist’s poker game, one that requires a hefty amount of both skill and luck. Razz is seven card stud that is played purely for the low. That’s right; you’re trying to get the absolute worst hand possible. This is actually quite a bit harder than you think and with all the strange nuances and quirks of the game, it can be very challenging for first time players.

To get started with Razz poker it is usually a good idea to take a look at some of the best low hands in the game. This will get you accustomed to looking at hands in a new way and will aid in deciphering hands once you are actually playing the game. Keep in mind that in razz, the ace is always the lowest card so it is a critical component to the best hands in the game. Here are the ten best low hands in Razz:

1. A2345
2. A2346
3. A2356
4. A2456
5. A3456
6. 23456
7. A2347
8. A2357
9. A2457
10. A3457

While this might seem kind of confusing, figuring out who has the best hand is actually pretty simple. First, line up the cards in order from lowest to highest, and then whoever has the lowest card in their hand, after accounting for ties in rank, has the best hand.

Starting hand thoughts

Generally speaking in razz, if you have three cards under seven, you are okay to enter the pot. You are always looking for great starting hands like A23 or something with an ace and other low cards in it, but realize those don’t always happen. The hands to stay away from are those that have face cards, cards over seven or eight or anything with a pair in it. Face cards and pairs will do you absolutely no good in razz and will only cost you money.

Probably more so than other seven card stud games, the up cards in razz have a heavy impact on the nature of each hand. Let us say for example that you are showing a low up card but everyone else has pretty high cards. Now, you might have a nine and a king in the hole, but no one knows that. You can use the power of your low up card to get the pot early and avoid any trouble on later rounds. You will always need to be on the lookout for opportunities like this in razz, as they happen often. Additionally, razz can have some awful players sometimes, so they will be easy to take advantage of if you can make the right moves.

Conclusion

Razz is a complicated game, so much that sometimes it seems to scare players away. Frankly the only way you can truly become good at razz is to get in there and play. Are you going to lose some money? Yes, probably. But after you gain some experience, you will quickly be able to see the game better and take advantage of some of the horrible competition.