Razz 101

[Fonzi]

I've covered many aspects of Hold Em over the last few months. However in my personal experience, Hold Em is not the best cash game for intermediate online players. One of the games that can yield you more of a profit than your average Hold Em table is Razz. In this piece, I will attempt to introduce you to one of my favourite poker variants, and give you some simple rules to stick with as you feel out the low stakes tables.

You should learn Razz for two reasons. The first is simple, bad Razz players are very common, and they want to give you their money. The second is that Razz is a critical component to HORSE, a mixed hybrid game that encompasses many forms of poker. HORSE is one of the most profitable variants of poker on the market right now.

First, the rules: Players start with two hole cards and one upcard, just like in Stud. Then there are then three more rounds of upcards, with betting after each card, and a final downcard, again just like Stud. Each player ends up with seven cards: four up, three down.

The player that has the best low hand after all is said and done, the closest to A,2,3,4, and 5, using exactly five of their cards, wins the pot. Aces are always low, and flushes and straights have no effect on the value of a hand. The best possible hand is A-2-3-4-5, also called the Wheel.

Now, allow me to cover the basic strategy of Razz:

Play opening hands that are three cards 8 or less, 9 or less if you are desperate to make something happen. The antes are so cheap, and you should find a good amount of action, so you can be patient. Boredom is the enemy, as much in Razz as it was in Hold Em.

Be hyper aggressive when you're ahead, call down 6th and 7th if you're not sure if they have the goods, and you've got at least an 8 low. Remember, this is a Stud based game, so you're getting a lot of information. Even if you assume the worst case scenario, you should be able to figure out what your opponents' best hands could possibly be. Pairs are awful, because they're a dead card. But you'll find that you're not always betting made hands, you're betting the better potential hand.

Speaking of dead cards, mentally track exposed cards that get folded. It will be vital to determining whether or not it is probable that the other guys are holding the nuts... or any hand that beats you really.

Push hard with 7 low harder with 6 low, and everything with 5 low. These are the premium hands in the game. Don't be too coy with these. You might risk one check raise on the very last street, but for the most part there's no need to be cagey.

Fill out this primer with real world experience, and you're well on your way to a profitable foray into the world of Razz.

Bill Ricardi ? Internet Gaming Guru