Razz Poker Rules

The game of Razz Poker can be a very strategic type of poker game to play, however the rules of Razz Poker will mean you have to tear up the rule book if you are used to playing any other variant and start again from the basics, however once you have mastered the rules regarding the game it can often become one of your personal favourites.

The nearest Poker variant we could compare Razz Poker to is the game of Seven Card Stud, however when playing Razz Poker the aim of the game is to end the final round with the lowest poker ranked hand, and if you manage to do just that then the pot is yours.

In regards to the deck of cards used when playing Razz Poker a standard deck of 52 playing cards is in play, and as such you will find usually between two and eight players can sit at each Razz Poker table.

Razz Poker Game Play Rules

All of the Aces used in the Razz Poker game are low, and when playing it you will find that it does not have the 8 or better rule which some variants have. Also Straights and Flushes as not playable hands in the game of Razz Poker.

One interesting rule of Razz Poker is that if all other players have folded their hand and only one player remains in play and active on the table then he wins the pot by default, irrespective of the hand he is holding.

Razz Poker Game Types

The most common type of games played using Razz Poker are fixed limit games where each round will have a fixed betting structure, but you may occasionally find games offered which have a pot limit or no limit type of betting structure in play.

Razz Poker Playing Structure

Ante – Each player must place an Ante wager onto the table and once they have then the Razz Poker Dealer will deal three initial cards to each player at the table who have placed an Ante wager, and this enables each player to discover their Door Card, and the player with the highest valued Door card will need to place a Bring In wager onto the table and this will then start the betting round and each player will then, in turn match the stake placed.

Forth Street – In this round the Dealer gives each player a face up card, and the player who has been dealt the lowest card then starts this betting round.

Fifth Street – Another card is dealt to all players and once again this card is dealt face up, a round of betting then takes place.

Sixth Street – At this point in the game the remaining players are dealt yet another card and much like the previous round this card is dealt face up and another round of betting takes place.

Seventh Street – This is where all remaining players still active in play will get their final card, this one however is dealt face down, and the final round of betting then takes place to determine the winner.

Cards in Play

If there are a total of eight players sat playing Razz Poker then there may come a time when there are not enough cards in the deck to continue playing when it is time to deal the seventh cards to these players. Should this fairly rare event occur then a Community Card is instead dealt out at the Seventh Street, this one card is dealt face up and being a Community Card then all players can use that card in their respective hand.