Games for Money

Razz is a variation of 7 Card Stud where the worst hand wins.  Aces always play as a low card.  As a result, a pair of Aces is actually lower than a pair of deuces.  Straights and flushes do not count against your hand.  The only thing of consequence in this game is the rank of the cards.  The best hand in Razz is a wheel, which is 5 high.

At the beginning of the hand, each player is required to put in an ante.  Razz starts out where each player is deal 2 cards face down and one face up.  The highest card showing is then required to make what is known as a bring in bet.  The bring in is typically double the ante.  The next player can either call the bring in bet or they can complete the bet to the full bet amount.  For example, we are playing a $5-$10 Razz game with a $1 ante.  The bring in bet would be $2 and the completion would be $5.  A completion does not count as a raise.  The player is only completing the bet.  After the completion, normal betting and raising rules for limit poker apply.

Each player that stays in a hand of Razz to showdown will receive 7 cards, 4 face up, and 3 face down.  Fourth, fifth, and sixth streets are all face up, and seventh is face down.  On fourth through Seventh Street, betting is started by the player with the lowest hand.  After the last round of betting, the remaining players flip over their hands and the lowest hand takes the pot.  The next section on H.O.R.S.E will cover an old classic most everyone grew up playing, Seven Card Stud.

James Guill wrote this on April 9th, 2008 and filed it under Gambling |