Razz Poker Rules — Seven Card Stud Low

How Razz Works

Razz follows the exact same structure as Seven Card Stud: antes, a bring-in, and five betting streets (3rd through 7th street). Each player receives seven cards — three face-down and four face-up — and selects the best (lowest) five-card hand at showdown. There are no community cards.

Key Rule Differences from Stud High

1. Lowest hand wins. Hand evaluation uses ace-to-five lowball rankings. Aces are always low. Straights and flushes are ignored entirely.
2. Bring-in goes to the highest door card. In Stud high, the lowest door card brings it in. In Razz, the highest exposed card on 3rd street must post the bring-in. If two players tie, suit determines who pays (spades is highest, followed by hearts, diamonds, clubs).
3. Lowest exposed hand acts first from 4th street. The player showing the best (lowest) up-cards has the option to check or bet first on 4th through 7th street.

Ace-to-Five Lowball Rankings

In Razz, you want the five lowest unpaired cards. Pairs, trips, and quads all hurt your hand — a pair of 2s is far worse than a hand like 3-4-5-6-8 (no pairs). Since straights and flushes are disregarded, A-2-3-4-5 is simply five unpaired low cards, not a straight. The hand is read from the highest card down, so a 7-5-4-3-A is called a "seven-low" and beats an 8-4-3-2-A ("eight-low").

Antes and Bring-In

Every player posts an ante before the deal. After each player receives two down-cards and one up-card, the player with the highest door card posts the bring-in (a forced partial bet). If the highest door card is a King and two players show Kings, the suit breaks the tie: spades brings it in over hearts, hearts over diamonds, diamonds over clubs. Action then proceeds clockwise.

Betting Structure

Razz is played with fixed-limit betting. The small bet applies on 3rd and 4th streets, and the big bet (double the small) applies on 5th, 6th, and 7th streets. Unlike Stud high, there is no open-pair rule on 4th street in Razz — the small bet is always used on 4th street regardless of exposed cards.

Razz Strategy

Starting Hand Selection (3rd Street)

On 3rd street you have three cards. The best starting hands contain three cards ranked 5 or lower (A, 2, 3, 4, 5). Hands with three cards ranked 7 or below are playable in most situations. Starting with any card 9 or higher is almost always a fold unless you are stealing with a low door card against high-card opponents.

1. A-2-3 — The best possible start. You are drawing to the wheel with three cards already in place.
2. A-2-4, A-2-5, A-3-4 — Premium three-card lows. Raise and re-raise on 3rd street.
3. Three cards to a 7-low (e.g., 2-4-7) — Solid starting hands. Play aggressively if your cards are live.
4. Three cards to an 8-low (e.g., 3-5-8) — Marginal. Play only if opponents show high cards and your cards are live.

Reading Exposed Cards

Just like in Stud high, remembering which cards have been dealt face-up (and which have been folded) is critical. In Razz, you specifically need to track low cards. If you hold A-3-5 and see two other 3s and a 5 on the table, your chances of pairing — which hurts your hand — drop, making your draw stronger. Conversely, if your key cards are live (not visible anywhere), your drawing odds improve.

Stealing with Door Cards

A low door card is a powerful weapon in Razz. If you show a 3 and your opponents show face-up Jacks, Queens, and Kings, you can often raise and take the antes and bring-in without resistance — even if your two hidden cards are garbage. This steal strategy is fundamental to profitable Razz play, especially in short-handed pots.

When to Fold After 3rd Street

Discipline on later streets separates winning Razz players from losing ones. If you catch a bad card on 4th or 5th street (a pair or a high card), reassess immediately. The pot odds in fixed-limit Razz can tempt you to chase, but drawing to an 8-low when you have already paired is a long-term losing play. Be willing to abandon your investment on 5th street if the hand deteriorates.

Common Razz Mistakes

1. Playing too many high-card starting hands. Any three cards with a face card is a fold on 3rd street. Do not convince yourself that "anything can happen in seven cards."
2. Forgetting that pairs are bad. Catching a pair is the most common way a promising Razz hand falls apart. Two pair or trips are disasters.
3. Not stealing enough. When you have the lowest door card and opponents show high cards, raising is almost always correct. Dead money from antes and the bring-in adds up fast.
4. Calling 5th street with a rough draw. The bet doubles on 5th street. If your hand is already marginal, the price to continue jumps significantly. This is where most Razz losses accumulate.
5. Ignoring opponent up-cards. Failing to track exposed cards means you cannot accurately assess your drawing odds. This single habit separates strong Razz players from the rest.