Razz
Razz is a variation of Seven Card Stud, played for the low instead of the high. It's not played widely in live card rooms, but has become more popular since World Series Razz tournaments have started to be televised. PokerStars players can play Razz as a stand-alone game or as part of H.O.R.S.E. mixed games.
Razz is different from Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo because there is no qualifier on the low hand. Sometimes, a pair can even win the pot. This doesn't happen often, but if two players remain in a hand and they are both drawing from a four low hand, each can pair on the final street.
Rules
The set up, ante and deal for Razz is the same as Seven Card Stud, the key difference being that the forced 'bring in' bet is posted by the player with the highest exposed card, as opposed to the one with the lowest. The bet limit doubles on fifth street and remains at the higher level for the rest of the hand.
Straights and flushes don't count against you in Razz, meaning that the best possible hand, commonly known as 'the wheel', is as follows: A 2 3 4 5.
Basic Strategy
A vital skill to learn in Razz is the ability to remember which cards have been exposed in your opponent's hands, even those that they fold. It's important to understand how many of your outs have been folded, so that correct pot odds can be calculated. Paying close attention to everything happening at the table also makes it easier to determine what cards each player is drawing to.
Starting hand selection is also important. It's usually best to fold any hand with a pair or just a high card. Hands like these don't have much chance of developing into one that will win the pot. The best starting hands are those with three unpaired cards, six or below. Position and number of players in the hand are also important elements to consider.
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