Poker Rules:Razz

Razz is one of the lesser known poker games that gained some awareness during the 2004 World Series of Poker coverage on ESPN. ESPN's coverage of the Razz title at the WSOP introduced many people to this simple, but often brutal poker game.

The rules of Razz combine the rules of lowball and 7 card stud. The goal is to make the best five-card low hand from the seven cards you are dealt. It is played with anywhere from 2-8 players. The game is dealt and structured just like 7 Card Stud - there is an ante to required to play, and there are 5 betting rounds, the first 2 of which are at the lower limit and the last 3 are at the higher limit. Each player starts with two hole cards and one upcard and then we have a betting round. Then the dealer gives each active player three more upcards, and then a final downcard, with betting rounds after each.

Each player ends up with seven cards, four face up and three face down. At the showdown, the player holding the best low hand using only five of his seven 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.