In every hand of Razz players must post an ante before their cards are dealt. As in other forms of Stud games the player is dealt three cards, two face down and one face up. The player with the highest up card or door card must make the opening bet, known in Stud games as the bring in. This bet is usually half of whatever the small blind is for the game. If they wish, the opening player can make the bet the full amount of the small blind. The action then continues clockwise around the table as in other forms of poker.

In poker you are looking to get your money with the best hand possible. The top hand in Razz where you want your money in the pot is A-2-3-4-5, which is known as a five low. This is not because it is a straight as flushes and straights do not count in Razz, but they are the five lowest cards in the deck. In Stud Lo you cannot get any lower in a five card hand. This is the stone cold nuts in Razz; the second nuts would be a six low, and so on.

The action during the hand after each card is dealt follows what you are used to from other Stud games. You have two face down cards, four face up cards and the last card goes face down. After Fourth Street the player with the lowest up cards acts first. E.g. if you were in a hand with X-X-A-3 against X-X-A-4 the player with A-3 would act first. After the betting the player with the lowest hand wins the pot.

Your hand is named after the highest card you have. For example, holding 10-5-3-2-A is a “Ten Low” hand (the Ace always plays low in Razz). Unlike Texas Hold ‘em you need to avoid pairs and sets. Everything is opposite to what you are used to where hands that are totally weak in Stud Hi like A-3-5-6-7 is actually a very strong hand as the 7 low (the third nuts in fact).

Some strategy considerations for hole cards are to fold pairs, as this greatly reduces your chances of a good low hand, and bet aggressively with A-2-3, which are technically the strength of AA or KK for the Holdem expert. You should watch the up cards of your opponent very carefully as most of their hand is exposed in a Stud game. Remember the old saying that is so true in all forms of Stud Poker, if you cannot beat what you can see, fold. Razz is a drawing game and players do not fold often due to them not fully understanding the game and the fact Razz is a limit game, so getting caught up in chasing a Jack low hand is not a great poker strategy for Razz.

If you can master Razz it is an enjoyable form of Poker and very different from what you will be used to playing. Contrary to popular opinion there is skill in Razz. That skill comes from knowing the odds, knowing the best time to draw for a hand even when the odds seems good and being able to play correctly before the flop. A good Stud player should be able to adapt well to this game. You will need luck to win, but luck is part of all poker.

Good luck!

By Malcolm Clarke

Seven Card Stud was the game of choice for a long time before the poker boom. It is still worth learning today as many of the WSOP events have smaller fields and winning a bracelet in a smaller field is more attainable with the same benefits to your poker career and prestige to be earned. The coverage of Holdem on Television has reduced Stud to one of the minor games but it is still regularly played in Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio at very high stakes by the top professional poker players. Seven Card Stud puts the S in Horse quite literally so if HORSE is a game you wish to improve then Stud is a useful game to master.

A widely held and generally accepted belief is that in ring games Stud and Omaha games are easier to beat than Texas Hold ‘em. This is because of the vast array of poker training sites and information available helping players to improve their holdem game. Even in 2010 there are weaker players who may be excellent at Texas Hold ‘em getting bored or wanting to learn a new game that offer profit earning opportunities for those who put in the effort to succeed in Stud.

Players are dealt two cards face down and one card face up. Across the table the player with the lowest ‘up’ card has to make a bet known as the ‘bring in’. If two players have the joint lowest card the player with the lowest suit must make the bring in bet. The suits are ranked Spades, Hearts, Clubs and Diamonds. In some games the first player sitting in a clockwise direction from dealer would make the bring in rather than relying on the dealt cards suit. The players are dealt a further three up cards and one final down card before showdown. There is a popular version of Stud called Mississippi Stud which removes the betting rounds after the fourth and fifth up cards are dealt.

The biggest difference to Texas Holdem is the presence of the up cards. You can now discount what you can see before making any decisions on draws that you would not be aware of if the cards were all face down. You also have the benefit of being shown over half of your opponent’s cards. Whilst with three down cards there is still the possibility of concealed monsters more often than not most of a good hand and sometimes all of it will be revealed.

There is a useful saying in Stud – “If you cannot beat what you can see get out of there”. If there are multiple players in the pot then you can discount every card that you can see from their potential holdings. If you hold concealed pocket Kings but see AA in your opponent’s cards then fold quickly. Quick thinking is required when playing Stud due to all of this extra information you are required to process in each hand.

Seven Card Stud is a High game so you do not need to concern yourself with hitting a low hand. In this sense the winning hands are similar to Texas Hold ‘em but your perception of their value must change to reflect Stud hands. Play your draws slowly and pay particular attention to any potential flush or straight opportunities your opponents may hold perhaps partially or fully revealed by their set of up cards.

It takes time to learn Stud but it is a fun game to learn if Texas Holdem is becoming a little stale for you.

By Malcolm Clarke