Did you know that a semi-regular poker player can expect to make anywhere between $100 to $2,000 a month?

Playing poker online in your spare time is a great way to earn some extra cash. And there are more games than just Texas Hold 'Em, you can also play Draw Poker, Seven Card Stud, Omaha Hi, or Razz poker, so you'll be able to find something you enjoy.

Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about Razz poker, including how to play Razz and what the Razz rules are.

What Is Razz Poker?

Razz poker is a type of poker, similar to Stud Poker. The winner of Razz is the person with the lowest five-card hand. The game is always played with a deck of 52 cards and between 2 and 8 people can play.

Razz poker isn't as popular as other poker games such as Texas Hold 'Em or Omaha, but it is still enjoyed by many. The origins of Razz poker are uncertain, however, many believe it must have come around at a similar time to Stud poker, which started around the 1900s. 

The most significant moment in Razz history happened in 1992 when a Greek-born Archie Karas made his fortune playing Razz. Starting with a bankroll of $50 he managed to acquire $30,000 by mainly playing Razz games. From there, his bankroll went up to $7,000,000 by playing pool. 

Following his luck, Archie faced Stu Ungar, one of the world's best poker players, with $5,000,000 chips. The pair played heads up Razz and over the course of several days, Archie busted Stu, taking $500,000 from him.

How to Play Razz Poker

Before you learn how to play, it's useful to understand what the cards mean. In Razz, aces are 1. The card suits are ranked alphabetically, so it goes club, diamond, heart, and spade, so the highest card is the king of spades.

Ace, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 is the lowest hand in Razz. Razz is played with antes and bring-ins, instead of blind bets.

In terms of betting options, you can fold, raise, call, check, and bet. Folding means that the player gives up or moves out of the game. Calling means that a player matches a bet that a previous player has done while raising means that a player increases that bet. 

The bet is the number of chips first placed in the betting round. And check means that the player doesn't fold or bet. Players can only check when no other player has placed a bet in that round.

Antes

Razz starts with a single ante bet, this is a small percentage of the minimum bet. For example, if it were a $2/4 table with a fixed betting limit then the ante could be 25%, making it $0.50. All players place the ante bet into the pot before and are then dealt two face-down cards and one face-up card.

Streets

The third street is the first round of the game because all players have three cards. The face-up card is known as the door card.

The player who brings in the game (i.e. places the first bet) is decided by the value of each player's door card. The player with the highest valued door card will bring in the game. Door cards are ranked by their face value from lowest to highest (jack, queen, king).  

If there are two players or more with the same high card, the suit of the door card will then decide who brings in the game. The player who brings in the game can either bet an amount equal to the ante or complete the bet (betting the full amount of the small bet). Then the other players can call, raise, or fold.

After the first round of betting, players are dealt a fourth card (the fourth street) which is face up. The player with the highest (lowest in value for Razz) open card then places the first bet in the fourth round and the ones that follow. Players can either bet or check in the fourth street.

After the fourth street, the fifth street is played which means players are all dealt with another card face-up. Players follow the same betting process as the fourth street. 

During the sixth street, players get another open card and can bet or check accordingly.

Then the seventh street, or seventh card, is dealt. This card is the final card and is dealt face-down. The player who the card is dealt to will only know what it is. 

After all the cards are dealt, there's a final round of betting which leads to a showdown.

The players then play more streets until they get the seventh street. If there are 8 players, it's possible to run out of cards before the seventh street. If no player has folded then a single seventh card is dealt to players face up and they all must treat it as their 7th card.

Showdown

Players all reveal their cards during the showdown and the winner is determined. The player who placed the last bet or raise must show their cards first and the other players follow suit in a clockwise direction. 

In the event of no qualifying hand, the lowest hand will win the pot. In the event of two winners, the pot is divided equally between the players.

Razz Poker Rules

If you're familiar with Stud poker then you might think that you know the rules of Razz. However, Razz does differ a little to Stud poker, so have a look at these recapped rules before you start playing:

The difference between a betting round in Razz to that of Stud is where the action starts from the hand. In Razz, the player with the lowest valued cards brings in the betting round. 

There's no 8 or better rule when it comes to Razz, so that means the lowest value hand will win. If all players fold leaving just one player, then they automatically win the pot.

Another rule of Razz is that straights and flushes don't count as playable hands.

Try Your Hand at Razz Poker and See How Much You Can Win

Razz is a great alternative game to other poker games and offers the chance to win plenty of money. So, put your knowledge and skills to the test and try your hand at Razz poker. 

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