Playing Razz Poker

Sunday 30 October 2011

Playing Razz Poker - Razz FT with Rikard

Pokerstars $215 Weekly Razz [$8,000] final table with Rikard, from Pokertube.

Playing Razz Poker Part 3 - Third Street

PLAYING RAZZ POKER

THIRD STREET

VIABLE OPPONENTS

A viable opponent, is one showing a playable door card, that is still active in the hand.

NO VIABLE OPPONENTS

If there are no viable opponents, you should immediately raise. This will either win you the antes immediately, or help to build a pot in which you can proceed with a clear advantage.

SINGLE VIABLE OPPONENT

If there is only a single viable opponent, you should also raise. This time, as well as attempting to steal the antes, you are looking to thin the playing-field; forcing unviable opponents to fold, or to play imperfectly. In this spot, you can either win the pot immediately, or get the hands heads-up against a single opponent, which will simplify all of your decisions on later streets. Should your opponents without viable door cards call your raise, you will be forced to play a multi-way pot (which is bad in Razz, with only a three-card hand), but at least you will have a clear advantage on most of your opponents.

UNVIABLE OPPONENTS

When opponents with unviable door cards play their hands on Third Street, you should assume that they hold almost perfect cards in the hole (certainly eights or lower – quite probably two cards to a wheel). Although this will not always be the case, it is a safe assumption lacking any further information about that player. Whilst you should always take every opportunity to learn how your opponents play whenever a showdown occurs; getting the opportunity to view an opponent’s hole cards after they have proceeded with an unviable door card, will enable you to accurately classify them as either a loose player (if their hole cards are babies), or a simply a weak player (if they are holding a nine-or-higher in the hole after playing out in this spot).

MULTIPLE VIABLE OPPONENTS

If there are several viable opponents on Third Street, your decisions become less simple, and you will need to consider your position at the table relative to your potential opponents.

POSITION

When playing against multiple opponents, your [betting] position on Third Street is key – in particular, your position relative to the player that Brings-in, and your position relative to opponents with playable door cards.

Clearly, having position on Third Street will provide you with a significant advantage that you would not otherwise have. Many potentially-viable opponents will simply fold due to the weakness of their three-card starting hand, which may enable you to play heads-up against a single opponent, or fold a marginal hand in the face of Third Street aggression. If several opponents continue in the hand, knowing which are playing, with what door cards, will enable you to make a key decision here – do you continue in the hand cautiously, or aggressively? With a premium starting hand, and favorable table conditions, raise to build a pot and place pressure back on your opponents – many players advocate capping the betting in these spots, and it certainly forces opponents with less stringent starting requirements to commit chips unfavorably – building a pot geometrically in these spots provides a buffer against the inherent variance on Third Street in Razz. With a marginal starting hand (or a strong starting hand when the table conditions are unfavorable) you may take a more cautious approach to continuing in the hand. Having position provides you with the advantage of choosing whether to fold a non-premium hand if forced to cold-call two bets or more; or to call a single raise with the intention of considering the texture of the board on Fourth Street.

Being out of position on Third Street, when facing multiple, viable, opponents is a very tricky spot, and you should accept that you are quite likely to lose value when playing these positions, regardless of the strength of your starting hand.

Consider your potential strength – do you have a premium, or strong, starting hand? Is your potential strength, relative to your opponents’ up-cards sufficient to confidently proceed with the hand? Are any of your perfect cards already dead? If so, you should proceed with more caution; on the other hand, if there are cards that you already hold that are dead, and your perfect cards are live, you may proceed with more confidence. Have any opponents called, or raised, bring-in prior to your turn?

If a single opponent raises, you may wish to re-raise and make later opponents face cold-calling two raises on Third Street. Be careful, as this can be a play of ambiguous value, forcing out opponents with marginal hands that you would prefer to play against, and building a pot for opponents with premium hands to play back into. However, you will invariably increase your odds of winning a pot, by facing a single, rather than multiple, opponents – even if you also increase your single opponent’s already-favorable odds at the same time.

STEALING THE ANTES

We have already discussed how to play a decent starting hand on Third Street, against no viable opponents – you raise in order to win the pot immediately.

If you don’t have a decent starting hand on Third Street, but do have a decent up-card; there may still an opportunity to use your apparent strength to win the pot immediately.

APPARENT STRENGTH

Apparent strength is based on the up-cards that you have showing; therefore, on Third Street, your apparent strength is simply the rank of your door-card. In the following examples, all of the hands have an apparent strength of 3-high.

Apparent strength is exerted to steal the antes, when your opponents’ relative strength is low, and [usually] when you are the first player after the bring-in to make a non-mucking action.

Identifying the most appropriate spots for stealing the antes is an essential element of a winning Razz strategy. Consider the pot odds, looking at two of the most common betting structures used in Razz:-

1:2:4:8 Betting Structure

8 x Antes (1) = 8

1 x Bring-in = 2

Pot = 10

Your Raise = 4

Pot Odds

10 to 4 = 2.5 to 1

2:5:10:20 Betting Structure

8 x Antes (2) = 16

1 x Bring-in = 5

Pot = 21

Your Raise = 10

Pot Odds

21 to 10 = 2.1 to 1

At a full table of eight players, if you are the first player (after the Bring-in) to bet on Third Street, the pot will be giving you odds of over 2:1 on your raise. This means that you need only be successful one time in every three attempts, for it to be profitable in the long term. Those odds assume that successfully stealing the antes on Third Street, is the only way your hand can win the pot; in fact, if a Steal attempt is not immediately successful, there are stills ways in which your hand may win the pot (see Fourth Street – Continuing with a Failed Steal).

Of course, you would like your steals to be successful more often than one time in three, and so it is crucial to use your position and apparent strength subtly, to best manipulate your opponents. If you are in a later position, all the players between the bring-in and you have folded, and any players left to act after you are showing tens or above; you will [obviously] want to raise with a wheel card 100% of the time. With more players left to act behind you, and a less significant advantage between your apparent strength and those opponents’ relative strength, your stealing frequency should decrease commensurately.

There can be no hard and fast rule about absolute stealing frequency, and you will always need to temper your attempts to the table you are playing at – increasing the frequency when playing into tight opponents, and decreasing the frequency when playing into looser opponents. Try to steal sufficiently often that your opponents are tempted to incorrectly call your value raises on Third Street; yet infrequently enough that your steals maintain a healthy profit over the course of a session.

DEFENDING THE BRING-IN

When is it correct to defend your bring-in against a possible ante steal?

If you are only required to complete your bring-in to a single small bet; are facing no more than two opponents; have two wheel cards in the hole (preferably including an Ace); and the number of exposed wheel cards that do not match those in your hand, does not exceed the number that do match.

These are fairly strict requirements. Against a single opponent that you have observed opening light, or routinely stealing the antes; it is correct to loosen these a little – playing hole cards that include a six or a seven, for example; or defending if there is a small net reduction in your modulated strength.

Consider the pot odds, looking at two of the most common betting structures used in Razz.

Against a single opponent:-

1:2:4:8 Betting Structure

8 x Antes (1) = 8

Your bring-in = 2

First Raise = 4

Pot = 14

Your call = 2

Pot Odds

14 to 2 = 7 to 1

2:5:10:20 Betting Structure

8 x Antes (2) = 16

Your bring-in = 5

First Raise = 10

Pot = 31

Your call = 5

Pot Odds

31 to 5 = 6.2 to 1

Against a single opponent, you will be getting between 6 and 7 to 1 to complete your bring-in. Against two opponents, you would be getting between 8 and 9 to 1 to complete your bring-in. Defending your bring-in against three or more opponents, is generally incorrect, as the likelihood of at least one opponent catching perfect, or apparently perfect, cards is too great to countenance continuing with a two-card starting hand.

If you are holding A-2-K, your odds of improving to an 8-high or better by the river are 4.1 to 1. These are certainly enough, given the pot odds offered, to justify taking a card on Fourth Street, and seeing if you can catch an eight or lower that doesn’t pair your hand.

WHEN THE BRING-IN COMPLETES OR RAISES

When the bring-in makes a full small bet amount, or raises a bet from another player; you should assume that they hold almost perfect cards in the hole, generally A-2, or an Ace with another Wheel Card.

When the bring-in completes their bet, you should assume that they hold two wheel cards in the hole or, if they are a loose player, two cards seven or lower.

These generalisations will not always be correct and, as with any poker heuristics, you should observe your opponents, and refine future decisions accordingly. However, beginning with these assumptions should enable you to play correctly against an unknown opponent in this situation.

READING THE BOARD ON THIRD STREET

It is important to consider the board fully on Third Street, from the moment the cards are dealt, to the last betting action; and use all the available information to develop a coherent picture of where you stand in relation to your opponents.

Keep track of all the exposed low cards, and consider how these relate to your hand, and those of your opponents

If cards in your hand were dealt as door cards on Third Street, were they dealt to players that have mucked, or players that are continuing in the hand? Your advantage will be shared with your opponent, if they also continue in the hand. It’s also useful to keep track of all matching [low] door cards, as these will confer an advantage on your opponents’, if they play their hands.

Is your hand strong relative to your opponents' and, if so, will your opponents be able to discern this clearly?

Remember, with a strong relative hand, you are unambiguously ahead on Third Street and should raise to take the pot, or force your opponents to call incorrectly.

Do you hold a premium starting hand, or a strong starting hand with a smooth kicker?

Premium starting hands, and strong starting hands with smooth kickers, will draw to optimum hands, and will have the best redraws, if they make less optimum hands on Fifth or Sixth Street. Consider the following examples:-

On Third Street, both Hero and Villain, hold 8-highs with an Ace in the hole – both catch a 3 on Fourth Street and a 4 on Fifth Street – giving both players a made 8-high with two cards to go. If Hero catches perfectly on the Turn or River a 5 would make a Wheel; but if Villain catches perfectly, their 2 will only make a Seven-Four; If Hero catches their second best redraw, a 6 would make a Six-high; but if Villain catches their second best redraw, a 5 would make a Seven-Five. Finally, if Hero catches their worst redraw, a 7 would make a Seven-Four; if Villain catches their worst redraw, a 6 would make a rough Seven.

Use Apparent Strength to overcome Relative Weakness

Look for opportunities to [correctly] steal the antes. Use Third Street position and apparent strength to force opponents out of the hand, or to put them onto the defensive during Fourth Street.

Think about future position

Consider what position you are likely to hold on later streets if you catch a good card, or if you don’t - begin to plan how you will respond in both situations.

Think about betting actions in the context of the board

Has an opponent indicated the strength of their hole cards by defending their bring-in, or continuing despite a clearly weak door card? Likewise, has an opponent indicated a possible steal attempt by open-raising the bring-in with a premium door card?

Continue to RE-Evaluate

Make sure that you continue to consider these factors, as hands develop - in particular, when opponents subsequently show down. Use every opportunity to develop your understanding of how your opponents are playing on Third Street.

PROBABILITIES ON THIRD STREET

Final Hand strength when holding:-

	Probability	Odds
Wheel (5-high)	7.15%	13.0 to 1
6high, or better	18.95%	4.28 to 1
7-high, or better	33.25%	2.01 to 1
8-high, or better	48.27%	1.07 to 1

Final Hand strength when holding:-

	Probability	Odds
Wheel (5-high)	1.25%	78.8 to 1
6high, or better	4.85%	20.5 to 1
7-high, or better	10.73%	8.33 to 1
8-high, or better	19.63%	4.09 to 1

Final Hand strength when holding:-

	Probability	Odds
Wheel (5-high)	0.12%	827 to 1
6high, or better	0.60%	165 to 1
7-high, or better	1.81%	54.2 to 1
8-high, or better	4.23%	22.6 to 1

Playing Razz Poker Part 2 - Starting Hand Selection

PLAYING RAZZ POKER

STARTING HAND SELECTION

Third Street is where you will make the most important decision in any Razz Hand – whether to play it, or whether to muck it. If you have the highest Door Card showing you will have to make a forced bet (called the Bring-in), but in most situations you will muck a Bring-in hand automatically.

Starting hand selection in Razz is the cause of one of the most frustrating aspects of this poker game. In Hold ‘em, the best starting hand is Pocket Aces, which is a decent hand in its own right, and will often be enough to win the pot at showdown without improving. In Seven Card Stud High, this is even more pronounced – the best starting hand is Rolled-up Aces (three Aces), which will usually be enough to win the pot at showdown (the average Stud High hand is Two Pair). In Omaha, the situation isn’t quite as clear –starting hands in Omaha being much closer to each other in value, and the various combinations of four pocket cards increase the likelihood of a five-card hand (such as a straight, flush or full-house) being made by showdown; even so, Ace-Ace-King-King double suited, is a hand that can win at showdown unaided. Unfortunately, this premise goes completely out of the window with Razz. In Razz the best starting hand is A-2-3, which by itself is not enough to even make a hand at showdown… in Razz, promising starting hands can become pure trash a few streets down the line. An important consideration in all poker games, is not getting too attached to your hand - in Razz, this is a primary consideration!

However, starting hand selection is still a key aspect of Razz poker. Strict starting hand requirements will increase your Razz earnings, and make subsequent decision making much easier. There are a several key elements to consider when choosing whether to play a hand on Third Street.

POTENTIAL STRENGTH

On Third Street, your potential strength is the value of your highest card. If it is a five-or-lower, you have the greatest potential strength (a Wheel-draw); if your highest card is a ten-or-higher, you have no potential strength – there are situations where you may play a hand like this, but they wouldn’t be made on the basis of your potential strength.

RELATIVE STRENGTH

Relative strength is based on your highest card (potential strength) matched against an opponent’s door card. If your potential strength beats an opponents door card, you are unambiguously ahead of that opponent. If your highest card is equal or lower to an opponent’s door card, you have no way of knowing whether you are ahead of, or behind that opponent on Third Street, and should proceed with a certain amount of caution.

DRAWING ROUGH AND SMOOTH

We have already discussed the concept of rough and smooth hands, in Lowball Ace-to-Five hands – a rough hand is one where the kicker is close in value to the highest card, as the kicker gets further in value from the highest card, the hand becomes smooth. When you considering your hand on Third Street, this is already a consideration that you will need to make. If your second-highest card is close in value to your highest card, you will be drawing to a rough hand and, in Razz, the kicker often plays. If your second highest card is further in value from your highest card, you will be drawing to a smoother hand, and will be more likely to win at showdown, against a hand of similar value to your own. Remember – if you are dealt A-2-8 on Third Street, you are in a much stronger position than if you were dealt A-7-8.

OVERT AND COVERT STRENGTH

Another consideration on Third Street, is how overt (or covert) the strength of your hand is (because your opponents will be looking at your door card to consider their strength relative to yours). If your lowest card is your door card, you have an overt hand – your strength will be more obvious to your opponents, and you may lose some value because of this. If your highest card is your door card, you have a covert hand – your strength will be less obvious to your opponents, and you may gain (or extort) value because of this.

NOTE

Cards shown with a double-underline represent face-down hole cards

Both of these hands have the same potential strength, the same relative strength, and are both as smooth as each other. However, the hand with the Ace showing will look stronger to some opponents.

The second examples, are more significant – now most opponents will perceive the overt hand as stronger than the covert hand.

MODULATED STRENGTH

Another consideration on Third Street, is your hands modulated strength, by which I mean the value of your hand adjusted for the cards that are dead to the stock. As a clear example, if you are dealt A-2-3 on Third Street, you are drawing to a Wheel; but if four of your opponents are showing fives as their door cards, you would actually be drawing to a six-high. Your modulated strength is not usually this clear, but if two of your opponents held fives, the probability of you completing a wheel would be significantly reduced.

We will look at reading the board in more detail further on, but as far as hand selection is concerned, you should consider all of the door cards that are an eight or lower. All of these that match cards in your starting hand, increase the modulated strength of your hand – as you will be less likely to pair-up. All of these cards that do not match cards in your starting hand decrease the modulated strength of your hand, as you will be less likely to draw the cards that you need to make a playable hand at showdown.

A net reduction in your modulated strength, can make a marginal hand unplayable; and a significant net reduction (four or more) can make a strong hand unplayable, when faced with aggression and low relative strength. Conversely, a net increase in modulated strength can improve a marginal hand into one that can be played with less caution and more aggression.

PREMIUM STARTING HANDS

The best possible starting hands in Razz are those holding three cards to a wheel. These hands can be played from any position, for any number of bets; and should usually be raised / re-raised in order to thin the playing field, and build the pot.

STRONG STARTING HANDS

A Six or Seven high is a strong starting hand in Razz, although with these hands, you will also want to consider your relative, and modulated, strength; in addition to how rough and/or overt they are.

MARGINAL STARTING HANDS

An Eight or Nine high is a marginal starting hand in Razz, and should only be played under favorable circumstances - if your opponents hold similar or higher door cards than you, or if you are in late position, and can close the betting cheaply. Smooth Eights or Nines, are obviously preferable to rough Eights or Nines.

Playing Razz Poker Part 1 - Introduction

PLAYING RAZZ POKER

PART 1 - INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND

‘Razz isn’t a poker game, it’s a disease!’

Popular card room saying from the 1980s

Razz (or Razzle Dazzle, to give it its full, original, name) is a Seven-Card Stud poker game, in which the lowest hand wins.

As with most poker games, the exact origins of Razz are unknown, but it is clear that it wasn’t too long after the emergence of Seven Card Stud.

Razz was first played at the World Series of Poker™ (WSOP) in 1971, when the bracelet was won by Jimmy Casella; and it is one of only a few games to have been played at every WSOP since.

In 1992 Archie Karas, a poker player and pool shark born in Greece, turned up in Las Vegas with $50 in his pocket. He did not know it then, but he was only months away from one of the most significant events in Razz poker history. The story, as it is told, is that Archie ‘The Greek’ Karas ran his bankroll up from $50 to over $30k playing mostly Razz and finishing up in the $200/$400 Limit Razz game at Binion’s Horseshoe. He then spun his bankroll up from $30k to over $7m, playing pool and poker. Then, armed with $5m in chips, Archie sat at a heads-up table in Binion’s Horseshoe, with an open heads-up challenge to the worlds best poker players. The first man to challenge Archie was the great Stu Ungar (probably the best poker player who ever lived). Stu and Archie played heads-up Razz for several days until Archie had completely busted Stu, taking a total of $500k from him. It was the biggest heads-up Razz poker match the world had ever seen.

It wasn’t until 2004, that Razz experienced another popularity boom. The 2004 WSOP was televised by ESPN™, and won by poker legend T. J. Cloutier, after playing heads-up against the retarded Dutch Boyd. This sparked a reaction amongst the poker playing public, and several online poker sites added Razz to their selection of games.

Finally, in 2006, Pokerstars (www.pokerstars.co.uk) added Razz to the repertoire of games. Since then, Pokerstars has had the broadest selection of Razz tournaments and cash tables, available to play.

RULES

Razz is a Seven-Card Stud poker game, for two to eight Players, played with Antes and a Fixed Limit betting structure; in which the best Lowball Ace to Five Poker Hand, at showdown, wins the pot.

FIXED LIMIT BETTING STRUCTURE

Razz is played with antes and fixed betting limits.

One of the simplest formats for playing Razz uses the proportions 1:2:4:8. In this case the ante is the ‘1’, the bring-in (2) is double the ante, the Small Bet amount (4) is double the bring-in, and the Big Bet amount (8) is double the Small Bet amount. The game may also be played using a 2:5:10:20 betting structure.

SETUP

Each player places their ante into the pot.

THIRD STREET

Each player is dealt two Hole Cards face-down, and a Door Card face-up, this is known as Third Street. The player with the highest Door Card, must place the Bring-In (in the case of a tie, the Bring-in is decided by suit – in order from Lowest to Highest - Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts and Spades). All players may now look at their Hole Cards, and the first round of Betting is undertaken, clockwise from the Bring-In. A player may either call the Bring-in amount, or complete the betting, raising the Bring-in to the amount of one Small Bet.

FOURTH STREET

Each player is dealt a second face-up card, this known as Fourth Street. Now the player with the lowest open hand (i.e. looking only at the face-up cards) commences the second round of Betting, using the Small Bet amount.

FIFTH STREET

Each player is dealt a third face-up card, known as Fifth Street. Again, the Player with the lowest open hand commences the third round of Betting. From Fifth Street onwards, betting uses the Big Bet amount.

SIXTH STREET

Each player is dealt a fourth, and final, face-up card, known as Sixth Street, or the Turn. The Player with the lowest open hand commences the fourth round of betting, using the Big Bet amount.

SEVENTH STREET

Each Player is now dealt their last face-down card, known as Seventh Street, or the River.

NOTE

In the very unlikely event that all eight players at a table remain in the hand until Seventh Street, there will be insufficient cards in the deck to deal each player their River card. In this case, a single Community Card is dealt face-up in the middle of the table.

The Player with the lowest open hand commences the final round of betting, again using the Big Bet amount.

THE SHOWDOWN

After the last round of betting, if more than one player remains in the hand, there is a Showdown. The best Lowball Ace to Five Poker Hand wins the pot. If two or more players hold the same [best] hand, the Pot is split. The next Hand then commences.

RAZZ POKER HANDS – LOWBALL ACE-TO-FIVE

In Razz, players must try to make the best Lowball Ace-to-Five hand, in order to win the pot.

In a Lowball Ace-to-Five hand, Aces are the Lowest card (and always count low), and Straights and Flushes to not count against a low hand. The best hand possible, is A-2-3-4-5, hence the name – Ace-to-Five.

Pairs or Sets do not disqualify an Ace-to-Five hand, but they do significantly weaken it. The lowest pair possible is a pair of Aces. Fortunately, Quads cannot be made in Razz, as the worst possible hand is K-K-K-K-Q-Q-Q, which could still be played as three Queens and two Kings!

Razz hands tend to be declared by their highest card, or their highest card and kicker (second highest card) e.g. A-2-4-6-7 is a seven-high Razz hand, with a six kicker - this is often shortened to a ‘Seven-Six’.

Rough and Smooth Hands

A rough hand is one in which the kicker is consecutive with the highest card e.g. the hand A-2-3-7-8 is an eight-high with a seven kicker, or an ‘Eight-Seven’ – this is a Rough Eight, as the kicker is consecutive to the highest card.

A smooth hand is one in which the kicker is at least two cards less than the highest card e.g. A-2-3-4-8 is an eight-high with a four kicker, or an ‘Eight-Four’ – this is a Smooth Eight, as the kicker is much lower than the highest card.

Five-high Ace to Five, The Wheel, The Bicycle, The Nuts