Action Razz

Objective

Win chips by making the best (lowest) 5-card hand from seven cards dealt, with the added requirement of holding at least one face card (J, Q, or K) somewhere in your seven-card hand. Aces are always low. Straights and flushes do not count against the hand.

The Basics

Action Razz follows the same rules as standard Razz in all respects, with one additional qualifier: at showdown, a player must hold at least one jack, queen, or king among their seven cards to have a qualifying hand. The face card does not need to be part of the five-card low hand — it only needs to be present. If no player holds a qualifying hand, the pot is awarded to the best 5-card low regardless.

Setup

No blinds. Each player antes before the hand. Each player is dealt two hole cards face down and one card face up (third street). The player with the highest exposed card posts the bring-in. In the event of a tie, suit determines order (spades > hearts > diamonds > clubs).

Betting Rounds

1. Third Street — 2 down, 1 up. Highest upcard posts the bring-in. Action proceeds clockwise.
2. Fourth Street — One card dealt face up. Player with the best (lowest) exposed hand acts first.
3. Fifth Street — One card dealt face up. Same action order. Big bet applies from here.
4. Sixth Street — One card dealt face up. Same action order.
5. Seventh Street — Final card dealt face down. Same action order.

Bet Sizing

• Third and fourth street use the small bet.
• Fifth, sixth, and seventh street use the big bet (2× small bet).
• Bring-in is a mandatory partial bet; the first player to act may complete to the full small bet.
• Maximum four bets per street in multi-way pots; unlimited heads-up.
• On fourth street, if a player's exposed cards pair, any player may optionally bet the big bet.

Key Rules

• Aces are always low. Straights and flushes do not count against the hand.
• A qualifying hand requires at least one J, Q, or K among the player's seven cards. The face card does not need to be used in the five-card low hand.
• If no player holds a qualifying hand at showdown, the pot is awarded to the best 5-card low among all hands.
• All other rules — bring-in, action order, bet sizing — follow standard Razz.
• If the deck runs short with many players remaining, the final card may be dealt as a single community card face up in the center.

Common Mistakes

• The face card qualification is based on all seven cards, not just the five used for the low hand — a face card buried in the hole or among unused cards still qualifies the hand.
• If no player qualifies, the pot is not held over — it is awarded to the best low hand at the table.
• Aces are low and do not count as face cards.

At the Table

Seven cards dealt (3 down, 4 up). Standard Razz rules apply. At showdown, must hold at least one J, Q, or K in your seven cards to qualify. Best qualifying low wins; if none qualify, best low wins outright.