Razz

Objective

Win chips by making the best (lowest) 5-card hand from seven cards dealt. Aces are always low. Straights and flushes do not count against the hand.

The Basics

Razz is a lowball variant of Seven-Card Stud. Each player receives seven cards over five betting rounds — three face down, four face up — and uses any five of the seven to make the lowest possible hand. The best possible hand is A-2-3-4-5.

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 the high card (spades > hearts > diamonds > clubs).

Betting Rounds

1. Third Street — 2 down, 1 up. Player with the highest upcard posts the bring-in. Action proceeds clockwise.
2. Fourth Street — One card dealt face up. Player with the 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 (the River) — 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.

Key Rules

• Aces always count as low.
• Straights and flushes do not count against a low hand.
• The best hand is A-2-3-4-5; the second best is A-2-3-4-6, and so on.
• 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.
• On fourth street, if a player's exposed cards pair, they may optionally bet the big bet instead of the small bet.

Common Mistakes

• The bring-in is posted by the player with the highest upcard (worst Razz card), not the lowest.
• Action order on fourth street and beyond is based on the best (lowest) exposed hand, not position.
• Pairs, straights, and flushes all count against the hand — only the five lowest unpaired cards matter.

At the Table

Seven cards dealt (3 down, 4 up). Best 5-card low hand wins. Aces low; straights and flushes ignored.