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Basic Razz Poker Strategy
If you’re a new comer to Razz Poker then it’s probably best to avoid the high and even the medium stakes. Always start at the lowest limits in order to practice your Razz strategy without having to worry about losing too much money in the process. Many novice players make mistakes in Razz if they haven’t developed the patience and discipline required to get the very best starting hand for your game. Once you’ve played enough games to learn how to avoid these mistakes, then you’ll be able to move onwards and upwards and play for bigger money!
Before you start playing, always get to know your hands. You might have firm solid, knowledge when it comes to the best starting hands in Texas Hold ‘Em but Razz is a game of weak hands. Remember that aces are low and that the best hand in Razz is A-2-3-4-5, otherwise known as ‘The Wheel’.
As a new Razz player, your aim should always be to achieve that perfect hand The Wheel. This means you should only bet with the very best starting hand available. In other words, a hand that contains Wheel cards, or no higher than a 7 with two very low kickers. If you’re lucky enough to have a starting hand with only Wheel Cards then you’ve got the potentially monster hand. In this case, you’d do well to keep raising.
On the other hand, if your starting hand contains two very low cards and a 7 then your action will depend on your door card;
- If the door card is Ace or 2 then raise.
- If the door card is 3 or 4, bet.
- If the door card is 7, call.
As a beginner at Razz, there isn’t really much need to read your opponents but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to keep a watchful eye on the board. By looking at the door cards of other players you get a better idea of the strength of their hands. For example, if your door card is a Wheel Card but all your opponents door cards are face cards (kings, queens, jacks) then come the third round of betting, usually known as 3rd street, you can usually raise and win the pot immediately!
