Razz Poker Rules: The Lowball Stud Game

Razz is seven-card stud played for low — the worst hand by high-poker standards wins the pot. The twist that catches everyone out: straights and flushes don’t count, and the ace is always low. So the best possible razz hand is 5-4-3-2-A, known as “the wheel.” Only pairs can hurt you.

If you already know seven-card stud, you know razz — the deal and betting structure are identical. You just flip the goal upside down, which is harder than it sounds.

How a low hand is read

To rank razz hands, ignore suits entirely and read your five lowest cards from the highest card down. The hand with the lower high card wins; if those tie, compare the next card, and so on. A hand is described by its top two cards — “a seven-five low” means seven-high with a five next.

Razz hand	Reads as	Strength
5-4-3-2-A	”five low” (the wheel)	Best possible
6-4-3-2-A	”six-four low”	Excellent
7-5-4-2-A	”seven-five low”	Strong
8-6-5-3-2	”eight-six low”	Marginal
K-Q-J-9-4	”king low”	Weak
A-A-2-3-4	pair of aces	Bad — a pair

The deal and betting

Razz is almost always played fixed-limit. After antes:

• Third street: two cards down, one up. The player showing the highest up card posts the bring-in and acts first — the reverse of stud, because here a high card is the worst card.
• Fourth through seventh street: one card each (the last face down). The best low hand showing acts first.

Five betting rounds total, small bets on third and fourth street, big bets from fifth on.

Worked example: a live draw

You start with (A♣ 4♦) 3♠ — three cards to a wheel, the dream razz hand. You raise. By fifth street the boards are:

• You: (A♣ 4♦) 3♠ 7♥ 9♦ — your best five low is currently 9-7-4-3-A, a “nine low.” Not made yet, but you’re drawing to beat almost anything.
• Opponent: (x x) 8♠ K♣ 2♦ — that exposed king is a disaster for a low hand.

Your opponent has a “brick” (the king) on board, meaning their best possible low already includes a king unless both hole cards are tiny. You’re a clear favorite. On sixth street you catch the 5♥, and your low becomes 7-5-4-3-A — a monster. You bet every street for value. Reading exposed bricks like that king is the central skill in razz.

Common razz mistakes

• Forgetting the ace is low. New players fold aces; in razz they’re gold.
• Counting straights and flushes. They simply don’t matter. 5-4-3-2-A is the nuts, not a wasted straight.
• Playing rough draws. Three small cards beat a 2-7-8 start nearly every time. Discipline on starting hands is everything.
• Ignoring opponents’ up cards. A player catching big cards is bricking out — pressure them.

Razz is a staple of mixed-game rotations — the “R” in HORSE. Once it clicks, your card-reading sharpens across every game. Compare it directly with its high-hand twin, seven-card stud, revisit the inverted logic in our hand rankings guide, or explore more formats in the poker variants hub.