Some basic RAZZ questions
 

I decided to learn RAZZ but I cannot really find a good entry-level tuition material. I have some elementary questions about the game:

1. Hand rankings: A-2-3-4-5 (wheel) is the strongest hand, fair enough. How about 2-3-4-5-6 vs. A-3-4-6-7? Does the strength at the lower end compensate for the weakness at the higher end? What is the logic here?
2. Starting hand criteria: three wheel cards on 3rd street is ideal, one wheel card is probably a clear fold. How about two wheel cards when I see 0; 1; 2; n babies of the opponents’ upcards? Do we have a specific starting hand table like in FL hold’em?
3. What is a made hand and a drawing hand in RAZZ? Five 7-or-lower cards is the only made hand, all others are drawing hands?
4. How far should I go with drawing hands on later streets? Let’s say I have three babies on 3rd street and I get bricks on later streets?
5. Why is it bad if my low cards pair?

Thanks for all information shared in the subject.

Re: Some basic RAZZ questions
 

1. Strength is by the lowest card in the hand. Any hand with a 6 high is sronger than any hand with a 7 high. 6432A is stronger than 65432 and so on.

2. You generally want to start with three cards lower than 8. a hand like 876 though (without a wheel draw) isnt very strong. This kind of hand is referred to as a "rough" 8. An 8A3 would be a "smooth" 8.

3. Basicaly, any hand of 5 cards 8 and lower is "made"

4. Depends on what your opponentsx are holding. But generally if you have something like 672 v. xx3 and he catches an A and you catch a K, you are done with the hand.

5. Pairs count against low. So, if you had AA22334 your low hand would be AA234, and that would lose to KJQT9.

Re: Some basic RAZZ questions
 

1)Read the hand backwards - 5432A is the nuts.
7643A vs
65432

The second hand has the lowest first card, it wins. If the first card matches, move to the second, and so forth until someone wins.

2)It depends. I like two good cards, preferably with the same cards showing on other people's boards (so I can't pair them as easily) and with my 'really good cards to draw' not on people's boards. Translation: If I have 238, I like not seeing people starting with A, 4, or 5 since I can't draw a card that's out.

3)A made hand is 5 cards that stand a chance of winning the pot. It really depends on what you draw vs what he draws. Sometimes Jack-low is a monster (if he catches a pair and a king on 4th and 5th st, J9432 looks awfully good).

4)It depends on how the hand plays out - both the quality of cards that all people in the hand draw, and how big the pot gets.

5)Because you aren't improving your hand - KQJT9 (the worst unpaired hand) beats AA22334 (AA432 low).

Re: Some basic RAZZ questions
 

Rankings - done

Starting hand - like others I like three cards 8 or lower, when you don't you always seem to be chasing can you do it with an A2 or 23 sure but once you pair or get higher than 8 you should probably fold.

Made hands don't exist unless you have the wheel. The exception is looking at what eveyone has if you can beat their best possible hand yours is "made".

Don't chase too long you really can't count on 10 or J high holding up of course dependent on what other have

Any card that pairs is basically a blank so you are fighting with one less card.

Re: Some basic RAZZ questions
 

You need to read Sklansky On Poker.

Re: Some basic RAZZ questions
 

[ QUOTE ]
5. Pairs count against low. So, if you had AA22334 your low hand would be AA234, and that would lose to KJQT9.

[/ QUOTE ]

Does AA234 beat A2234?

Re: Some basic RAZZ questions
 

yes

2243A loses to
AA432

Re: Some basic RAZZ questions
 

treating the A as a 1, 65432 is a lower number than 76431.

The lowest number wins. Straights and flushes do not exist in Razz.

Re: Some basic RAZZ questions
 

[ QUOTE ]
You need to read the rules of the game

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
You need to read the other rules of the game

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
You need to read this blog and the links there

[/ QUOTE ]
before you're likely to get much out of any book on razz.

Re: Some basic RAZZ questions
 

[ QUOTE ]
yes

2243A loses to
AA432

[/ QUOTE ]
I don't thinks so. A pair of twos is a lower hand than a pair of aces.

Re: Some basic RAZZ questions
 

I agree. When the Aces pair, they are treated as the highest card(s) and you don't have the option of them being low cards.

Re: Some basic RAZZ questions
 

Keep in mind that you can tell the best possible hand a player has. For example, a player has two hole cards and QJ987 showing. You know for sure that the bet hand he can have is 9 high. Thus, if you have 8 high you know you have him beat and he has to outdraw you with the final hole card. And even then, the best hand he can draw to 87xxx so if you have 86xxx, he cannot beat you.

Re: Some basic RAZZ questions
 

[ QUOTE ]
I agree. When the Aces pair, they are treated as the highest card(s) and you don't have the option of them being low cards.

[/ QUOTE ]
Only on Absolute poker. In the rest of the civilized (and uncivilized) world, the lowest pair in razz is AA.

Re: Some basic RAZZ questions
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I agree. When the Aces pair, they are treated as the highest card(s) and you don't have the option of them being low cards.

[/ QUOTE ]
Only on Absolute poker. In the rest of the civilized (and uncivilized) world, the lowest pair in razz is AA.

[/ QUOTE ]

qft -- on pokerstars, aces are always low, even when paired.

Re: Some basic RAZZ questions
 

Pretty extreme example but it works

The razz notations for the two hands are AAKQ5 vs 22KQ5.
Each hand has a king and queen as the non-playing cards.
http://twodimes.net/h/?z=3973538
pokenum -r ad ac ks kc qs qc 5h - 2d 2c kh kd qh qd 5d
Razz (7-card Stud A-5 Low): 1 enumerated outcome
cards win %win lose %lose tie %tie EV
Ks Qs Ac Kc Qc Ad 5h 1 100.00 0 0.00 0 0.00 1.000
2c Kd Qd 5d 2d Kh Qh 0 0.00 1 100.00 0 0.00 0.000

Re: Some basic RAZZ questions
 

[ QUOTE ]
Keep in mind that you can tell the best possible hand a player has. For example, a player has tw three o hole cards and QJ98 showing. You know for sure that the bet hand he can have is 9 high. Thus, if you have 8 high you know you have him beat and he has to outdraw you with the final hole card. And even then, the best hand he can draw to 87xxx so if you have 86xxx, he cannot beat you.

[/ QUOTE ]

FYP. He can only have 4 cards showing. Otherwise, the message is accurate.

Re: Some basic RAZZ questions
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Keep in mind that you can tell the best possible hand a player has. For example, a player has tw three o hole cards and QJ98 showing. You know for sure that the bet hand he can have is 9 high. Thus, if you have 8 high you know you have him beat and he has to outdraw you with the final hole card. And even then, the best hand he can draw to 87xxx so if you have 86xxx, he cannot beat you.

[/ QUOTE ]

FYP. He can only have 4 cards showing. Otherwise, the message is accurate.

[/ QUOTE ]

close...

if he has QJ98 showing, the best hand he can hit is 9832A;
he has to use 2 showing cards.

so, if you have a made 97xxx, you cannot be beat.