Quick Razz Primer

[shamus]

Mike Caro has a couple of Razz tables posted over on his "Mike Caro University of Poker" website:

THE PROBABILITY OF BEING DEALT SPECIFIC SEVEN-CARD LOW (RAZZ) STARTING CARDS

CHANCE OF IMPROVEMENT FOR VARIOUS SEVEN-CARD LOW (RAZZ) HANDS

[AKQJ10]

Nice post. Any chance I could talk you into adding content at http://poker.wikia.com/wiki/Razz ?

(Anyone can edit, no reg. required.)

[sweetjazz]

[ QUOTE ]
Good post,

If its HU on 5th street and I know I have the "best" hand (ie he have a J showing and I have 5 to a ten) at the moment, is it nearly always correct to just bet and raise until he calls or the betting is capped?

What about 6th street?

[/ QUOTE ]

These examples are contrived and obviously not going to occur in real play. But just to show how much of a dog the "best" hand on 5th and 6th can be:

http://twodimes.net/h/?z=2071821
pokenum -mc 500000 -r qh jh th 9s 8d - kc 4c 3s 2d ad
Razz (7-card Stud A-5 Low): 500000 sampled outcomes
cards win %win lose %lose tie %tie EV
9s 8d Qh Jh Th 94139 18.83 405861 81.17 0 0.00 0.188
3s Kc 4c Ad 2d 405861 81.17 94139 18.83 0 0.00 0.812

http://twodimes.net/h/?z=2071825
pokenum -r kd ks qd jh th 9s - 4h 4c 3c 3s 2d ad
Razz (7-card Stud A-5 Low): 1560 enumerated outcomes
cards win %win lose %lose tie %tie EV
Ks 9s Kd Qd Jh Th 442 28.33 1118 71.67 0 0.00 0.283
3s 4c 3c Ad 2d 4h 1118 71.67 442 28.33 0 0.00 0.717

In more realistic situations, you can easily have the best hand on 5th but less than 50% equity:

http://twodimes.net/h/?z=2071827
pokenum -mc 500000 -r jh 5c 3d 2s ah - tc 8s 7h 5d 4s
Razz (7-card Stud A-5 Low): 500000 sampled outcomes
cards win %win lose %lose tie %tie EV
2s 5c 3d Ah Jh 302198 60.44 197802 39.56 0 0.00 0.604
8s 4s Tc 5d 7h 197802 39.56 302198 60.44 0 0.00 0.396

Notice how things change, if you both brick on 6th:

http://twodimes.net/h/?z=2071828
pokenum -r jh 5c 3d 2s ah 5h - tc 8s 7h 5d 4s kd
Razz (7-card Stud A-5 Low): 1560 enumerated outcomes
cards win %win lose %lose tie %tie EV
2s 5c 3d Ah Jh 5h 677 43.40 883 56.60 0 0.00 0.434
8s 4s Tc Kd 5d 7h 883 56.60 677 43.40 0 0.00 0.566

If his pair is open, you now have a raise on 6th.