Razz Ring Game Strategy

First and foremost it is important to note that ring game and tournament strategies are and should remain two very different things. While tournaments have a clear stopping point, ring games can go on as long as your bankroll, the casino, or your competitors’ bankrolls will allow. In any poker game, your basic strategy is obviously to win more than you lose, not on a hand-by-hand basis per se but on a pots won vs. investment basis. To do that requires a good understanding of the game and the willingness to fold when necessary.

Unlike razz tournament strategy where you have a strategy that encompasses all hands, in razz ring games each hand should be considered individually. Bet conservatively with a middle hand when waiting on the draw and bet aggressively to protect your hand when it is the best going into the draw. Most poker games have a basic strategy, and in razz poker the foundation of your strategy should be to never play a starting hand with a card higher than eight. The best possible starting hand is A23, but any three cards from Ace to five (excluding pairs) is a strong hand and should be played as such.

A very low pair like 2’s is still playable because ultimately you will only be using five of your seven cards, but double pairs are nearly impossible to overcome and are often reason enough to fold unless you are already on seventh street (the seventh card dealt) and your remaining opponents also have visible pairs or bricks (high cards). Which brings us to another important factor in Razz strategy.

The fact that so many cards are visible in Razz makes playing it strategically pretty straightforward. To the end, you have a pretty good idea of where you stand in regards to your opponents just by comparing the face up cards on the table. This makes bluffing nearly impossible as most of your hand is visible, but semi-bluffing is still a common and advantageous strategy in Razz going into fourth street. For example, if you have an A, 2, or 3 as your door card and your opponents are all in the range of 7’s and up, then just going by the basic play strategy of eights and under you may be able to push them to fold thereby stealing the antes and bring-in.

Another thing to keep in mind when playing Razz is that the betting gets more serious by fifth street, so if you get a brick or a pair early on, it’s better to start backing away from your hand early. As with any poker game, a good razz strategy requires you to not only play smart but to bet smart too.