Razz is a form of stud poker that is normally played for ace-to-five low (lowball poker). The object of Razz is to make the lowest five-card possible hand from the seven cards you are dealt. In Razz, straights and flushes do not count against you for low, and the ace always plays low. The best possible Razz hand is 5-4-3-2-A, or 5 high, also known as “the wheel” or “the bicycle”. Deuce-to-seven Razz is also sometimes played.
Unlike split-pot hi-lo games like Omaha, Razz doesn’t have an “eight or better” component to it’s play. In an hi-lo eight-or-better game, the winning low hand cannot have a card higher than 8 in it to count as a low hand — but since Razz is a game with only a low hand winning, any hand can win, including hands with low pairs. However, while this is possible, it’s highly unlikely, and most winning Razz hands will not have a pair in them.
