Razz Guide Part 2 - Starting Hand Selection

PLAYING RAZZ POKER

STARTING HAND SELECTION

Third Street is where you will make the most important decision in any Razz Hand – whether to play it, or whether to muck it. If you have the highest Door Card showing you will have to make a forced bet (called the Bring-in), but in most situations you will muck a Bring-in hand automatically.

Starting hand selection in Razz is the cause of one of the most frustrating aspects of this poker game. In Hold ‘em, the best starting hand is Pocket Aces, which is a decent hand in its own right, and will often be enough to win the pot at showdown without improving. In Seven Card Stud High, this is even more pronounced – the best starting hand is Rolled-up Aces (three Aces), which will usually be enough to win the pot at showdown (the average Stud High hand is Two Pair). In Omaha, the situation isn’t quite as clear –starting hands in Omaha being much closer to each other in value, and the various combinations of four pocket cards increase the likelihood of a five-card hand (such as a straight, flush or full-house) being made by showdown; even so, Ace-Ace-King-King double suited, is a hand that can win at showdown unaided. Unfortunately, this premise goes completely out of the window with Razz. In Razz the best starting hand is A-2-3, which by itself is not enough to even make a hand at showdown… in Razz, promising starting hands can become pure trash a few streets down the line. An important consideration in all poker games, is not getting too attached to your hand - in Razz, this is a primary consideration!

However, starting hand selection is still a key aspect of Razz poker. Strict starting hand requirements will increase your Razz earnings, and make subsequent decision making much easier. There are a several key elements to consider when choosing whether to play a hand on Third Street.

POTENTIAL STRENGTH

On Third Street, your potential strength is the value of your highest card. If it is a five-or-lower, you have the greatest potential strength (a Wheel-draw); if your highest card is a ten-or-higher, you have no potential strength – there are situations where you may play a hand like this, but they wouldn’t be made on the basis of your potential strength.

RELATIVE STRENGTH

Relative strength is based on your highest card (potential strength) matched against an opponent’s door card. If your potential strength beats an opponents door card, you are unambiguously ahead of that opponent. If your highest card is equal or lower to an opponent’s door card, you have no way of knowing whether you are ahead of, or behind that opponent on Third Street, and should proceed with a certain amount of caution.

DRAWING ROUGH AND SMOOTH

We have already discussed the concept of rough and smooth hands, in Lowball Ace-to-Five hands – a rough hand is one where the kicker is close in value to the highest card, as the kicker gets further in value from the highest card, the hand becomes smooth. When you considering your hand on Third Street, this is already a consideration that you will need to make. If your second-highest card is close in value to your highest card, you will be drawing to a rough hand and, in Razz, the kicker often plays. If your second highest card is further in value from your highest card, you will be drawing to a smoother hand, and will be more likely to win at showdown, against a hand of similar value to your own. Remember – if you are dealt A-2-8 on Third Street, you are in a much stronger position than if you were dealt A-7-8.

OVERT AND COVERT STRENGTH

Another consideration on Third Street, is how overt (or covert) the strength of your hand is (because your opponents will be looking at your door card to consider their strength relative to yours). If your lowest card is your door card, you have an overt hand – your strength will be more obvious to your opponents, and you may lose some value because of this. If your highest card is your door card, you have a covert hand – your strength will be less obvious to your opponents, and you may gain (or extort) value because of this.

NOTE

Cards shown with a double-underline represent face-down hole cards

Both of these hands have the same potential strength, the same relative strength, and are both as smooth as each other. However, the hand with the Ace showing will look stronger to some opponents.

The second examples, are more significant – now most opponents will perceive the overt hand as stronger than the covert hand.

MODULATED STRENGTH

Another consideration on Third Street, is your hands modulated strength, by which I mean the value of your hand adjusted for the cards that are dead to the stock. As a clear example, if you are dealt A-2-3 on Third Street, you are drawing to a Wheel; but if four of your opponents are showing fives as their door cards, you would actually be drawing to a six-high. Your modulated strength is not usually this clear, but if two of your opponents held fives, the probability of you completing a wheel would be significantly reduced.

We will look at reading the board in more detail further on, but as far as hand selection is concerned, you should consider all of the door cards that are an eight or lower. All of these that match cards in your starting hand, increase the modulated strength of your hand – as you will be less likely to pair-up. All of these cards that do not match cards in your starting hand decrease the modulated strength of your hand, as you will be less likely to draw the cards that you need to make a playable hand at showdown.

A net reduction in your modulated strength, can make a marginal hand unplayable; and a significant net reduction (four or more) can make a strong hand unplayable, when faced with aggression and low relative strength. Conversely, a net increase in modulated strength can improve a marginal hand into one that can be played with less caution and more aggression.

PREMIUM STARTING HANDS

The best possible starting hands in Razz are those holding three cards to a wheel. These hands can be played from any position, for any number of bets; and should usually be raised / re-raised in order to thin the playing field, and build the pot.

STRONG STARTING HANDS

A Six or Seven high is a strong starting hand in Razz, although with these hands, you will also want to consider your relative, and modulated, strength; in addition to how rough and/or overt they are.

MARGINAL STARTING HANDS

An Eight or Nine high is a marginal starting hand in Razz, and should only be played under favorable circumstances - if your opponents hold similar or higher door cards than you, or if you are in late position, and can close the betting cheaply. Smooth Eights or Nines, are obviously preferable to rough Eights or Nines.