Choosing poker starting hands in Razz, which is seven-card Stud played for low, can be fairly easy. If you want to take the simple way out, all you need to do is look at your cards and see if they’re all unpaired and below an Eight. Because flushes and straights don’t count, you can disregard many of the considerations that come into play in seven-card Stud and seven-card Stud high-low.
You do need to pay attention to the other cards on the board when you decide whether to play your hand or not. In Poker Razz, you want to see cards on the board that duplicate the cards in your hand. Every card on the board that could have paired you is another breath of life to your bankroll. If you hold the A♠-2♥-6♣ and see two Fours, two Threes, and a Five on the board, for example, you should defi nitely fold the hand. In general, you should fold if you see more than three cards ranked Five or below that you need to make an Eight low or better.
Razz is a brutal game, with wild swings. Be prepared to weather a lot of storms if you take this game on.
