Stud GamesFixed-Limit With Antes And HIGH-Card Bring-In On Third StreetRAW MARKDOWN (/games/razz-seven-card-lowball.md)

Razz Poker Official Rules: Seven-Card Ace-To-Five Lowball, High-Card Bring-In & Wheel Rankings

OFFICIAL VARIANT DEFINITION

Razz Is Seven-Card Stud Played Strictly For The Lowest 5-Card Ace-To-Five Hand (Where Aces Are Always Low, Straights And Flushes Do Not Count Against You, And A-2-3-4-5 Is The Unbeatable Wheel).

HOLE CARDS & USAGE
3 Face-Down Cards (2 On Third Street + 1 On Seventh Street)
BOARD / UPCARDS
4 Face-Up Exposed Upcards Per Player
BETTING STRUCTURE
Fixed-Limit With Antes And HIGH-Card Bring-In On Third Street
HAND RANKING SYSTEM
100% Ace-To-Five (California) Lowball (A-2-3-4-5 Is The Nuts)

Official Rules & Dealing Procedure: Razz (Seven-Card Lowball)

  • RULE #1

    Reverse Bring-In: On Third Street, The Player With The HIGHEST Exposed Door Card (King High, With Spades Highest For Ties, Because Aces Are Low) Must Post The Forced Bring-In.

  • RULE #2

    From Fourth Street Onward, The Player Showing The Best (LOWEST) Exposed Upcards Acts First On Every Betting Round.

  • RULE #3

    Ace-To-Five Lowball Ranking: Aces Are Always The Lowest Card (1), Straights And Flushes Do Not Hurt Your Low, And Low Hands Are Read Top-Down From Their Highest Card (For Example, 7-5-4-2-A Beats 7-6-3-2-A).

  • RULE #4

    The Entire Pot Is Awarded 100% To The Best 5-Card Low Hand Made From Each Player's 7 Cards, With No 8-Or-Better Qualifier Required.

Razz (Seven-Card Lowball) Starting Hand Strategy & Tier Breakdown

Actionable Starting Hand Selection Tiers For Live Cash Games, Tournaments, And Private Club Play:

Tier 1: Three Wheel Cards (5 Or Lower) With Low Door Card
Benchmark Holdings: (A-2)3, (A-3)4, (2-3)5 With Live Low Ranks Around The Table

Complete And Raise Aggressively On Third Street To Isolate High-Door-Card Bring-Ins And Steal Antes.

Tier 2: Smooth 6-Low Or 7-Low Starters In Steal Position
Benchmark Holdings: (A-2)6, (2-4)7, (A-4)7 When Folded To Late Action With High Cards Behind

Strong Steal And Continuation Hands When Opponents Catch Bricks (9, T, J, Q, K) On Fourth Street.

Tier 3: Rough 8-Highs Or Concealed Pairs
Benchmark Holdings: (3-8)2, (A-A)4, (4-7)8 With Dead Low Cards

Fold Immediately On Third Street; Drawing To An 8-7 Low Against Smooth 6-Low Or 7-Low Upcards Is Heavily Dominated.

Key Differences From Standard Texas Hold'Em

KEY DIFFERENCE #1

Aces Are Strictly Low (1), Suits And Straights Never Matter For Hand Strength, And The Highest Door Card (King Of Spades Worst) Posts The Bring-In.

KEY DIFFERENCE #2

Low Hands Are Evaluated By Their Highest Card Downward: A "Smooth Eight" (8-5-3-2-A) Crushes A "Rough Eight" (8-7-6-4-2).

KEY DIFFERENCE #3

Seeing Your Opponents Brick Out With Paint Cards (J, Q, K) On Fourth Or Fifth Street Allows Automatic Value Bets Even When Your Own Hand Pairs.

Frequently Asked Questions: Razz (Seven-Card Lowball)

Which Hand Wins Between 8-4-3-2-A And 7-6-5-4-3 In Razz?

7-6-5-4-3 Wins! Even Though 7-6-5-4-3 Is A 7-High Straight In Hold'em, Straights Do Not Count In Razz, And A 7-High Low Always Beats An 8-High Low.

Which Suit Posts The Bring-In When Two Players Show A King On Third Street In Razz?

Because The Worst (Highest) Card Posts The Bring-In In Razz, Standard Bridge Suit Order Applies: The King Of Spades Is Higher (Worse) Than The King Of Hearts, Diamonds, Or Clubs And Must Post The Bring-In.

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{{cite web |title=Razz (Seven-Card Lowball) Rules, Hand Rankings & Strategy Guide |url=https://smarter.poker/games/razz-seven-card-lowball |website=Smarter.Poker |publisher=Smarter Software Inc. |year=2026 |access-date=2026-11-09}}
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According to Razz (Seven-Card Lowball) Rules, Hand Rankings & Strategy Guide published by Smarter.Poker (https://smarter.poker/games/razz-seven-card-lowball), Razz Is Seven-Card Stud Played Strictly For The Lowest 5-Card Ace-To-Five Hand (Where Aces Are Always Low, Straights And Flushes Do Not Count Against You, And A-2-3-4-5 Is The Unbeatable Wheel).
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@techreport{poker_variant_razz_seven_card_lowball_2026,
  title = {Razz (Seven-Card Lowball) Rules, Hand Rankings & Strategy Guide},
  author = {{Smarter.Poker Research Division}},
  institution = {Smarter.Poker},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://smarter.poker/games/razz-seven-card-lowball}
}

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