I only started to play RAZZ a couple months back when PokerStars added it to their list of poker games. Before that I played a lot of Stud High Low Eight or Better and really enjoy that game.
I figured I would try RAZZ because it is similar to Stud Hi/Lo, but with no qualifier and no high hand. When I play Stud Hi/Lo I almost always play the low end, so I figured I would try out some of PokerStars’ $10 + $1 multi-table RAZZ tournaments.
I did quite well, I made the money about 60% of the tournaments I entered and came in first and second in two of them. When I came in first there were 240 entries and when I finished second there were 160 entries.
Although I was very pleased in finishing second it didn’t compare to finishing first. My goal at that time was to win a RAZZ tournament outright.
In RAZZ tournaments I play very tight/aggressive and stayed true to my strategy when I won that RAZZ tournament.
In that particular RAZZ tournament where I finished first, I would only play the game as if there were an eight low qualifier.
RAZZ can be a VERY frustrating game, and if you are not discipline and patient then this game is not for you. Even when you are dealt the best starting hand and two other players are in the pot, you can expect to win maybe 30% of the time, and even heads-up it’s a 50/50 chance to win a pot even when dealt the best starting hand. RAZZ is a drawing game, and in this game it sometimes feels as though the other players are always out drawing you.
This is where patience and discipline come in. You have to know when to give up your hand and wait for the next. When I do win a pot it is usually a big pot, because when I am in a pot, I like to ram and jam when I think I have the best hand.
I see so many RAZZ players (newbies) play to get lucky. They get dealt three babies and then a brick, and another brick, and yet they will call many bets hoping for runner, runner. Although they will most certainly lose more pots then they win it gets very frustrating when they do hit their cards and beat you. This is RAZZ.
You can also expect to be dealt A23, and then be dealt KKQQ! Again, this is RAZZ!
So you must be able to fold your hand when you are the dog. If I am dealt A23, and I’m dealt a brick on fourth street I will not pay for another card if my opponent is showing something decent.
Here are my tips for playing in a RAZZ tournament:
- Be patient and discipline. Wait for your winning hands, they will come. Don’t give yourself excuses to play in a loosing pot!
- Know when to fold your hand, even when it started off so beautifully! You have to fold on fifth street if you catch bad and your opponent(s) looks good.
- Try to isolate the pot/hand to one opponent if you can. You will need to raise to try and get the other players to fold and you’ll need to bet on the following betting rounds.
- Play RAZZ as if there is an eight low qualifier. Of course there are exceptions, such as position or if you are playing someone who bluffs a lot or playing with a player who’s new to RAZZ.
- Make notes on the players at the table. This is VERY important. I make notes on player’s starting hands, if they bluff, if they are weak RAZZ players, if they are good players, etc. These notes WILL help you make tough decisions and are even more helpful later in the tournament.
- Turn ‘chat’ off. Why let other players put you on tilt by chatting garbage to you. Besides, you have more to focus on then watching the chat window.
- Never slow play and give your opponents free cards that might end up beating you. Slow play only if you get the wheel (A2345) by 5th or 6th street.
- Never give up, no matter how low in chips you get. When I won a Razz tournament I was second to last place after two hours of play, and then slowly climbed to victory. Remember the old adage, ‘a chip and a chair’.
- Keep track of the up cards after they are dealt. Start looking from the Bring in and then look clockwise. Sometimes you have to look quickly as some players will fold their hands quickly. You want to make note of all the up cards that are eight and less that would help your hand. The less you have to remember the better it is for your hand. Usually if I have to remember more than four or five cards then it’s not a good sign. If the count is one, or none, then it looks promising to improve your hand.
- Only sign up and play in a RAZZ tournament when you are totally 100% focused and committed to winning the tournament.
- Don’t play garbage starting hands. By this I mean, no pair and baby, no small babies and a face card. Try to have your starting hands eight or less.
I hope these RAZZ tournament tips help you as much as they helped me. I will be writing more about RAZZ and get into the details of playing this crazy, frustrating, and fun game.
Be sure to fold your hand when you hit bricks!
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