Mixing it Up
The vast majority of poker players in the U.S. Play Texas Hold ‘Em, but there are hundreds of variations of this traditional game. One popular game is called Razz. It is a seven card stud game, meaning you are dealt seven cards that you cannot exchange. Four of them are face up and three are dealt face down. This game is a lowball game, meaning the lower the numbers on the cards, the better your hand. Razz strategy is vastly different from Hold ‘Em in these respects.
The best hand you can have in Razz is A, 2, 3, 4, 5. Straights and flushes are meaningless in this game, meaning that they will not affect the quality of your hand. Rather, you will want to get the lowest cards possible without any pairs.
Stud is a great variation to Hold ‘Em in the respect that your face up cards can be used to trick your opponents. For example, if your face up cards were King, Queen, 4, 5, you would not seem to be a threatening opponent. But if your hole cards were A, 2, 3, you would have an unbeatable hand.
Razz requires a different skill set than Hold ‘Em; just because you are successful with one does not mean that you will be successful with the other. Still, a good poker player with solid fundamentals will prove to be adept at learning this variation of poker. With a little practice even at a live casino, you too can enjoy this game while winning money.