You’re playing Razz and dealt a heck of a starting hand – a three-card low. That’s anything for our purposes here – under five. You’re three to the wheel and you feel on top of the world. You want to complete or re-raise, but should you?
The answer as is so often the case in poker is … it depends.
Yes, this is situational. If you’re bringing in, which would be rather rare with three low cards, then you’ll definitely want to complete to see where everyone else is at. Players who call or raise will have at least thee cards under 8 as is normal.
If you’re later on in the action and you want action, stay where you’re at … just call. You can raise it up on the next couple of streets IF YOU CONNECT.
That’s a very important concept – connecting. Just because a player hits three cards low on the first round of betting in Razz it does not mean that they will complete their hand at all. Many players feel entitled to making the nut low hand here as if it’s their right and the poker gods are messing with them if it doesn’t happen.
Truth be told, it’s just the luck of the deal and you need to be vigilant with this hand and not become dazzled by the possibilities.
If you continue to draw low cards, then you will move into ram and jam mode to get players to pay you or fold. If you don’t, then it’s time to consider getting out of the hand no matter what you are hoping to see come on 6th or 7th street.
In stud variants especially razz players often wait way too long to complete a hand. You can’t do that no matter what you’ve started with. It’s what you wind up with that means the most.
Got that? Great - now go practice your razz skills at Poker Stars!