Poker Strategies
After receiving pocket cards, you are immediately faced with a choice: play your cards and either raise or call the blinds, or fold.
Practice Matters
Strategy in Razz
Strategy in Razz Here are some tips about the more strategic aspects of the game. 1. The first and most important thing to remember about Razz is that your starting hand is based principally on your first three dealt cards (two hole cards and one upcard) and what upcards your opponents have showing. Table position is most important in this game: Even though a player may alter his betting position on the next round, try to sit behind a player or players who call and raise more often, simply because they put their bets in the pot before it becomes your turn to bet. 2. It's important to remember as many opponents' exposed upcards as possible because that's the basis of expert play. 3. In this form of Seven Card Stud, the best strategy is to start with three odd good cards before the first betting interval. An excellent play is to begin the first round of play with three odd cards of which the highest is a seven. This is the recommendation of Johnny Moss, the dean of the Las Vegas Texas Hold'em Poker professionals, and I entirely agree with his Texas Hold'em Poker philosophy. 4. The minimum three-card hand you should hold against a raise at the start should be, at its worst, an 8-5-4. 5. As a rule, the higher an active opponent's upcard, the greater the possibility that he holds real good cards in the hole. 6. When you possess what you believe to be the best hand, you must make your opponents pay big to call your hand on the showdown. Your raising should begin, if possible, with the first betting interval.
7. To prevent yourself from being labeled as a super-rock, you
7. To prevent yourself from being labeled as a super-rock, you should occasionally go in with an eight high—otherwise you'll be playing about one in ten hands if you insist on not playing without a 7-6-5 or better in the first three dealt cards. 8. If you hold a 9-3-A and all your opponents show upcards higher than nines, you're in the driver's seat and you should make your op ponents pay dearly. 9. So, to sum up—play with three odd cards, the highest being a seven. Bet big when you think you hold the best hand, and fold when you hold bad cards.