Last night, I played in "The Ferguson" again. This time it was a razz tournament. If you aren't familiar with razz, it is a variation of seven card stud where you try to make the lowest hand. A2345 is the best possible hand. I did quite well considering I am not really a razz player. I finished 63rd out of 475 players. I didn't make the money, but I was excruciatingly close. On my final hand, I was heads up with a player who had a slightly larger stack than me. On 4th street, I had A234 and my opponent had J7 showing. We raised and reraised until I was all in. All I needed was for one of the next 3 cards to be a J or lower. Seems easy, right? Well, my next 3 cards were KKQ in that order. So much for my double up, and so much for making the money. If I had won this hand, I would have cruised into the money with plenty of chips to maneuver with.
I have found that I really enjoy razz and I believe that I could be quite good at it. I hope to play more razz tournaments in the future, maybe some single table SNG's.
It would seem that the secret to razz is just to play tight and wait until you get a A2, A3, or A4. If you have low cards showing, there are many opportunities to bluff. Example: you have KQ in the hole and an A showing. On 4th street you pick up a deuce. Your opponent has a 9 showing. This is a perfect opportunity to bluff even though you have the worst hand. If you bet, your opponent will have a tough time calling unless he specifically has A2 in the hole and another low card showing.
I think razz is a very interesting game, as it has a totally different dynamic than other poker games. I did watch a razz tournament on ESPN once, it was very slow, and not very exciting to watch. Playing, however, is a totally different experience.
My bankroll after this tournament and a couple of SNG's is at $77.91
WE HAVE NEW LOCATION
11 years ago
I've been waiting for a new post! :) I'm glad to hear you are still consistently doing well in the tourneys. I too am interested in playin razz in a small sng but I can never find anybody playing it. Good luck with that. I have started my blog now and would be honored if you would check it out. I will gladly take any insight or criticism. Anything that will help me be a better player. Thanks :) http://jamesb8701.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteI am glad you enjoy my posts! There is usually a single table SNG for $1 on Full Tilt. It seems to mostly be the same players every night, but it is a good game. It does take a while for the SNG to fill up though. I will add your link to my blog list. I am looking forward to reading it!!
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