The reason most beginner poker players are targeted by veterans of the game is because they are the most likely to make costly, common mistakes. Most beginners learn from these mistakes, gaining the knowledge to avoid them thereafter, However, learning to avoid these common mistakes in Razz before you ever make them will save a lot of chips in the long run.

There are several common mistakes in Razz that can be easily avoided by simply being aware of their existence. Below you will find a list of the most common mistakes in Razz poker, and how to avoid them.

Bankroll Management

Your bankroll should not just be the money you have available, but the amount of money you can afford to lose in a Razz poker game. Never put more chips on the table than you can afford. No matter how skilled you are, or how attentively you play the game, luck still plays at least a 30% roll in Razz. It is better to learn this lesson first; not after you’ve lost the mortgage payment.

The size of your bankroll and your preferred playing style / poker strategy should directly relate to the stakes you play. If your bankroll is $100, do not join a $25/$50 Razz table; stick to the lower stakes like $1/$2 or $2/$4 at most. Your playing style also effects what stakes you should be playing. If you are a tight player (always Folding without a good Starting Hand), you do not need as large a bankroll as a loose player, who bets often to cash in big on a lucky draw.

Advancing Too Early / Chasing Losses

Do not make the common mistake of advancing too early in stakes. If you are breaking even or barely winning your money back at low stakes, you are not ready to move up to a higher level of stakes. You must realize that the higher stakes you play for, the more competent the competition will be. Once you’re making a significant profit at one level of stakes, only then should you attempt a higher level of play.

Advancing in levels to chase losses is another terrible but sadly common mistake in Razz, as well as any poker variation. If you’re losing your money at a cheap game, what makes you believe you will win against tougher competition?

Slow Playing A Good Starting Hand

Be careful not to slow play a good starting hand. If you’re not familiar with Razz Starting Hands, please refer to our detailed “Starting Hand” chapter, found on the left menu. In general, if your first 3 cards are 8 or lower, with no pairs, you have a good starting hand; A-2-3 being the best. When you get a hand like this, be careful not to slow play it. Razz is a game of Fixed Limits and Folding. Every time a player Folds out, you are losing the opportunity to build the pot. If by the time you have 5 cards dealt to you, your hand is still a likely winner (refer to Razz “Strategy” on left menu), continue betting. At this point, players must bet/raise in increments of the high-end stakes, making the last two betting rounds twice as expensive as before. Should your hand lose its strength by the 5th card, Fold and take the loss.

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Razz Common Mistakes