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Ottawa_Boy27 · Pair Joined: 21 Jan 2007 Posts: 22 Location: Ottawa

Here is a really good example of a razz hand I feel I played perfectly

(ignore the colons in th HH, they're HTML code for another site)

PokerStars Game #8235132866: Tournament #41629875, $10+$1 Razz Limit - Level VIII (200/400) - 2007/02/01 - 21:36:43 (ET)
Table '41629875 9' 8-max
Seat 1: danielct (4647 in chips)
Seat 2: buckmaster55 (4183 in chips)
Seat 4: BIG BIRD 8 (1604 in chips)
Seat 5: cajunbanker (2337 in chips)
Seat 6: Ottawa_Boy27 (5333 in chips)
Seat 7: ScottyL45 (5781 in chips)
Seat 8: Min2WIN (2551 in chips)
danielct: posts the ante 40
buckmaster55: posts the ante 40
BIG BIRD 8: posts the ante 40
cajunbanker: posts the ante 40
Ottawa_Boy27: posts the ante 40
ScottyL45: posts the ante 40
Min2WIN: posts the ante 40
*** 3rd STREET ***
Dealt to danielct [2s]
Dealt to buckmaster55 [As]
Dealt to BIG BIRD 8 [Jd]
Dealt to cajunbanker [Ad]
Dealt to Ottawa_Boy27 [:Ac :4c :6c]
Dealt to ScottyL45 [:2d]
Dealt to Min2WIN [6s]
BIG BIRD 8: brings in for 60
cajunbanker: folds
Ottawa_Boy27: raises 140 to 200
ScottyL45: raises 200 to 400 < This raise tells me he thinks he has the better hand, either three wheel cards or a really smooth 6
Min2WIN: folds
danielct: folds
buckmaster55: folds
BIG BIRD 8: folds
Ottawa_Boy27: calls 200
*** 4th STREET ***
Dealt to Ottawa_Boy27 [:Ac :4c :6c] [:5s]
Dealt to ScottyL45 [:2d] [:3h]
ScottyL45: bets 200
Ottawa_Boy27: raises 200 to 400 < I felt the 3 was likely to have paired him due to his reraise on third street and wanted to find out for sure
ScottyL45: calls 200 < his call her tells me the 3 did pair him but his holding is likely to be 3 wheel cards
*** 5th STREET ***
Dealt to Ottawa_Boy27 [:Ac :4c :6c :5s] [:4d]
Dealt to ScottyL45 [:2d :3h] [:Ah]
ScottyL45: bets 400 < this raise confirms he has a wheel draw and he is representing a made hand/betting what he believes to be a better draw than my "made hand" (a this point I am a little worried cuz he does have a better draw than me but the pot odds demand I call)
Ottawa_Boy27: calls 400
*** 6th STREET ***
Dealt to Ottawa_Boy27 [:Ac :4c :6c :5s :4d] [:Js]
Dealt to ScottyL45 [:2d :3h :Ah] [:Jc]
ScottyL45: bets 400
Ottawa_Boy27: calls 400
*** RIVER ***
Dealt to Ottawa_Boy27 [:Ac :4c :6c :5s :4d :Js] [:3s] < "ding" but he may have out drawn me with a smoother 6 or a wheel. I decide to flat call to be on the safe side.
ScottyL45: bets 400
Ottawa_Boy27: calls 400
*** SHOW DOWN ***
ScottyL45: shows [:4h :3d :2d :3h :Ah :Jc :8c] (Lo: 8,4,3,2,A) < every read I had in the hand was bang on
Ottawa_Boy27: shows [:Ac :4c :6c :5s :4d :Js :3s] (Lo: 6,5,4,3,A)
Ottawa_Boy27 collected 4340 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 4340 | Rake 0
Seat 1: danielct folded on the 3rd Street (didn't bet)
Seat 2: buckmaster55 folded on the 3rd Street (didn't bet)
Seat 4: BIG BIRD 8 folded on the 3rd Street
Seat 5: cajunbanker folded on the 3rd Street (didn't bet)
Seat 6: Ottawa_Boy27 showed [:Ac :4c :6c :5s :4d :Js :3s] and won (4340) with Lo: 6,5,4,3,A
Seat 7: ScottyL45 showed [:4h :3d :2d :3h :Ah :Jc :8c] and lost with Lo: 8,4,3,2,A
Seat 8: Min2WIN folded on the 3rd Street (didn't bet)

I think the key to me winning this hand was reraising on 4th street to gain a little information. If he'd have raised me back at that point I would have folded my hand on fifth because I would have been 90% sure he had a wheel or a 6 4 and I was drawing to a losing hand. This play and others like it are how I do so well in Razz tournaments and cash games on such a regular basis.

What I love about this game is that 60% of the information you need is right there for you to see and the rest can be found out for 1 or 2 extra bets on the early streets. Now I just have to get this good at stud and stud H/L. I'm sure this strategy works well on the early streets in stud as well with a little more guess work involved.

Jmoney_az · Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 6:44 pm Post subject:

Definitely well played Ottawa. The flat call on the showdown also allowed you to see just how well your read was. Had you raised, maybe he folds, and you don't get that extra info.

I am pretty well versed in playing razz, but am not familiar with some of the terminology I see used in these forum discussions... what do you mean when you say "smooth 6"? It was mentioned in there a couple of times. Thanks.

ftn_chris · Message Board Junkie Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 1178

not sure about some of the terminology, but my guess would be smooth 6 would be something like A2346, instead of 23456

clussman · Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 9:05 pm Post subject:

smoother=lower (you can infer it from the sentence).

OP:

Your read on the 3rd street is most likely correct.

Your read on 4th may be correct, but with the number of people who aren't very good at Razz, it could simply be a case of timidity. Your opponent may not want to re-raise out of fear of bricking later streets and is waiting until he has a made hand.

On fifth street he leads out with a bet, he doesn't raise. It doesn't really confirm anything. Why couldn't he have 2,4,5 down? I'd re-raise on 3rd with that. Pot odds get people in trouble in limit games. Your reason for calling is that you have A,4,5,6. That's a strong hand on 5th.

On sixth nothing changes.

On seventh I like your restraint but, for myself, I'm raising with a six high, especially if I think one of the low cards is paired. There aren't very many hands that will beat it and he would have had to hit on the river.

Overall I think your thought process is much better than the average person playing Razz. Nice hand.

Big Slick x13x · Forum Icon Joined: 18 Jun 2006 Posts: 4129 Location: ROK

smooth and rough are used to describe the strength of the players hand. A "smooth" 8 is what the other player had. A rough hand is obviously the opposite. A rough 8 would be something like 87632.

I don't really see the point of declaring the difference when you're talking about a 6 high though. If you have a 6 high you need to be putting in more bets. When you hit your gin card on 7th you should have raised. He's not folding. The pot is too big to fold after you just called on 6th street. The way the hand played out he would have had to hit a perfect card for the wheel on 7th and it's like that it's a 3 outer or less. So you just calling is a scared play in my mind and that costs you more bets in the long run.

VogelB5 · Straight Joined: 03 Feb 2007 Posts: 110

Good reads throughout the hand. I'm very suprised he came out betting on 7th w/ an 8. I guess a semi bluff. I'm not sure if you should have raised on the river or not. He has the best draw and comes out leading, but your hand is so strong. I probably would have put in the raise and make a crying call if he reraises.

asfispimp · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007 9:32 pm Post subject:

Great reads man. I like the raise on 4th to gain info. Well played.

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