Razz at Orleans

[FeliciaLee]

Glenn came over to our Stud tourney table and announced astonishingly that the Orleans was spreading a live Razz game. After everyone fell on the floor in shock, I got up and asked Glenn to give me a roll for the game so that I could play if I busted out.

That didn't take too long. I was dealt aces twice in three hands and lost with them both times. After that, I got nothing for a while and then finally pushed A3/Q, two spades, until I was all-in on fourth. I didn't even have a big bet left, and I wasn't going to get anted down like a chump, so I pushed it, since I was live. I never even caught a pair, and my competitor had unimproved jacks. Bah!

I hightailed it over to the Razz game. I was fourth on the list. They were also spreading Stud 8, so I signed up for that one, but we couldn't get a game going, although they called every name at least three times.

I have no idea why, but I got into the Razz game pretty fast (I say this because after I got in, no one budged. People literally sat and waited for hours, no one left. Someone even played over an eating player for an hour or more).

Seat one was a woman who immediately started asking me questions about Razz. I was shocked that someone would sit down and play it for the first time at the 15/30 level.

I recognized a couple of players. One was Oklahoma Johnny Hale. Another was a guy from the WSOP Razz sat.

Hale played pretty well. He was the only truly sneaky, unorthodox player at our table. I found out quickly that I didn't have to make any sneaky moves to get action. I have always gotten way more action than I needed or desired. Go figure. People just love to call me. I'm not complaining.

I did my usual "travel light" move of only buying in for one stack of reds, while tucking the other $500 into the rail. For once, that seemed the norm. Hardly anyone had any real chips, most were playing with hundreds. When someone needed chips, another player would sell him or her a stack. Weird that I finally sat down at a table where everyone was thinking in Felicia-terms. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

I double paired or bricked up after starting with a couple of premium (bike) hands and pushing them early. I went through two stacks of red. Then I started hitting well, and made a couple of good hands. Once the table saw that I knew what I was doing, they stopped trying so hard to outdraw me, lol. Now I was just getting a lone caller or two on third, and maybe just one to the river, if he didn't brick up.

I played almost robotically-Sklansky in this game, because I could, and because it worked. There was one fish feeding the entire table. Calling with a ten or higher doorcard if he could get in for the $5 bring-in. Calling all the way to fifth through seventh even if he bricked over and over. He later said he'd gone through a whole rack of red and more, and I believe it. [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]

A couple of other players were playing sub-optimally, also, but nothing like that guy. They got out of line a bit, just enough to play me off.

Soon I had recovered that $200, and was up.

Dave (Dave in Vegas aka Dave in Cali aka Al Capone, Jr.) busted out of the tourney, and I wanted him to play, because the game was so good playing tight-rock-Sklansky style, but he didn't have the roll with him, and had never played Razz live. Well, jeez, neither had I, but no one needed to know that (I have played Razz tourneys and sats), and I can adapt to just about any Stud game successfully. I don't blame Dave though, he is playing for a living, I am playing for fun.

Most of the players behaved like the typical, ill-reputed Razz players. I refused to let them glower, however, and constantly pepped up the table by acting the cheerleader roll. That is not my personality, but I am an actor, and can play any part at the table.

For what it's worth, this was a very live Razz game. I wish I could find these games everywhere, everyday. I think Razz is my calling, lol. Oh, poor me, why do I love these dying games? [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

I caught very well for the entire session and ended up taking about $500 from the table. I rarely had to show down a hand towards the end, no one wanted to tangle with me, after realizing I only played premium hands, and bet the same way whether I paired up (unseen), or not.

I lost a big hand towards the end of my session which would have put me about $700 up, but he and I were very close in rank, and I had to call down that hand, not knowing who would win. In the end, he made a seven low, I made an eight. I knew it was close, but I was in a position where I couldn't fold, not knowing until I saw his hole cards who was leading. That happens sometimes in Razz, and it is a tough spot to be in. I'm not complaining, as I ran so well during the entire session that I rarely found myself in a race situation.

I had a great time, I only wish that more poker games were healthy and alive, instead of just Hold'em. If I were a board game freak, and suddenly Monopoly was the only board game in existence anymore, it would get old, fast. That is what HE is to me. OLD...FAST.

Felicia [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
www.felicialee.net

[Zoe's Echo]

I was playing late night at the Bicycle two weeks ago and a $20/$40 Stud 8 game went to Razz when we were down to 5 players.

I agree 100% that this is a very fun action game (at my table anyway). Lost a monster pot with a 5th street 65432 vs. a 6th street 543AK6 [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img] but time will heal that wound.

Once the action player left it went back to Stud 8. I think it would be nice if it got off the ground more frequently!

[Chris Daddy Cool]

Why is it that all the odd, rare games like razz or triple draw 2-7 are only offered at higher limits?

Wouldn't it help these games if they were spread smaller so it would interest people with smaller bankrolls?

[J.A.Sucker]

Games like razz break bad players so quickly. Plus, they are slow and generate a smaller drop. If they went to time, then they could recoup this, but low-limit players don't want to pay time, and I don't blame them; it makes a lot of casual players feel like they have to "stay since they paid their time."

Hold em is great for casinos who drop per hand (rake or Cali drop) because you get many more hands in per hour than stud or Omaha games; this is why I can't find a decent Stud game here in Northern California.

[FeliciaLee]

Yeah, what he said [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Online, Planet has some Razz games. The problem is, no one plays them. They also have three tourneys per week (Mon/Wed/Fri), but usually only attract about 10-20 players.

The world has gone to games with a lower CV, just as Mason predicted it would. Small buy-in NLHE games being the exception, of course, but after this boom ends, probably the NLHE games will fade, too.

Felicia [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
www.felicialee.net

[TheShootah]

This is a bit off topic, but still on Razz, so I figured I would put it here to avoid being shunned by the rest of the 2+2'ers for talking about the dreaded game itself. I recently just ordered Sklansky on Poker because I played Razz a few times and wanted to learn it well. I got it and just started to dig into it! How good do you think this book can make a slightly better than average poker player. I have read alot of books by Sklansky already, HEFAP, TOP, etc....so I have a good sense of poker in general, although sometimes I drift off and just stop thinking....such as now.... [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[FeliciaLee]

[ QUOTE ]
This is a bit off topic, but still on Razz, so I figured I would put it here to avoid being shunned by the rest of the 2+2'ers for talking about the dreaded game itself. I recently just ordered Sklansky on Poker because I played Razz a few times and wanted to learn it well. I got it and just started to dig into it! How good do you think this book can make a slightly better than average poker player. I have read alot of books by Sklansky already, HEFAP, TOP, etc....so I have a good sense of poker in general, although sometimes I drift off and just stop thinking....such as now.... [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]
Well, there is a reason Sklansky uses Razz so often in his examples in TOP. Yes, part of it is to "clean out the clutter," but IMO it is always good to know another poker game.

I hate Draw games (in fact, I just generally shun closed hand games), but I still have Mason's Draw/Lowball book. There is no way that reading and applying concepts in widely respected poker books is NOT going to improve your game.

[TheShootah]

Sorry, my question sucked! I meant how could of a Razz player could I become if I studied SOP given that I know and have read the contents of TOP two or three times.....I also have Malmuths book on draw. Lotta stuff in there, haven't really gotten around to it yet!

[FeliciaLee]

[ QUOTE ]
Sorry, my question sucked! I meant how good of a Razz player could I become if I studied SOP given that I know and have read the contents of TOP two or three times.....I also have Malmuths book on draw. Lotta stuff in there, haven't really gotten around to it yet!

[/ QUOTE ]
That is something you would have to ask David.

I read SOR three times completely before the WSOP Razz event. I read through the hand exercises and quizzes many times. I used general tourney strategy for that structure, along with the information I got in the book.

At the time I played the cash Razz game at the Orleans, I felt very in control of the game, and better than most of the players, although I'd never played a Razz cash game.

These are only my experiences, naturally.

Felicia [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[TheShootah]

Thanks alot. If David would like to post here, that would be awesome! What did you place in the WSOP? I can only see up to the top 16 on most sites! Thanks!