Badugi Poker

Badugi poker is a new and exciting game that has recently hit the online poker world. Previously found in far-flung Korea, this game has now hit North America and Europe and cyberspace in its entirety. Badugi poker is a fast-paced, exhilarating game which combines essential components of classic poker with alternative rules regarding the hand values and mind-set of the regular game. Badugi Poker can be found at Tribeca Tables powered online poker rooms like Golden Palace Poker.

Badugi poker is becoming an attractive alternative to Texas Hold’em and is essentially a triple draw four-card game in which the lowest hand wins. Players get to draw cards in three exciting rounds of play in an attempt to create the LOWEST four-card hand. The playing and betting rounds are similar to those played in a Texas Hold’em game.

The ‘best’ hand in Badugi poker is the lowest hand which is comprised of four cards, with none of the same suit and none of the same rank. An ace, two, three and four of different suits is the best hand in Badugi poker and this hand is known as a Badugi, no less!

Start of Play

Badugi poker is a game consisting of three rounds of drawing and betting, with each player having to form the lowest four-card combination possible. Players are dealt four cards in a clockwise direction in a face down position, one at a time. Once all the players have been dealt their four cards, the play opens with the player seated to the left of the big blind and moves around the poker table in a clockwise direction. During this stage of the game, players must keep all their cards concealed.

Betting

There are generally three types of betting options with Badugi poker:

Limit Badugi: Bets are made in incremental units, whereby players can bet the lowest level on the first two rounds. On the 3 rd and 4 th round, players can bet the highest level. In Limit Badugi, betting is capped at four bets per round.

Pot Limit Badugi: In this version, players can choose to raise any amount during any part of the game. The amount is fixed between the low limit (big blind amount) and the value of the pot. The pot is calculated as to include the value of the current bet. When it a player’s turn to act, they get to choose whether they want to raise the pot by the total value of the current pot.

Half Pot Limit Badugi: Similar to pot limit Badugi, this version of the game allows players to raise to only half the value of the current pot as a maximum bet

Playing a Hand

Once players have been dealt their four cards, the first betting round takes place. Players decide how to play out their hands, depending on the values and strengths of their cards. Depending on the style of betting (limit, pot or half pot), the initial wagers will differ.

First Round: The first player to act is the one seated next to the big blind, in a clockwise direction. The first player decides whether to fold, call or raise, where after the action moves to the next player. Once all players have acted and all the bets have been placed, the first draw round occurs.
First Draw Round: Each player is given the option to draw up to four cards. Players are asked one at a time, in a clockwise direction around the table, starting with the player seated to the left of the dealer button. Players choose which cards they wish to hold and which to discard and replace. If a player decides to draw no cards, it is known as ‘standing pat’, which generally means he has a good hand (or that he wants other players to think he has).
Second Betting Round: After players have finished their first draw, the second betting round is held and follows the same pattern as the first betting round.
Second Draw Round: Follows the same pattern as the first draw round.
Third Betting Round: Similar to the second betting round, except that the low stakes move up to the high stakes as a betting increment.
Third Draw Round: Follows the same pattern as the second draw round, but the dealer may include the discarded cards, with a reshuffle, if necessary.
Final Betting Round: Follows the same pattern as the third betting round, using the higher stakes. If more than one player is left standing at this point in the game, the showdown occurs.

The Showdown

Once all the cards have been dealt, the betting has been completed and the final hands have been formed, the showdown begins. The winner (with the lowest hand) wins the pot.

The rules for the showdown are similar to those of Texas Hold’em whereby the player whose last bet is called shows his cards first. If no such player exists, then the showdown begins from the first player holding cards in a clockwise direction from the dealer’s button. As the hands are shown, players in possession of losing hands may either muck or show, just as in Texas Hold’em.

The Winner

The winner is the person in possession of the lowest hand value. The winner takes the pot.

Hand Values in Badugi Poker

In Badugi, the aim of the game is to produce the lowest hand possible. Aces are the lowest card in the deck and therefore and A234 of all different suits is the best possible card combination in the game. This type of hand is known as a Badugi. The order of the hand ranks are as follows:

Badugi
3-card hand
2-card hand
1-card hand

Badugi: A Badugi is a four card hand with no pairs and no matching suits. Examples of Badugis are 3,5,6,9 or A,3,6,8 or 4,5,7,9 etc. with none of the same suit. The best possible Badugi combination is A,2,3,4 of different suits as there is no other hand lower than this.

Paired Hands: If a player holds a hand such as 3,6,6,K then the hand value is really 3,6,K as only one of the paired cards is used. This is called a three-card hand and a Badugi hand beats any three-card hand. If a player has a hand such as 4,7,7,7 then the final value of the hand would be 4,7 and is known as a two-card hand – again the pairs or trips do not count besides for the first card. A three-card hand beats any two-card hand.

Suited Hands: As with pair hands, suited hands also have cards that are canceled out. If an A,7,8,K is held, with the 7 and 8 are both clubs, then the player should choose to play the lowest of the two suited cards. A player would therefore put forward the A,7,K and the 8 would be considered ‘counterfeited’.

Suited and Paired Hands: A player could be dealt a hand containing suited and paired cards and this is not a good situation to be in because a player’s final hand will end up being very weak. Double suited and double paired hands are not recommended starting hands.

A rare occurrence of a player being a hand with 4 of a kind will mean that the final hand value will be one single card value. This is known as a one-card hand and is the worst possible hand to possess.

Strategy for Badugi Poker

Badugi poker requires players to remain calm and focused and not become aggravated or upset if a bad hand is dealt.

Trying to get a hand containing a Badugi is the main focus of the game. A player should watch what other players are doing during drawing rounds and decide whether they think their hand stands a chance against a Badugi.

Frustration is a major element that players in Badugi poker need to deal with. If a player has three cards to a Badugi and keeps on missing the fourth card on all three rounds of drawing, the frustration can certainly mount up. This however, can only cause rash play and irresponsible betting, which has far worse results.

Conclusion

Badugi poker is an exciting alternative to the regular forms of the game and is gaining fast popularity in the online casino world. The psychological adjustment that poker players will need to make in this game is not an easy one, but once they realize that they have to chase the lowest, and not the highest cards, they will find the game riveting.