40/80 Badugi hand from the Bellagio

[Roy]

I feel this is standard but wanted to check:

The game is 7 handed and nobody stands out as a great player, everybody seems extremely straight forward.

I have A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].

UTG limps, I raise, CO calls, BTN calls, BB calls, UTG calls.

BB draws 3 (lol), the rest of us all draw 1, I got the 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].

BB checks, UTG checks, I bet, CO calls, BTN raises, BB folds, UTG folds, I call, CO calls.

I draw one, CO draws one, BTN is pat.

I brick with the J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] and check, CO checks, BTN bets, we both call.

I draw and 1 and miss, CO draws 1, BTN is pat. River is checked through.

Standard?

[JJBuffone]

I'm no Badugi pro, but it's exactly how I would play it.

[palman]

Yeah, the pot is large enough that you really don't mind if someone behind you raises and is pat on the first draw, to drive out the weaker draws in the blinds, because it really only costs you one bet when you're behind to narrow the field since the pat badugi would obviously bet anyways. And if you don't get raised your bet after the first draw would be a great value bet. You have the best draw here, so you either lose 1 bet when behind but narrow the field in a large pot, or gain 5 bets for value with the best draw.

I occassionally (actually often) check here in less multi-way pots for a variety of reasons. 1) to not give off the image that you bet every time you're "supposed" to, thus increasing the chance that 2) in a less multiway pot or a smaller pot your opponnent should just fold when you bet the big street. 3) freeze your opponnent if he catches a bad badugi on the big street to not raise if you're still drawing. 4) disguise when I raise with a rough 3 card 8 or 7 draw that I would check OOP if we're drawing the same amount. 5) actually allow you to potentially gain value by betting on the end unimproved by making your opponnent think you have a weak incomplete hand 6) and if #5 never works bluff with weak incomplete draws on the end.

But in a 5 way pot this is a must-bet situation. Everything after the first draw is completely standard.