Badugi Basics

[nima63]

Badugi History

Badugi was originated in Korea. It is now one of the main candidates for the “future game of poker”. Omaha is the other candidate. Omaha has been around for a while but seems like Badugi is growing faster than Omaha in its infancy.
Badugi Introduction

Until a year or two ago, almost no one outside Asia (Korea to be specific) knew about Badugi. It has now picked up in a few online poker websites as well some poker room in California. I do not which casinos in Vegas host this game right now. However you can play as high as $100/$200 blinds in online casinos like Doyles Room.

Badugi is similar to triple draw four card game where the low-hand wins. Don’t panic if you are not familiar with triple draw as Badugi is very straight forward and easy to learn.

In short, Badugi is a drawing poker game that:

* Players get several chances to exchange your cards for new ones.
* There are betting rounds after each time players draw cards.
* The betting structure is based on the game (limit, pot limit, or half-pot limit).
* The best hands are the low hands.
* Players only use four cards and therefore the evaluation system is different than the one used for Texas Holdem.

Badugi Basics

First the dealer is determined by high card and small and big blinds post their blinds. This is typical for all poker games.

<font color="red">First four cards:</font> The dealer deals every player four cards (one at a time) in a clockwise motion starting from the small blind.

<font color="red">First betting round:</font> The action starts from the under the gun player (player to the left of big blind). This is right after the original dealing. This round's bets are small (As for small and big bet in limit games). Each player can call, fold to, or raise previous bets.

In between each betting round:

* Every player gets a chance to draw for new cards in a clockwise motion starting from the small blind position.
* Players can change as few as zero or as many as all the four cards in their hand.
* Cards have to be discarded before getting new cards.
* The dealer deals the new cards to each player from the top of the deck.
* If at anytime there are not enough cards in the deck, the discarded cards can be added to the deck. The deck has to be reshuffled before more cards are dealt.

<font color="red">Second betting round:</font> The action starts from the small blind position. The bets are still in small amount.

<font color="red">Third betting round:</font> The action starts from the small blind position. This follow the same procedure of betting as second betting round, except this time the bets are big (typically twice the small bet).

<font color="red">Fourth and last betting round:</font> This is the final betting round which uses big bets (like third betting round).

Once all the betting and calling in the last round is over, every player who still has cards (has not folded) will put their cards face up on the table and the dealer identifies the winning hand based on the Badugi hand evaluation system.

Badugi Hand Evaluation

To determine a Badugi hand first you have to make sure you don't have any two cards of the same suit or any pairs. For example if you have two cards both spades, you will have to discard one of them. Therefore your hand would consist of three cards and practically any 4 card hand will beat you.

Once you have four cards of different suit and numbers, you are holding a Badugi hand.

Hand evaluations in Badugi are the same as Omaha low hands. So a hand like 6-4-2-1 is read as 6,421 and a hand like 10-7-3-1 is read 10,732. Therefore the first hand is better (remember in Badugi, the lower hands win).

To compare the 4 card Badugi hands you compare the highest number in each hand and the winning hand is the one which has the lowest of all. Lowest high card wins.

Of course a four card Badugi hand is better than a three card hand (if it’s three cards, its not called Badugi hand anymore). A three card hand is better than a two cards and so forth.

The best hand in Badugi is A234 all different suits.



Where to Play Badugi

You can play Badugi mostly at online poker websites. Those include Doyles Room and more.

I am not aware whether Las Vegas casinos offer Badugi in their poker rooms, but I have heard of couple poker rooms in California that host Badugi. You can always host a dealer's choice poker game and make Badugi your choice.

Points to remember:

* Betting rounds are explained above. The amount of betting is determined by the type of Badugi game. It can be limit, pot limit, or even half-pot limit.
* In a Badugi poker game, there are no community cards. Therefore flop, turn, and river don't exist.


Cheers,
Nima

[2461Badugi]

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It is now one of the main candidates for the “future game of poker”.

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LOL.

[Al Mirpuri]

I for one found this very useful. Thanks.

[*TT*]

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Badugi History

Badugi was originated in Korea.

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I belive that was recently proven incorrect. I don't remember where I read that however.

Also you are wrong, its not growing fast at all, its not the game of the future. Its a wild gamblers game, thats why you will mostly only find it at the higher limits. Its a safe bet to assume it will probably remain that way for a long time, a few ocasional games at the lower limits but all the action will be 100/200 and above.

TT [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

[Matt Ruff]

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Its a wild gamblers game, thats why you will mostly only find it at the higher limits.

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From some of your other posts I got the impression that it's possible to play with a substantial edge. What makes it a gambler's game? High variance, even if you know what you're doing?

[*TT*]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Its a wild gamblers game, thats why you will mostly only find it at the higher limits.

[/ QUOTE ]

From some of your other posts I got the impression that it's possible to play with a substantial edge. What makes it a gambler's game? High variance, even if you know what you're doing?

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Yup. Your edge is rather small in this game if your an expert, probably a bit worse than the experts edge in 5 card draw played how it was done in Gardenia back in the day.

TT [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

[nima63]

I just came back from Vegas, and the only Badugi games that I saw were in high stakes dealers choice games.

TT,
If you find out about the origin of Badugi let me know. There is a theory that Badugi is originated from a European game similar to it's Korean version.



Guys,
I am trying to put a page or two together on Badugi strategies. If anyone has any comments or want to share their experties, please feel free.

Cheers,
Nima

[Yads]

I was under the impression that 5 card draw offered the expert player a significant edge and that's why it's barely played anumore.

[Bill King]

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I was under the impression that 5 card draw offered the expert player a significant edge and that's why it's barely played anumore.

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quite possibly, but with the way NL holdem, and other games that are quite more action games and have more betting rounds, its pretty easy to figure out why poker has evolved.

[*TT*]

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I was under the impression that 5 card draw offered the expert player a significant edge and that's why it's barely played anumore.

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yes, but multiple experts or even multiple advantage players (not quite experts) and the edge becomes rather small. There isn't that much "gamble" in the game.

TT [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]