How to Play Badugi
Badugi is a game which has gained a lot of popularity in casinos
across the USA and
online poker rooms. Its origin is
believed to be Korean.
In Badugi the object of the
game is to make the lowest four card hand possible.
Unlike
Razz cards of the same suit count against you, as well as pairs.
Straights
however have no negative value. Two cards
of the same suit reduce the hand to
a three card hand, and
pairs also reduce the hand.
JhJs3s4d for example is a
two card hand. The Jacks reduce to one, and the two
spades also reduce to one, leaving the Jh,4d.
The best
hand possible to make in Badugi therefore is 432A of different
suits.
Betting in Badugi begins with the player to the
left of the Big Blind, and moves
clockwise. After
the initial 4 cards are dealt, the betting moves around and all
players have the opportunity to call, raise, or fold to the big
blind.
After this first betting round all players can
choose to draw 1 to 4 cards in order to
try to improve
their hand. There is then another round of betting. This
continues
for a total of 3 opportunities to draw, with a
betting round after each one, for a total
of 4 betting
rounds.
Strategy in Badugi shares many elements in
common with other forms of draw poker,
including the
importance of position and the relative amount of information that
it
grants you. In Badugi it is considered a mistake
to try and bluff an opponent in the
last round who has
drawn only one card, or no cards at all.
Understanding
the odds of making certain draws are also important in Badugi.
When
holding a 3 card hand and trying to draw to a four
card hand for example, you know
that there are 10 cards
available which can fill the Badugi-those of the required suit
which will not pair any of your held cards. Players holding a
Badugi can also use this
information to determine their
opponents chances of making a better hand than their
own.
If a player holds a 9 high Badugi hand for example, he knows that
there are
six cards available which may help his opponent
beat his hand, A-8 of the required
suit less the three
which will pair the hand.
Your chance of making a
Badugi from a 3 card hand is approximately 21% per draw.
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