Poker Variations Badugi

3/29/2022

Sep 09, 2011 RealKidPoker Daniel Negreanu The mix: Badugi, 2-7 3draw, Razzdacey, Badeucey, Hold'em, 2-7 Razz, 2-7 NLH single draw, Omaha 8, Badacey Razzbadeucy. Nov 29, 2019 The draw typically occurs before each betting round and occurs three times in Badugi. This unusual poker format does belong to the lowball poker variation where the so-called worst hand wins, however, it really falls into a category of its own. The primary goal is to make the lowest hand possible and all in suits that are different. Badugi poker rules History of Badugi. The history of this game is unknown, with Canadian and Korean players claiming that they created the game. One thing they both agree on is when the game was created, according to them the game began life in the 1980s and has since developed and grown from there. Badugi is the poker variation much different from the likes of Texas Hold’em and Omaha, thus requiring you to really think outside the box Badugi, also known as Padooki among other names (Korean for “spotted dog”), is a very unique variant of lowball poker. In poker there are three main game variations; Flop games (i.e. Texas hold’em and Omaha) Stud games (i.e. Seven-card stud, Razz) Draw games (i.e. Five card draw, 2-to-7 Triple Draw).

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Poker Variations Badugi Games
Poker Variations Badugi Variations

A best hand in badugi, a four-high badugi.

Badugi (also known as badougi, paduki or padooki) is a draw poker variant similar to triple draw, with hand-values similar to lowball. The betting structure and overall play of the game is identical to a standard poker game using blinds, but, unlike traditional poker which involves a minimum of five cards, players' hands contain only four cards at any one time. During each of three drawing rounds, players can trade zero to four cards from their hands for new ones from the deck, in an attempt to form the best badugi hand and win the pot. Badugi is an often gambling game, with the object being to win money in the form of pots. The winner of the pot is the person with the best badugi hand at the conclusion of play (known as the showdown). Badugi is played in cardrooms around the world, as well as online, in rooms such as PokerStars.^[1] Although it doesn't have its own tournament per se at the WSOP, it is featured in the Dealers Choice events as well as in the Triple Draw Mix.^[2]

Origin[edit]

Game origin[edit]

There is some controversy over the origin of this game, which has been played at least since the 1980s.^{[citation needed]} Bill Rosmus reports that in the 1980s in Winnipeg, Canada it was played under the name Off Suit Lowball in the back room of pool halls and back room poker clubs.^{[citation needed]} Bryan Micon says he has been told by several Korean players that it was also played in South Korea in the 1980s. The name of the game means “black and white spotted dog” in Korean. The game Go has a similar name in Korean, “baduk”, derived from the same word.^[2]

Another ancestor of badugi is displayed in a game played in Toronto in the 1970s and 1980s, 'off on high low', and its variant' leapfrog.' In both games the objective was to make a 5 card hand, with a pair being mandatory. Either an 'off' hand (all 4 other cards different suits), or an 'on' hand (all 4 other cards of one suit). 'Leapfrog' made this much more difficult with stipulation that the cards must not 'touch' each other, in terms of pip value. Oftentimes, the pot would 'stay,' making for a juicy start to the next hand.^{[citation needed]}

Etymology[edit]

Nick Wedd reports that the Korean word baduk, or badug refers to a black and white pattern—a black and white pet dog may be called 'badugi'—which gives rise to the Korean name baduk for the board game Go, played with black and white stones.^[3]

Play of the hand[edit]

Play begins with each player being dealt four cards face down. The hand begins with a 'pre-draw' betting round, beginning with the player to the left of the big blind (or the player to the left of the dealer, if no blinds are used) and continuing clockwise. Each player must either call the amount of the big blind (put in an amount equal to the big blind), fold (relinquish any claim to the pot), or raise (put in more money than anyone else, thus requiring others to do the same, or fold).^[1]

Poker Variations Rules

Once everyone has put the same amount of money in the pot or folded, play proceeds to the draw. Beginning with the first player still in the pot to the left of the dealer, each player may discard any number of cards and receive an equal number of replacement cards (called the 'draw'). Replacement cards are dealt before the next player chooses the number of cards to draw. The discarded cards are not returned to the deck but are discarded for the remainder of the hand unless the deck becomes depleted, at which point the discards are reshuffled to reform the deck (this could be in the middle of a draw request, but the deck should first be depleted, then reformed after which the draw may continue from the reformed deck).

The first draw is followed by a second betting round. Here players are free to check (not put in any money, but also remain in the hand) until someone bets. Again betting proceeds until all players have put in an equal amount of money or folded. After the second betting round ends, there is another draw followed by a third betting round. After that there is the final draw, followed by a fourth betting round and the showdown, if necessary.

If at any time all players but one have folded, the sole remaining player is awarded the pot. If there is more than one player remaining at the conclusion of the final betting round, the hands of those players are compared and the player with the best badugi hand is awarded the pot.

Hand evaluation[edit]

Badugi ranks cards low to high as in traditional poker, except with aces being low. Thereafter, there is a different ranking of hands than traditional poker, with hands having distinct sets of ranks and suits being superior. Then, for sets of equal size, hands with lower rank of cards are superior (as in lowball).

The badugi hand can consist of 1–4 cards of distinct rank and suit. Any duplicated suit or rank in a hand is disregarded.^{[citation needed]} Any four-card badugi hand beats a three-card badugi hand, a three-card hand beats a two-card hand, and a two-card hand beats a one-card hand.^[4] A four-card badugi hand that consists of all four suits is called a 'badugi'.^[5]

Two badugi hands containing the same number of cards are evaluated by comparing the highest ranking card in each hand (where ace is low). As in lowball, the hand with the lower ranking high card is superior. If there is a tie for the highest card, the second highest card (if there is one) is compared. If the ranks of all the cards in the badugi hand are the same, the two hands tie. Suits are irrelevant in the comparison of two hands.

The best possible hand is A234 of four different suits. The worst possible hand is K♣K♦K♥K♠.

Here are a few additional examples:

2♠4♣5♦6♥ beats A♠2♣3♦7♥ (both are four-card hands) since the highest card is compared first and the 6♥ is smaller than 7♥.
4♠5♣6♦K♥ beats 2♠3♠4♦7♥ since the former is a four-card hand and the latter is a three-card hand. (The 3♠ is disregarded as a duplicate spade, so the hand is a three-card 247.)
A♠5♦9♦9♥ beats A♣2♠2♣J♦ They reduce to the three-card hands A59 and A2J.
2♠3♠4♦7♥ beats 4♠5♠6♦K♥ both are three-card hands, but the highest in the former is the 7♥ while the highest in the latter is the K♥.
A♠2♣3♦3♠ and A♦2♥3♣K♣ are of the same strength, since both of them reduce to the three-card hand A23. The redundant (3♠ and K♣) do not affect the strength of the hands as they are disregarded.
5♦7♣K♣K♥ beats 2♠3♦K♠K♦ as the former is a three-card hand (after disregarding the K♣) while the latter is a two-card hand (both kings are disregarded since each is the same suit as another card in the hand).

If one can construct two (or more) different badugi hands with the same four cards (as in the final example), the better badugi hand is evaluated against the other hands. This occurs when there are at least two cards of the same suit; one of which is paired. Here, disregarding the paired, suited card generates a better hand than disregarding any other card.

Example hand[edit]

The blinds for this example hand

Here is a sample deal involving four players. The players' individual hands will not be revealed until the showdown, to give a better sense of what happens during play:

Compulsory bets: Alice is the dealer. Bob, to Alice's left, posts a small blind of $1, and Carol posts a big blind of $2.

First betting round: Alice deals four cards face down to each player, beginning with Bob and ending with herself. Ted must act first because he is the first player after the big blind. He cannot check, since the $2 big blind plays as a bet, so he folds. Alice calls the $2. Bob adds an additional $1 to his $1 small blind to call the $2 total. Carol's blind is 'live', so she has the option to raise here, but she checks instead, ending the first betting round. The pot now contains $6, $2 from each of three players.

First draw: Each player may now opt to draw up to four cards in an attempt to improve his hand. Bob, who is to the dealer's immediate left, is given the first chance to draw. Bob discards two cards and receives two replacement cards from the top of the deck. Bob's discarded cards are not added to the deck, but removed from play. Carol now also chooses to draw two. Finally, Alice chooses to draw one.

Second betting round: Since there are no forced bets in later betting rounds, Bob is now first to act. He chooses to check, remaining in the hand without betting. Carol bets, adding $2 to the pot. Alice and Bob both call, each adding $2 to the pot. The pot now contains $12.

Second draw: Bob draws one. Carol opts not to draw any cards, keeping the four she has (known as standing pat). Alice draws one.

Third betting round: Bob checks again and Carol bets $4. Alice, this round, raises making the total bet $8. Bob folds and Carol calls the additional $4. The pot now contains $28.

Third draw: Since Bob has folded, Carol is now first to act. She opts to draw one. Alice stands pat (does not draw).

Last betting round: Carol checks and Alice bets $4. Carol calls.

Showdown: Alice shows 2♠4♣6♦9♥ for a nine-high badugi (or four card hand). Carol has 3♠5♦7♣8♥, an eight-high badugi. Carol wins the $36 pot.

Betting structures[edit]

In casino play, it is common to use a fixed limit and two blinds. The limit for the first two rounds of betting is called a small bet, while the limit for the third and fourth betting rounds is called a big bet and is generally double the small bet. The small blind is usually equal to half of a small bet, and the big blind is equal to a full small bet.

This game is also played pot-limit, half-pot-limit, and rarely, no-limit. These structures allow for more range in the amounts bet.

Strategy[edit]

Like other card games with a fixed order of play, position can be an important component in badugi strategy.^[1] Players who are last to act often have an opportunity to bluff since they are able to observe the actions of other players before they act. In addition, players in late position are able to determine the strength of their hand more accurately by observing the actions of other players. Overall, people tend to play Badugi tighter than other draw games, meaning they fold more hands pre-draw. This seems to be advisable to everyone.

When drawing one card, there are only ten cards which will fill the badugi, the members of the fourth suit which don't pair the other three cards. A player holding a badugi can use this to estimate odds. For example, a player with an 8 high hand, knows at most 5 cards (A to 8, less the three pairs) will fill an opponent's hand.

Another aspect of the strategy of badugi involves the number of people at the table. The more people there are at the table, the more likely there is to be a 4-card badugi. Bluffing with a 2 or 3 card hand is not usually advisable when playing at a 6-player table. When playing with fewer than 4 people, bluffing becomes potentially more effective with a three-card hand.^{[citation needed]}^[6]

If a player has a three-card badugi such as A♣2♠3♦3♥ in the first round, the probability of making a four-card badugi by the final draw is 51%. With a one-card draw, the chance of making a badugi is approximately 21% per draw.^[7]

In badugi, the pot odds often justify or contradict making a call or folding a hand.^[8]

References[edit]

^ ^a^b^c'Badugi Rules - How to Play Online Badugi Poker'. PokerStars.com. 2014-03-10. Retrieved 2015-06-06.
^ ^a^b'Badugi Rules'. somuchpoker.com. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
^'Rules of Poker Games: Badugi'. Pagat.com. 2014-12-30. Retrieved 2015-06-06.
^'Badugi - Planet Poker Online Rules'. Planetpoker.com. Archived from the original on 2015-04-01. Retrieved 2015-06-06.
^'Badugi Poker - Learn how to Play Badugi'. Badugiclub.com. Retrieved 2015-06-06.
^[1]Archived October 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
^'Badugi Odds Chart'. Badugiplayer.com. Retrieved 2015-06-06.
^'Badugi is your best of becoming a world class poker player'. Howtolearnpoker.net. 2011-05-30. Archived from the original on 2012-03-26. Retrieved 2015-06-06.

Introduction

Badugi is a poker-like game played with four-card hands. To win the pot at the showdown you need to have the lowest set of cards with no two cards of the same rank or suit, ace ranking low. The best possible hand is therefore A-2-3-4 with one card of each suit.

There is some controversy over the origin of this game, which has been played at least since the 1980's. Bill Rosmus reports that in the 1980's in Winnipeg, Canada it was played under the name Off Suit Lowball in the back room of pool halls and back room poker clubs. Bryan Micon says he has been told by several Korean players that it was also played in South Korea in the 1980's. L. Michael Riccardi tells me that Badugi is commonly played in prisons in the southern USA, for example in Florida, where it is known as Airborn.

Nick Wedd reports that the Korean word baduk, or badug refers to a black and white pattern. This gives rise to the Korean name baduk for the board game Go, played with black and white stones. In Korea, if you have a black and white pet dog, you might well give it the name 'badugi'. Two high-low games featuring the 'doogie' hand, a low four-card hand consisting of a different ranked card of each suit, were contributed to pagat.com in 2000 by Bob Procter's poker group in North Carolina, and published on pagat.com in 2002: Doogie and Buddys Game. They have suggested that the 'doogie' hand may have been named after the TV character Doogie Howser. Badugi started to become well-known in the USA around 2004, popularised by Paul 'Eskimo' Clark, who was a friend of at least one player from Bob Procter's group.

Any solid information on the history of Badugi or Off Suit Lowball before 1980 would be of great interest in helping to establish how old the game really is, and whether it was invented in Korea or North America, or even independently in both places.

The following explanation of how to play Badugi assumes that you are familiar with the general rules of poker.

Players, Cards and Hand Ranking

Badugi can be played by from 2 to 8 players, using a standard 52-card pack. The cards rank from Ace (low) up to King (high).

When comparing hands, within each hand all the cards must be different in suit and rank. If a player has more than one card of a suit, or two or more cards of matching rank, some cards must be eliminated to create a valid hand. Examples:

5-9-3-J: only one diamond can be used so this is a three-card hand J-5-3.
7-4-A-4: only one four can be used so this is also a three-card hand 7-4-A.
3-6-8-6: eliminating the 6 makes a valid three-card hand 8-6-3.
3-6-8-3: in this case two cards must be removed - a club and a three - leaving a two-card hand 6-3.
10-10-10-8: this is another two-card hand 10-8.
6-5-4-2: only one heart can be used, so this is a one-card hand: 2.
8-K-5-Q: this is is a four-card hand, also known as a badugi, though not a particularly good one K-Q-8-5.

The rules for comparing hands are:

Any hand with more cards beats a hand with fewer cards. So a badugi beats any three-card hand, which beats any two-card hand, which beats any one-card hand.
Between hands with the same number of cards, compare the highest card. The hand with the lower top card is better.
If the highest cards of equal sized hands are equal, compare the second highest card, and the lower card wins. If these are also equal compare the third highest card (if present), and then the fourth highest.
If two hands have the same number of cards and the ranks of the cards are the same, the hands are equal. There is no ranking of suits.

Examples:

8-7-5-4 beats 9-4-3-2 because 8 is lower than 9.
10-7-5-4 beats 10-7-6-A because 5 is lower than 6.
K-Q-J-8 beats 3-2-A because any four cards beat any three cards.
If one player has 5-3-5-3 and another has K-Q-3-5 their hands are equal. These both reduce to two-card hands 5-3. The ranks of the unused cards and the suits of the cards are not considered. If these are the best two hands in the showdown the players split the pot.

The best hand, consisting of A, 2, 3, 4 in four different suits, is sometimes known as “the wheel”.

Deal, Draw and Betting

Badugi can be played as a fixed limit, pot limit or half pot limit game - see the betting page for explanation. As in any poker game, the turn to deal (or to have the dealer button if there is a non-playing dealer) passes clockwise after each hand. If there are more than two players, the player to dealer's left places a small blind, and the next player to the left places a big blind, which is normally twice as big as the small blind. In a 'heads up' (two player) game, the dealer places a small blind and the dealer's opponent a big blind.

The dealer deals four cards to each player, clockwise, face down, one at a time, and the players look at their hands. There is then a betting round, begun by the player to the left of the big blind. The minimum bet is normally equal to the big blind. If none of the other players does more than call, the player who placed the big blind is allowed to bet.

The players have three opportunities to improve their hands by drawing cards. Starting with the first active player to dealer's left, and continuing clockwise around to the dealer, each player states how many cards he or she wishes to exchange, discards that number of cards face down to the muck (discard pile), and is immediately given an equal number of replacement cards face down by the dealer. Players can exchange any number of cards from zero to four: exchanging no cards is known as 'standing pat'.

After each round of drawing, when each active player has had an opportunity to draw cards, there is a new betting round, begun by the first active player to the left of the dealer. There are therefore up to four betting rounds altogether: before the first draw and after each of the three rounds of drawing. In a fixed limit game, the size of the bet doubles after the second draw, so that the third and fourth betting rounds are played with big bets.

Showdown

If at any stage only one active player remains, that player takes the pot without showing any cards.

If there is more than one active player at the end of the last betting round, there is a showdown in which the active players display their cards in turn, beginning with the last player who bet or raised in the final betting round, or with the first active player to dealer's left if all checked in the final betting round.

Players show all four cards, even if because of duplicate ranks or suits they only have a three-card, two-card or one-card hand. The cards speak for themselves, and the holder of the best hand wins the pot. If two or more players tie for best hand they divide the pot equally between them.

Poker Variations Games

Variations

L. Michael Riccardi described the following variations.

Poker Variations Badugi Games

Progressive Badugi

A qualifying limit is specified in advance, for example that in order to win a showdown a hand must be 'airborn' (i.e. a four-card badugi) with no card higher than a 9. If the showdown stage is reached and no one has a qualifying hand the cards are thrown in, the pot remains, and there is a new deal to all players at the table. The game may be played with a different limit (for example 10) or other qualifying conditions - for example three-card hands with a pair may qualify.

Progressive Badugi with a Buy

The above game is sometimes played in a format where each player has one open card and two opportunities to buy a card at the end. Assuming that the qualifying limit is 9 or lower, the process is as follows:

The dealer deals one card face up to each player, burning any card that is 10 or higher.
Three times, the dealer deals one card face down to each player, which is followed by a round of betting.
At this point each player has one face up and three face down cards. Now each player has two opportunities to improve their hand by buying a card in exchange for one of their cards: the dealer specifies the price to be paid to the pot for buying a card before the start of the game.
There is then a final round of betting and a showdown.

[The exact buying procedure was not explained to me. Presumably players must see the card on sale before deciding whether to buy it, as it would never be worth paying to exchange for an unknown card.]

Other Badugi web sites

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A Badugi strategy guide is available on the playlowballpoker website.

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