Badugi is a fun draw poker variant that’s become popular worldwide thanks to its unique hand ranking system and intriguing gameplay. The challenge is to make the best badugi – a four-hand hand with no repeated suits or ranks. Keep reading for the lowdown on this entertaining lowball poker variant.

What Is Badugi Poker?

Sooner or later, players looking for types of poker other than Texas Hold’em will come across badugi. It’s an intriguing spin on low-hand poker that offers a unique gaming experience – and badugi tournaments even feature in the World Series of Poker.

Origins and History of Badugi

The origins of different poker names are often shrouded in mystery, and badugi is no exception. Does the name “badugi” come from the Korean word “baduk,” referring to a black-and-white pattern? Did it come from South Korea in the 1970s, or was it popularized in Winnipeg, Canada, in the 1980s? Did poker pro Paul “Eskimo” Clark invent the game in Vietnam, or did he just bring it from that country to the US? There isn’t much evidence to back up any of these claims.

How Badugi Differs From Other Draw Games

The basic difference between badugi and other different types of poker based on drawing cards is that a winning badugi hand will usually lose if played in other variants. That’s because the badugi hand rankings are totally different, and the goal is to avoid having pairs or suited cards.

Badugi Poker Rules and Gameplay

Badugi is one of those types of poker you can play with friends or at tournament level. It’s easy to learn how to play badugi, and the gameplay offers a satisfying challenge.

Objective of the Game

If you’ve only played Texas Hold’em poker game variations, badugi will come as a surprise. That’s because the goal is to form the lowest possible four-card hand with no repeated suits or pairs. Aces are low, so the best badugi hand is A-2-3-4 unsuited. 

Number of Players and the Deal

Badugi is a game for two to eight players. The player to the dealer’s left puts in the small blind at the start of the game, and the player to the small blind’s left puts in the big blind. The dealer then deals four cards to each player, face down and one at a time.

Betting Rounds and Drawing Phases

Here’s how this lesser-known poker variant plays out. Once cards have been dealt, players look at their hands, the player to the left of the big blind initiates play, and other players follow, either calling, raising, or folding in turn.

Next comes the first drawing round. Starting with the small blind, each player can discard as many cards as they want face down and draw cards to replace them. Players happy with their hands can choose to stand pat (not discard any cards). Once all draw cards have been dealt, another betting round takes place.

Three more rounds of betting take place, each followed by a drawing round. Then, after the final betting round, it’s the showdown.

The Showdown: Determining the Winner

So who’s the final badugi boss? If more than one player has a four-card hand at showdown, the winner is the player with the lowest high card. Players with the same high card compare their next highest cards, with the lowest being the winner. If there is no four-card hand, the same logic applies to any three-, two-, or one-card hands in play.

Understanding Badugi Hand Rankings

The perfect badugi hand is unsuited A-2-3-4, but this variant has many more poker hand rankings. In fact, you can play a hand consisting of one, two, three, or four cards.

A four-card hand is achieved by holding any four cards without pairs or matching suits.

Any repeated suits or pairs will reduce the number of cards in play accordingly. Say you are holding A♠2♣2❤️3♦️ . Because you have a pair of twos, this gives you a three-card hand of A-2-3.

Now say your opponent is holding A♠3❤️4♣8♣. The rule is that if there are cards in the same suit, only the lowest is kept. In this case, the opponent is left with A-3-4.

Since your highest card is lower than their highest card, you win the hand.

Strategy Tips for Playing Badugi

Badugi isn’t the most complex poker game out there, and a basic badugi strategy guide should stand you in good stead.

First, track your opponents. Did anyone stand pat from the first deal? Did anyone draw more than two cards? Who called instead of raising? These are all clues as to your opponents’ holdings, and the best badugi poker strategy will factor them all in.

Second, if you have a four-card hand, it’s generally best to stand pat rather than drawing to improve it. If you’re going into the last drawing round with a three-card hand and opponents draw, it’s also a good time to stand pat – unless you’ve mastered the best badugi bluffing techniques, that is.

Third, unless you have a good four-card hand, a good badugi poker tip is to fold to aggressive betting. The odds of drawing in later rounds to improve on a poor hand aren’t good. As a result, in badugi, it’s more common to fold in the first drawing round than in other draw poker games.

This makes badugi one of the best types of poker for beginners with a cautious approach.

Common Mistakes To Avoid in Badugi

As with most popular poker variants, the biggest challenge is to keep a cool head. If you’re playing a full badugi game with eight players, the pot can grow very fast. This is exciting, but it can also lead to errors of judgment. The most common error is to get involved in the pot without a solid hand of at least three cards. The second is to chase the pot in hopes of drawing the right cards. Overall, the odds don’t favor this approach.

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