Badugi
Encyclopedia
Draw poker
Draw poker is any poker variant in which each player is dealt a complete hand before the first betting round, and then develops the hand for later rounds by replacing, or "drawing", cards....
poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
variant similar to triple draw, but with hand values not dissimilar to lowball
Lowball (poker)
Some forms of poker, often called lowball, sometimes called low poker, reward poor poker hands . There are four common variations on this idea, differing in whether aces are treated as high cards or low cards, and whether or not straights and flushes are used. The methods are:* Ace-to-five low:...
. The betting structure and overall play of the game is identical to a standard poker game using blinds
Blind (poker)
The blinds are forced bets posted by players to the left of the dealer button in flop-style poker games. The number of blinds is usually two, but it can range from none to three....
, 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 a gambling game with the object being to win money in the form of pots
Pot (poker)
The pot in poker refers to the sum of money that players wager during a single hand or game, according to the betting rules of the variant being played...
. The winner of the pot is the person with the best badugi hand at the conclusion of play (known as the showdown
Showdown (poker)
In poker, the showdown is a situation when, if more than one player remains after the last betting round, remaining players expose and compare their hands to determine the winner or winners....
).
Originating in the U.S. in about 2000, Badugi is now played in cardroom
Cardroom
A cardroom or card room is a gaming establishment that exclusively offers card games for play by the public. The term poker room is generally synonymous, since the gambling games played in such establishments are typically, and sometimes exclusively, variations of poker such as Texas hold 'em.Such...
s around the world and online
Online poker
Online poker is the game of poker played over the Internet. It has been partly responsible for a dramatic increase in the number of poker players worldwide...
..
Play of the hand
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 blindBlind (poker)
The blinds are forced bets posted by players to the left of the dealer button in flop-style poker games. The number of blinds is usually two, but it can range from none to three....
(or the player to the left of the dealer, if no blinds are used) and continuing clockwise
Clockwise
Circular motion can occur in two possible directions. A clockwise motion is one that proceeds in the same direction as a clock's hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back to the top...
. 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).
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
Showdown (poker)
In poker, the showdown is a situation when, if more than one player remains after the last betting round, remaining players expose and compare their hands to determine the winner or winners....
, if necessary.
If at anytime 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.
Badugi (바둑이) is a very popular game in South Korea, where the game is thought to have originated. One theory suggests that the name Badugi comes from the generic name given to a dog that has spots or patches of different color on its coat, originated from Baduk. This is symbolic of the rules of the game, as winning hands consist of completely different suits and values. Furthermore, the three rounds of burying hands for lower ones are called breakfast (아침), lunch (점심), and supper (저녁). This is representative of feeding Badugi the three meals. There are however problems with this theory, the main being that there is no word in the Korean language that actually means 'Spotted Dog'. The word Badugi is only ever used to talk about Badugi Poker which basically debunks the Spotted Dog theory. The truth of the matter is that no one really knows the true origin of the name Badugi.
Hand evaluation
Badugi has a different ranking of hands than traditional pokerPoker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
. A badugi hand consists of one to four cards (from among the four cards in a player's hand) with distinct ranks and suits. Thus duplicates of suit or of rank are disregarded. Any four-card badugi hand beats a three-card badugi hand, a three-card badugi hand beats a two-card badugi hand, and a two-card badugi hand beats a one-card badugi hand. A four-card badugi hand consisting of all four suits
Suit (cards)
In playing cards, a suit is one of several categories into which the cards of a deck are divided. Most often, each card bears one of several symbols showing to which suit it belongs; the suit may alternatively or in addition be indicated by the color printed on the card...
is called a "badugi".
Two badugi hands containing the same number of cards are evaluated by comparing the highest card in each hand (where ace
Ace
An ace is a playing card. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the case of the Ace of Spades...
is low). As in lowball
Lowball (poker)
Some forms of poker, often called lowball, sometimes called low poker, reward poor poker hands . There are four common variations on this idea, differing in whether aces are treated as high cards or low cards, and whether or not straights and flushes are used. The methods are:* Ace-to-five low:...
, the hand with the lower 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 comparison of two hands.
Thus the best possible hand is A234 of four different suits. The worst possible hand is .
Here are a few examples:
beats (both are four-card hands) since the highest card is compared first and the is smaller than . beats since the former is a four-card hand and the latter is a three-card hand. (The is disregarded as a duplicate spade, so the hand is a three-card 247.) loses to . They reduce to the three-card hands A2J and A59. beats ; both are three-card hands, but the highest in the former is the while the highest in the latter is the . beats as the former is a three-card hand (after disregarding the ) 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
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" (see blind
Blind (poker)
The blinds are forced bets posted by players to the left of the dealer button in flop-style poker games. The number of blinds is usually two, but it can range from none to three....
), 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 for a nine-high badugi (or four card hand). Carol has , an eight-high badugi. Carol wins the $36 pot.
Betting structures
In casino play, it is common to use a fixed limitBetting (poker)
In the game of poker, the play largely centers on the act of betting, and as such, a protocol has been developed to speed up play, lessen confusion, and increase security while playing...
and two blind
Blind (poker)
The blinds are forced bets posted by players to the left of the dealer button in flop-style poker games. The number of blinds is usually two, but it can range from none to three....
s. 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
Big bet
In a fixed-limit poker game, a big bet is the larger of two fixed bet amounts. A big bet is used in the final rounds of a game to increase the pot amount and thereby enable the possibility of a bluff. Big bets are generally double the wager of the initial or small 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 no-limit. These structures allow for more range in the amounts bet.
Strategy
Badugi shares many strategic similarities with other forms of draw pokerDraw poker
Draw poker is any poker variant in which each player is dealt a complete hand before the first betting round, and then develops the hand for later rounds by replacing, or "drawing", cards....
, and many of the strategic concepts used in draw apply to badugi as well. In general, drawing on the last round against an opponent who has not drawn is considered a mistake, unless special circumstances warrant this maneuver.
Like other card games with a fixed order of play, position
Position (poker)
Position in poker refers to the order in which players are seated around the table and the related poker strategy implications. Players who act first are in "early position"; players who act later are in "late position". A player "has position" on opponents acting before him and is "out of...
can be an important component in badugi strategy. Players who are last to act often have an opportunity to bluff
Bluff (poker)
In the card game of poker, a bluff is a bet or raise made with a hand which is not thought to be the best hand. To bluff is to make such a bet. The objective of a bluff is to induce a fold by at least one opponent who holds a better hand. The size and frequency of a bluff determines its...
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.
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 thru 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. However, when you are playing with fewer than 4 people, bluffing becomes more effective with a three-card hand.
If a player has a three card badugi such as in the first round the odds of you making a four card badugi by the final draw is 51%. If all players are still drawing is the best possible hand so betting or raising is the proper strategy to maximize your overall win rate. If you have a one card draw your chance of making a Badugi is roughly 21% per draw.
In badugi the pot odds
Pot odds
In poker, pot odds are the ratio of the current size of the pot to the cost of a contemplated call. Pot odds are often compared to the probability of winning a hand with a future card in order to estimate the call's expected value....
justify or contradict making a call or folding a hand. Therefore it is very important to always keep in mind the important probability percentages and draw chances. If you can guess how many out
Out (poker)
In a poker game with more than one betting round, an out is any unseen card that, if drawn, will improve a player's hand to one that is likely to win. Knowing the number of outs a player has is an important part of poker strategy. For example in draw poker, a hand with four diamonds has nine outs...
s you have in order to beat your opponent then you can calculate the percentage of hitting your hand compared to the size of the call with the pot. Based on this information you should maximize the expected value of your bet. For example you have 9 outs from 47 cards. Your chance of hitting is 19.1%. Now let’s assume the pot is $10 and you have to call $2, so your pot odds are 16,6% (=2/(10+2)). This means the chance of hitting your hand is higher than the odds you have to call, so in this example you should make the call to make a profit in the long run.