Badugi Poker Rules - Learn How to Play Badugi

Badugi is a unique variant of draw poker that has gained global popularity for its unique hand rankings and gameplay. It's a four-card lowball poker variant where players must make the best "badugi" - four cards with no duplicates in rank or suit.

More commonly found in cash games, it is on rotation for high-stakes mixed games and is part of other mixed-game variants like Badeucy and Badacy. However, in more recent years, Badugi has secured events at the prestigious World Series of Poker.

Strap in, because this is a fun one! Here we will go over the poker rules for Badugi, help you learn how to play and give you the best real money sites where you can play Badugi yourself!

• What is Badugi Poker?
• How to Play Badugi
• Badugi Gameplay
• Hand Rankings Breakdown
• Best Badugi Tips and Strategies
• How to Play Real Money Online Badugi

What is Badugi Poker?

Badugi truly is one of the most interesting and unique poker variants. While it falls under the classification of a Draw poker game, its hand rankings make it unlike any other form of poker.

Originating in Asia, the name allegedly comes from the Korean word baduk or badug which refers to a black and white pattern, with badugi a common name for a black and white spotted dog. The board game Go was called baduk in Korean.

Badugi involves each player initially getting four hole cards - no community cards are dealt. The game then acts like any other draw game. While lowball draw games require you to make the lowest possible hand, Badugi goes one step further and requires you to make the lowest four-card hand with each card being a different suit. This makes it even more unpredictable that standard draw games, with bluffing being a key element of success in Badugi.

How to Play Badugi

The basic rules of Badugi follow the same structure as other popular draw games like 2-7 Triple Draw and 5-Card Draw. While there is no flop, there is a pre-draw betting round, then subsequent betting rounds after each draw. Badugi is usually played as fixed limit, and each draw players may choose to discard between zero (standing pat) and four cards. Here's more on how to play Badugi.

Badugi Rules

• Blinds
• Cards
• Draws
• Betting
• Winning the Pot
• Hand Rankings

Blinds
Badugi is played with a button as well as a small and big blind. Action before the first draw starts with the player directly next (clockwise) to the big blind. After the first draw, the small blind acts first, then the big blind and the action continues clockwise around the table.

Cards
Each player is dealt four cards each, face down. There are no community cards and any cards discarded by players in draw rounds will no be recycled back into the deck for that hand.

Draws
Each player in turn decides how many cards they want to discard at each draw. There are three draws in total, and a player can discard none, one, two, three or all four of their cards during any draw.

Betting
There are four betting rounds in total in Badugi. The first happens after player are dealt their initial cards (before any draw). There is then another betting round following the subsequent second draw. The third betting round precedes the final draw. After the final draw there is a fourth and final betting round, after which the hand goes to showdown.

Winning the Pot
After the final betting round ends, the remaining players in the hand then go to Showdown. At this point, the player with the best possible Badugi hand wins the entire pot. Given that both suit and value of the cards are taken into account, it's rarer to have split-pots in Badugi (where both players have identical hands) compared to other forms of poker. However, when two or more players have the same hand, the pot is split equally.

Hand Rankings
Given that suit comes into play in Badugi, the hand rankings can get a little bit complicated. You're essentially looking to make the lowest possible hand where all four cards are different suit - E.g. Ax2x3x4x. Four cards being suited differently is the most important factor. Here are five golden rules to remember to help you get to grips with Badugi hand rankings:

• If two or more cards share a suit, only the lowest-valued card counts
• If two or more cards share the same value, only one of the cards counts
• Straights are not a thing in Badugi - you're just looking to get the lowest four-card hand possible with all different suits
• Aces are low, so the best possible Badugi hand is Ax2x3x4x all of different suit
• A hand with four differently suited cards (known as a Badugi) each with a different value beats any other hand that has a pair or three or fewer different suits

Read More: George Danzer Discusses Betting and Bluffing in Badugi

Badugi Gameplay

In terms of Badugi gameplay, a typical hand follows a similar structure to other draw games. Here's how a Badugi hand would look.

1. Pre-draw Betting Round
2. 1st Draw
3. 2nd Betting Round
4. 2nd Draw
5. 3rd Betting Round
6. Final Draw
7. Final Betting Round
8. Showdown

Pre-draw Betting Round
Play starts with a round of betting before any draws are made. The action starts with the player next to the big blind (clockwise) and moves round the table. Players can either fold, call (matching the bet amount of the big blind) or raise to a larger amount.

1st Draw
Once betting has concluded, players now get the option to pick cards they want to discard from their hand. These cards are permanently discarded for the rest of the hand, and they will get a new random card from the remainder of the deck. Players can choose to discard however many cards they want. If they don't want to discard any cards this is called Standing Pat. They can alternatively discard all four of their cards if they wish to. Play starts with the small blind before continuing clockwise around the table.

2nd Betting Round
A second round of betting takes place, this time starting with the small blind and proceeding around the table clockwise. If the small blind is not in the hand, the closest remaining player to the small going clockwise around the table will act first.

2nd Draw
A second drawing round then takes place, following the same format as the first.

3rd Betting Round
Next up is the third round of betting, with table action being the same as the previous betting round.

Final Draw
One final draw takes place, giving players the last opportunity to make the best Badugi hand they can. The format is the same as the two previous drawing rounds.

Final Betting Round
One final round of betting then takes place, again with the small blind (or closest player clockwise to the small blind) opening the action.

Showdown
Once the final round of betting has concluded, it goes to showdown. The player with the best hand takes the pot.

Hand Rankings Breakdown

We will be honest with you, the hand rankings in Badugi are among the most complex of all the variants. However, they're deceptively quick to learn and once you get the hang of it, it's a lot simpler than it first seems. Knowing the hand rankings and what beats what in Badugi is crucial to understanding how to play the game, but once mastered it opens you up to enjoy one of the most tactical, strategic poker variants.

The Best Badugi Hands

Players are aiming to make a hand with each card being a different suit (called a Badugi). This is the most important thing, so a four-card Badugi beats a hand with three or fewer cards that are a different suit, regardless of the value. If both players have four different suits in their hand (a Badugi), the player with the lowest card wins. If both players have the same low card, you go to the next low card, and then the next, and if all three cards have equal value then the fourth card is used to determine who wins.

Therefore, the best possible hand in Badugi is Ax2x3x4x, where all four cards are different suit.

Here are some sample hands:

• 4♠3♥2♣A♦ - 4-high, four-card rainbow hand = 4-high badugi
• 6♥5♣4♦3♠ - 6-high, four-card rainbow hand = 6-high badugi
• 9♣7♦6♠2♥ - 9-high, four-card rainbow hand = 9-high badugi
• K♦Q♠J♥10♣ - King-high, four-card rainbwo hand = King-high badugi

Here are the top ten Badugi hands, assuming that each card is a different suit.

Read More: Thinking Outside the Hold’em Box: Badugi

Badugi Opening Ranges and Best Starting Hands

Here are some two- and three-card badugi starting hands that you can use the next time you're playing badugi.

Three-Card Badugi Starting Hands
In badugi, starting off with three cards of different suites under five is a really strong position. Hands like the following should be played from any position, drawing one after the first round of betting:

• A♣2♠3♥
• A♦2♣4♦
• 2♦4♠5♥
• 2♥3♦5♣
• 2♠4♣5♦

Three-Card Badugi Starting Hands
Although not as strong as a three-card starting hand, you can often play very strong two-card badugi starting hands from late position, drawing two after the first round of betting:

• A♣2♠
• 2♥3♦
• A♥3♠
• 2♣4♥
• A♣4♦

Read More: Badugi WSOP Mixed Games Strategy

Best Badugi Tips and Strategies

Strategy is even more important when it comes to playing Badugi poker. In No-Limit Hold'em, you can sit and wait to get a monster hand, but these are rarer in Badugi. You're more likely to have to play through betting and drawing rounds to reach a nutted hand, and even then strategy comes into play to extract maximum value from your opponents.

Here are some of the top Badugi tips and strategies to implement at the tables, so you can start crushing Badugi.

Top 5 Badugi Tips

1. Players bluff less in Badugi
2. Position is HUGE
3. Watch how many cards your opponents draw
4. Pay attention at showdown
5. Don't overplay high Badugis

1. Players bluff less in Badugi
Badugi is often a fixed-limit game, meaning you can only bet one or two times the big blind. For this reason, players are always getting fantastic odds to call. Of course, that doesn't mean you should call every time you face a bet, but it's something to take note of.

Players know their opponent only needs to call a small amount in proportion to the pot, so know bluffing is less impactful. However, knowing that your opponent knows this means you can use this to your advantage as well by attempting to get cheap bluffs through.

2. Position is HUGE
Position is important in any form of poker, but in draw games this is amplified. This is because not only do you get information on your opponents' hands based on the action they make during the betting round, but also if they act before you you'll know how many cards they're drawing.

WSOP bracelet winner George Danzer says that you shouldn't be drawing three or four from early position, otherwise you'll be putting yourself at a disadvantage.

3. Watch how many cards your opponents draw
As mentioned in the previous point, position is key. But even if you don't 'have position' on opponents, the number of cards they draw is still valuable information you can use. This is because it's a crucial indicator of hand strength in Badugi, as nobody with a strong three or four-card hand will be drawing two or more cards.

Equally, if your opponent is drawing two or more cards on the final drawing round and you have a Badugi, you know you had them beat before the final draw was made. If they then bet, sure they might have made a lower Badugi, but in drawing two cards it's less likely they made a better one - even if they bet. The bet may be a bluff or them overplaying their hand. Either way, chances are you still have the best hand, as they would have needed to hit two perfect cards that are unique in suit and value. It's information like this with drawing that you can use to make more informed decisions in the hand.

4. Pay attention at showdown
GTO (Game Theory Optimal) is becoming more and more popular in No-Limit Hold'em. There are plenty of sites and poker training tools, like GTO Wizard, that can teach you exactly the correct play in any spot based on GTO strategy. In Badugi, the lines of GTO are more blurred and difficult to pinpoint.

Many people playing Badugi, especially at lower stakes, will not have an efficient grasp of the game in terms of strategy and hand strength. As a result, opponents will often over or underplay hands and make frequent mistakes. Therefore, it's vital to pay attention at showdown to see the strength of your opponents' hands, to determine how much value they put on different hands. This information can be used to your advantage moving forward.

5. Don't overplay high Badugis
Badugis (four cards of different value and suit) are strong hands, but if you have a high Badugi it's important to not overplay it. Often, you'll see players standing pat on the first draw with a Badugi like K♠Q♥9♦6♣, and while this hand will beat any non-Badugi hand, if and when your opponent makes a Badugi, it's likely going to be a better one.

If, for example, your opponent is drawing one card from the first draw, it's a safe assumption that they have a fairly low three-card Badugi. They have three draws to hit one card of the different suit, and if they do it's likely it will beat your king-high Badugi. So, be careful to not overplay high Badugis, especially early on in the hand.

Top 5 Badugi Strategies

1. Use the 'Snow' play
2. Tight is still right
3. Don't slow play
4. Don't always chase Badugis
5. Punish frequent drawers

1. Use the 'Snow' play
'Snowing' in Badugi is standing pat with weak or non-made hands. This is done as a bluff, and can be hugely effective. For instance, if you stand pat from the first draw and bet at each round, it's tough for your opponent to call you down to showdown without making a strong Badugi themselves - which is unlikely.

Also, let's say you draw one on the second drawing round and pair your hand, giving you 2♠4♥Q♣K♣, you only have a three-card Badugi and not a particularly low one either. Chances are you won't improve on the final drawing round, as you'd need a diamond and even then you'd still only have a king-high Badugi. Therefore, if you know your opponent is still drawing, you could stand pat before the last draw to indicate strength and try to bluff your opponent off the pot in the final betting round.

2. Tight is still right
While it's true that you can always discard weak cards and draw any amount of cards to improve your hand, playing tight and choosing which hands you play with is still the right strategy. Starting with a strong, low three-card Badugi will always give you the best possible chance to win pots. As mentioned as well, position is crucial, so pick and choose your spots to play.

3. Don't slow play
With Badugi often being fixed-limit, slow playing doesn't make sense. Opponents have more incentive to call as the amount is relatively lower, giving them greater pot odds. Therefore, betting your made hands is essential in order for you to get value.

4. Don't always chase Badugis
If you have a high three-card Badugi and are facing multiple opponents and/or opponents who are drawing one or standing pat, it might be the case that even if you hit your four-card Badugi, it won't be good enough to win the hand. If you do have a starting hand of a three-card Badugi, you only have 51% of improving to a four-card Badugi by showdown.

Therefore, don't always chase making a Badugi. Instead, give up on hands with weaker potential early on, or stand pat and bluff your weaker hands to try to steal the pot. While the bets are one or two big blinds each time, these can add up if you're chasing a Badugi every hand.

5. Punish frequent drawers
Opponents are less likely to call you at the final betting round unless they've made a good hand, but are more likely to call when they still have a chance to draw to a strong Badugi. Therefore, you should charge these draws early on by betting when you have a strong hand. In the long-term, if they're frequently playing hands and trying to hit their miracle draws, you can win significantly by betting in the right spots.

Badugi at the World Series of Poker (WSOP)

Badugi is not the most popular poker variant, but it is growing and remains hugely popular among its smaller, loyal fan base. In 2023, the WSOP launched a new, Badugi-specific event which it has now run for the last three years. This is vital in growing the game, as it gets more eyes globally on a relatively unplayed variant (that is one of the funnest poker games you can play!). Here are the past winners of the WSOP Badugi events.

How to Play Real Money Online Badugi

Badugi isn't widely offered among online poker sites, despite the entertaining gameplay it brings. However, some sites do provide Badugi cash games and real money tournaments. Here's how and where to play Badugi.

Badugi on PokerStars

PokerStars is definitely the best site if you're looking for real money Badugi. It offers several cash games and tournaments, so you'll never struggle to find a table at all stakes. What's more, something we love is that Badugi is making more and more appearances as events in one of PokerStars' many Series it hosts throughout the year.

Another great thing about Badugi on PokerStars is the UX and software. It's smooth and easy, something crucial for online Badugi gameplay because you have to manually select cards to discard at each draw. Overall, PokerStars is a great option for playing online Badugi.

How to Play Badugi on PokerStars
To get started playing, just follow these simple steps.

1. Click the PokerNews link below to get the best PokerStars welcome bonus
2. Register your details and signup for a PokerStars account
3. Download and install the software
4. Login and navigate to the 'Tournaments' or 'Cash Games' lobby (depending on what format you want to play)
5. Browse the games available and join the table that suits what you're after

Badugi Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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