Badugi
Online Badugi is a new
game taking the online poker
room world by storm. It is
an action-packed casino game
combining the most exciting
elements of poker with a new
spin on hand values and
psychology.
Online Badugi is a four
card version of triple draw,
lowball poker where you must
try to have one card of each
suit, and no pairs. If you
are holding four different
cards of four different
suits then you are holding a
Badugi!
Online Badugi uses the
same blind (forced bet)
structure of other poker
games, with the two players
to the left of the dealer
paying the small and the big
blind respectively.
Each player is dealt 4
cards in a clockwise
direction starting from the
player on the Small Blind.
Cards are dealt to each
player one card at a time.
Once everyone has their 4
cards the action begins with
the player to the left of
the Big Blind and continues
around the table in a
clockwise direction.
Each player has 3
options, at this stage, fold
their hand, call the big
blind (bet equal to the big
blind) or raise (bet a
higher amount). Once all
players have acted, all
players remaining in the
hand can then discard any
number of cards in their
hand, and be dealt new
cards. Players can of course
keep all their cards in any
round if they are confident
of the cards they hold. If a
player draws no cards in one
round they can still draw in
subsequent rounds if they
feel they need to improve
their hand.
After the first round
players again have three
options, they can check, bet
or fold. If 1 player bets
all other players have to
equal that bet amount or
fold before the next draw
takes place.
There is then a third
betting round which is
followed by a final draw.
After the final draw
there is a final betting
round which is followed by a
showdown.
At the showdown the
player with the lowest
Badugi wins, A-2-3-4 all
different suits is the best
hand.
If no player has a Badugi
(ie they have a pair or they
have 2 cards of the same
suit) then one card of their
pair or same suit doesn't
count so player with the
best three or two card hand
wins. So 5-6-9-K beats
A-2-3-3 and 6-7-7-8 beats
A-A-2-2.
