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Badugi poker is a variation of draw poker with an Asian origin. Its name loosely translates to Baduug or Baduk in Korean, meaning Black and White spotted dog.
It became popular after appearing in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) mixed game event.
Badugi also has a unique hand ranking and gameplay that puts it up there with the most exciting poker formats.
If you want to start playing Badugi, this guide is all for you. We will show you Badugi poker rules and hand ranking. You’ll also learn the strategies for gaining an edge over your opponents. Keep reading!
- Your goal in Badugi is to get the lowest four cards of different suits and ranks.
- The four-card Badugi hand is the best.
- If you want to win in Badugi, learn hand ranking, how to read your opponents, and how to bluff.
- It is very important to manage your funds and play responsibly. If you want to make the most of your bankroll, set a budget for enough buy-ins and avoid reckless betting.
What Is Badugi Poker?
Badugi is a lowball draw poker where you must assemble the best four-card hand. Unlike other lowball games, all four cards in this game must be of different suits and pairs.
A four-card hand of different suits and ranks is known as complete or perfect Badugi. Although perfect Badugi is the goal, you can also win with three, two, or one card Badugi.
Key Terminology in Badugi Poker
Badugi game has its own unique lingo, and we have compiled some of the most frequently used terms in this game below, to give you a solid grasp of the basics:
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Made Badugi | A four-card hand with four different ranks and suits. Example: A♥ 3♣ 4♠ 6♦ |
| Suit | A category a card belongs to: hearts, diamonds, spades, or clubs |
| Pair | Two cards of the same rank. Example: 8♦ 8♠ |
| Wheel | The best possible Badugi, made of A, 2, 3, and 4, all different suits |
| Lowball | A poker format where lower-ranked hands beat higher-ranked hands |
| Draw | Discarding one or more cards and receiving new ones to improve your hand |
| Blind | Forced bets posted before the cards are dealt to start the action |
| Fold | Giving up your hand and exiting the pot |
| Call | Matching the current bet to stay in the hand |
| Raise | Increasing the current bet |
| Check | Passing the action without betting when no bet has been made |
| Stand Pat | Choosing not to draw any cards |
| Snow | Standing pat without a made Badugi |
| Bluff | Betting or standing pat with a weak hand to make opponents fold |
Check out our poker glossary to learn other commonly used terminologies in poker.
Basic Rules of Badugi Poker
Now that you know the game lingo, let’s dive into Badugi rules and how to play the game:
Deck and Setup Requirements
Badugi is played with 52 cards and a maximum of 9 players. The goal is simple: you must acquire the lowest four-card hands. And each of them must be of different suits and pairs.
To kickstart the game, the button position is first selected. According to the Badugi procedure in the Pennsylvania Code, this can either be the person to the right of the dealer or a player elected by the rank of a single card dealt. But some other casinos and online poker sites may use a different system.
After choosing the button position, the two players to its left contribute blinds to the pot. Next, the dealer deals four private cards to everyone at the table. The small blind gets the first cards. Next, the player to the left of the big blind places the first bet. Action continues in a clockwise motion and ends on the button. Then, the first draw starts. After the draw, players bet again, followed by another drawing round. Altogether, there are four betting rounds, and three draws in Badugi poker.
Below is a detailed explanation of how Badugi betting and drawing rounds proceed:
Blinds
Two players to the immediate left of the button act as blinds. Their role is to post ante (the first initial bet that keeps the game in play) to the pot. The player to the immediate left of the button, small blind, posts a fixed amount (e.g., $5) to the pot. Next, the big blind posts a higher bet, often double the size of the small blind. After the blinds, players receive 4 cards each, and the first betting round ensues.
Betting Structure and Drawing Rounds
Badugi poker features a total of four betting rounds or streets and three draws. Here is what each entails
✅ First/Pre-draw Betting Round
After the cards are dealt, the player to the left of the big blind casts the first bet. This continues clockwise and ends on the button. To place their bet, players can either call, raise, or fold. Note that Badugi is a fixed limit game, so the highest bet is capped at 2x the size of the big blind.
✅ First Draw
After the first bet, the table opens for players to draw new cards. You can draw any number of cards you desire. Once you discard a card, it is removed from the round.
✅ Second Betting Round
After the first draw, another betting round commences. Players once again take turns placing another bet – fold, call, raise, check.
✅ Second Draw
The second draw takes place after the second round of betting. As usual, you can draw as many cards as you need to improve your hand.
✅ Third Betting Round and Draw
After the second draw, players stake again. After the bets, the remaining players who have not folded can draw new cards. This will be the third and final draw of the game.
✅ Fourth/Final Betting Round
After the third draw, the final betting round ensues. The last men standing after that proceed to the showdown.
✅ Showdown Procedure
Here, remaining players display their hand, and the best Badugi hand wins. Of course, you need four cards of different suits and ranks to make a Badugi. If multiple players have four-card Badugi, their highest cards are compared, and the lowest of the high cards wins. If there is still a tie, the dealer moves to the third-highest card, and the lowest wins. If there is no four-card Badugi, the lowest 3-card Badugi determines the winner.
Understanding Badugi Hand Rankings
Badugi poker uses a different hand ranking, which may take some time to learn. However, once you get a grip of it, you can easily develop your game plan, master poker hand reading, and enjoy the game more.
Before we dive into Badugi poker hand rankings, let’s set some ground rules first:
- The perfect Badugi is the four-card Badugi comprising four cards of different suits and ranks. e. g, 2 hearts, 5 spades, 6 diamonds, 8 clubs
- Ace represents low (1) in Badugi poker.
- If a hand comprises 2 suited cards, the lowest card counts.
- If a hand consists of multiple cards of the same rank, only one counts
- Straights are not bonus or special cards in Badugi. What matters most is that your cards are unsuited and unpaired
Now that that is out of the way, below are the most common Badugi poker hand rankings from best to worst
1️⃣ Complete/ 4-card Badugi Hand
These are four cards of different suits and ranks.
Examples:
- 4-high four card Badugi: This means that 4 is the highest card in the hand, e.g, 4 spade, 3 club, 2 heart, Ace diamond.
- 5-high four-card Badugi: The highest card in the hand is 5. E.g, 5 diamond, 4 heart, 3 spade, Ace club
- King-high four-card Badugi: The King is the highest card in this hand. e.g, King of hearts, 10 diamond, 5 club, 3 spade, etc
2️⃣ 3-card Badugi Hand
This hand consists of 3 unsuited or unpaired cards, i.e., at least 2 cards share the same suits.
Example:
In this case, 5 and 3 are suited, and only the lowest card (3 hearts) is retained.
3️⃣ 2-card Badugi Hand
In this hand, only 2 cards have a unique suit and rank.
Examples:
With only one of the suited cards making the final cut, the card is counted as 8 spades – 4 clubs
- 5 spade, 4 spade, 4 clubs, 4 diamond.
In this case, only one of the trips stands, and the hand is counted as 5 spade – 4 club at showdown
4️⃣ 1-card Badugi Hand
A hand with one uniquely suited or ranked card.
Examples:
This is counted as 4 diamond with the rest of the card discarded.
- 5 diamond, 5 club, 5 heart, 5 diamond. Only one card is retained, and the other part of the quad is discarded.
5️⃣ Overall Best Badugi Hands
Even four-card Badugi hands are not created equal. They differ from each other in terms of the rank of cards that make the combo. Below we’ve compiled various four-card badugi hands from best to decent:
| Rank Tier | Badugi Hand | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Best possible | 4-high Badugi | A♠ 2♦ 3♥ 4♣ |
| Elite | 5-high Badugi | A♠ 2♦ 3♥ 5♣ |
| Elite | 6-high Badugi | A♠ 2♦ 3♥ 6♣ |
| Very strong | 7-high Badugi | A♠ 2♦ 4♥ 7♣ |
| Strong | 8-high Badugi | A♠ 3♦ 4♥ 8♣ |
| Decent | 9-high Badugi | 2♠ 3♦ 4♥ 9♣ |
| Marginal | T-high Badugi | 2♠ 4♦ 6♥ T♣ |
| Weak | J-high Badugi | 3♠ 5♦ 7♥ J♣ |
| Very weak | Q-high Badugi | 4♠ 6♦ 8♥ Q♣ |
| Worst made Badugi | K-high Badugi | 5♠ 7♦ 9♥ K♣ |
The 4-high Badugi is the best possible hand to aim for. There is always a good chance you will win the pot when you get it, except another player has the same hand. On the other hand, King high Badugi is weak. Consider drawing when you have it to improve your hand.
Advanced Badugi Poker Strategies
From how to navigate starting hands to the ideal number of cards to draw, different phases of Badugi poker require a completely different approach from other draw poker variants like 5-card draw poker.
After tracking 3,000+ hands of Badugi cash games, here is my personal approach for navigating common scenarios in Badugi Poker:
✅ Starting Hand Selection Principles
In Badugi, you stand about a 15-17% chance of improving your hand per drawing round, and roughly a 50% if you have a 3-card badugi before the first draw. Here is what this means:
- I prioritize low cards and hands with nut potential over high cards.
- I drew a three-card Badugi with a high under 6 from the start, because of my near 50% equity.
- I draw to a two-card Badugi with low hands (e.g, A-2, or A-3) from the start, especially when I’m in late position.
- I draw to improve my hand even though I have a king high complete Badugi. This is because of the high chance of someone making a lower 4-card hand in the round.
✅ Position-based Strategy Adjustments
The poker position you play matters a lot in a game of Badugi, as this determines how much info you’ll have on other players before placing your bet.
- I play cautiously or tightly in the early position, i.e, I draw fewer cards and bet smaller to prevent others from figuring out all my hand. If I have strong three hands, I definitely draw more cards, but fold poor starting hands to reduce losses.
- I press my advantage and bet aggressively when I have strong hands in late position to dominate the pot. Even if your hands are weak, leverage your position advantage to take more risks.
✅ Drawing Strategy
One of the most difficult challenges you’ll face in Badugi is choosing when to draw or stand pat. Here is my personal approach:
- I always draw in the early stage if I have a 3-card Badugi hand
- I discard the king early in a king-high Badugi hand to chase lower cards
- I stand pat in the final draw if I have a low 3-card Badugi hand and opponents are drawing two or more cards. This means my hands are stronger, or even better, I can force those with better hands into folding.
✅ Bluffing in Badugi Poker
Bluffing is an essential skill in Badugi poker that can give you an edge when deployed properly. After analyzing 2000+ experts’ plays, here are the recommended scenarios to bluff in poker and when to avoid it:
- Ideal Bluffing Scenarios in Badugi Poker
| Scenario | Trigger | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Early pat vs multi-card draw | Opponent draws 2–3 cards | Your range looks made; their equity erodes fast |
| Final street vs repeat drawer | Opponent never pats | Capped, often incomplete range |
| Snow after a broken pat | Opponent pats then breaks | Strength story collapses |
| One-card draw pressure | Opponent draws 2+ cards | Your hand improves; theirs doesn’t |
| Heads-up post-pat barrel | Opponent draws again | Consistent line forces folds |
As proficient as bluffing is, you also stand a chance of getting called out when you don’t do it properly. Below are some key scenarios where bluffing may be costly:
- When Bluffing is Inappropriate in Badugi:
| Scenario | Trigger | Why It Fails |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-way pot | 3+ players continue | Someone almost always connects or defends |
| Opponent stands pat early | Pat after the first draw | Range is strong and stable |
| Out of position | You act first | No draw info, no leverage |
| One-card draw opponent | Opponent draws 1 | Strong showdown range |
| Calling-station profile | The player rarely folds | Fold equity is near zero |
Bankroll Management for Badugi Players
Although Badugi poker is a pot limit game with controlled pot size, the multi-way nature of the game keeps the edge close. So you must have deep pockets to survive the swings in this game. Here are proven bankroll management tips I use to manage my funds in Badugi Poker.
✅ Appropriate Buy-in Levels
I start the game with enough bankroll for 20 buy-ins. This budget is estimated with big blinds in mind and not just the table stake because raises are common in multi-way street games. So if a game table stake is $4 and the big blind is around $12, my starting budget will be around ($240-$250) to accommodate raises.
✅ Bankroll Requirement for Different Stake Levels
Even though a bankroll for 20 buy-ins is a good start, I often need way more than this to play through.
Based on the table you’re playing at and your profile, here is the optimal bankroll size you’ll need when playing Badugi cash games:
- 300 big bets for cautious grinders
- 400–500 big bets for players moving up or facing tougher fields
- 600+ big bets for high-stakes or low-liquidity games
✅ Managing Variance in Badugi Games
While Badugi may not be as volatile as No Limit Texas Hold’em, you still need to prepare for the high swings in this game. Here are some simple tips that worked for me when it comes to managing variance in Badugi poker:
- Respect multi-street equity erosion
- Separate bankrolls by game type
- Reduce your stakes when confidence drops
- Track results in terms of big pots and not merely by session.
Common Badugi Poker Mistakes to Avoid
Mistakes are inevitable when you start playing for free on top poker training apps. But the good news is they are avoidable. Below are common mistakes I used to make as a newbie, and how you can avoid them:
❌ Drawing Too Many Cards
As a beginner, I often draw at the slightest chance. But I have now learned that less is more in Badugi. If you have a bad starting hand, fold early to limit losses down the line. If your hands are good, go for the draw in the early stages. But it’s better to stand pat in late stages because your chances are low now, and you may even bluff to force other players’ hands.
❌ Overvaluing Certain Hands
I used to overvalue king-high cards until I learned that someone almost always has a better hand than I do at showdown. To avoid this error, always take the bold step to draw a new card at the expense of keeping a high card, especially at the early stage when you have a better chance to improve your hand.
❌ Misreading Opponent’s Drawing Pattern
An opponent’s drawing pattern can say a lot about their hand’s strength. But judging with this alone is often misleading. Here is what I mean:
When someone stands pat, this can either mean they have a strong hand or are bluffing. The same goes for when they draw too often. This could mean they’re tricking the table or possess a weak hand when they draw too often.
To make the right choice, I always compare my opponents’ betting behavior with their drawing pattern. If someone is standing pat but not betting much, that’s most likely bluffing. And if someone is drawing big but also betting big, they’re either a novice or have a good enough hand.
❌ Bankroll Mismanagement
Finally, I used to head into the game with thin pockets, hoping I would win after a few hands. But I have since learnt that even sufficient preparation doesn’t guarantee winning. Nowadays, I set enough bankroll for around 100 rounds. Similarly, I try to move down the moment I catch myself hesitating to take risks instead of waiting till my money goes down.
Of course, there are many more preventable mistakes players make when playing poker. Check out the poker mistakes guide to see other common issues you may run into when playing poker and how to prevent them.
Conclusion
Badugi poker is a refreshing change from video poker and other poker formats. It rewards players who think differently. To do well in this game, you must draw well, read your opponents correctly, and bluff only when it is right.
If you’re just getting started, practice with free poker to learn the rhythm of the game. When you move to real money games, stick to low-stakes cash games at our trusted online poker sites, brimming with cool bonuses, and play with control.
Finally, always prepare enough bankroll that can handle downswings, move down when you’re losing, lock in profits when you’re ahead, and set time limits. If poker ever stops being fun, take a break and seek dedicated support from organisations like GambleAware or GamCare.
FAQs
What Is Badugi Poker?
Badugi is a draw poker game where the best low four-card hand of different suits and ranks wins.
Where Can I Play Badugi Poker Online?
You can play Badugi poker at our top recommended poker sites like Betway, Wazamba, William Hill, etc.
What Are the Most Common Mistakes to Avoid in Badugi Game?
Some of the most common mistakes newbies make when playing Badugi include: drawing too many cards, misreading opponents, overvaluing their hands, and mistiming bluffs. Read our comprehensive Badugi poker guide to discover the solution to these mistakes.
Is Ace High or Low in Badugi?
Ace is always low (1) in Badugi poker
Can Straights Win in Badugi?
You can still win with a straight hand in badugi if the cards are of different suits and ranks. For example, 2heart, 3diamond, 4 club, 5 spade is a straight draw in No limit Hold’em, yet a winning hand in Badugi.
What Is the Best Badugi Hand?
The 4-high Badugi hand (4-3-2-A) is the best in Badugi poker.
