Badugi Poker Rules

Badugi is one of the newest poker games in the online poker world and since Pokerstars introduced it back in 2008 it has grown substantially in popularity. This article will deal with Badugi poker rules and explain the Badugi hand rankings. Badugi differs greatly from other forms of poker but some of the same concepts still remain.

Rules Of Badugi

The game starts with all players at the table being dealt 4 cards each. The player to the left of the dealer is obliged to post the small blind and the player to the left of the small blind must post the big blind. Once all players have 4 cards each the pre draw betting round begins with play moving around the table in a clockwise direction.

After the pre draw betting round is finished the players who remain in the pot then move forward into the first drawing round. During this round players can exchange their cards for new cards that remain in the deck. The player closest to the left of the big blind always gets to draw first.

Once the first drawing round is over another betting round takes place which is then followed by another drawing round. Any players that remain in the hand then move forward to another betting round, when playing limit Badugi it is in this round that the small bet limit is lifted and players can bet the full amount of big bet. A final drawing round takes places followed by a betting round and, if needed, a showdown.

Badugi Hand Rankings

The badugi hand rankings are different from any other form of poker which can make Badugi rules seem a little complex at first, don’t worry though as once you’ve had a little practice it all comes naturally.

ace box

The absolute nuts when playing Badugi is an A-2-3-4 rainbow hand. When playing Badugi having two suited cards in your hand is bad and if you reach showdown with two suited cards or a pair or better in your hand then you are forced to discard your highest cards so that your hand contains no pairs or cards of the same suit. Any 4 card rainbow hand is known as a Badugi.

Any 4 cards hand always beats a 3 card hand which beats a 2 card hand which, you guessed it, beats a 1 card hand. When playing at a table with 8 players a 3 card hand is usually never good at showdown. The highest card in your hand is always used to determine the winner so if two players showdown a 4 card hand then the lowest 4 card hand is the winner.