Introduction
Badugi is a unique 4-card lowball draw game where the best hand has four cards of different ranks and different suits. The goal is the lowest possible Badugi hand, ideally 4-3-2-A with all suits distinct.
Game Flow
- Each player is dealt 4 cards face down.
- First Betting Round (often fixed-limit).
- First Draw: Discard unwanted cards (0–4) and receive replacements.
- Second Betting Round.
- Second Draw → new cards dealt.
- Third Betting Round.
- Third (Final) Draw.
- Final Betting Round.
- Showdown: Best Badugi hand wins.
Hand Rankings
A valid Badugi hand must have no paired ranks or suits. Hands are ranked first by number of valid cards (4 > 3 > 2 > 1), then by lowest high card.
Best Hand (4-card Badugi)
A♠
2♣
3♦
4♥
3-Card Badugi
A♠
2♣
3♦
5♠
Only A♠, 2♣, 3♦ count → “3-card 3-high”
Note: A hand like A♠ A♥ 2♣ 4♦ is only a 2-card Badugi (2♣ and 4♦; aces cancel each other).
Strategy Guide
- Chase 4-Card Hands: Never settle for 3-card unless pot odds justify it.
- Break Pairs Early: If you start with a pair, draw 3 to chase a 4-card Badugi.
- High Cards Are Dead Weight: Discard kings, queens, jacks unless you have no low cards.
- Read Opponent Draws: Fewer discards often mean a strong hand, proceed with caution.
- Position Matters: Acting last gives you critical info on how many cards others drew.