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Badugi Has Arrived
Published: 2005-12-30
 by Diane McHaffie
A new and exciting form of poker has come to town. Doyle Brunson has chosen-surprise!- doylesroom.com to be the first online site to make the game available. Well, actually, other sites in the Doyle Brunson Poker Network also offer it, but all contribute to the same virtual poker tables. The new game in town is called Badugi. Beginnings. I'm not sure how this strange form of draw lowball started. Some say it began in Korea and was called Paduki. Badugi has become a hit in several of California's casinos, where they are even holding Badugi tournaments. Here's what Mike has to say about it: "It's aggravating, exciting, exasperating, and exhilarating. And then you play the next 10 minutes." He's right! I've watched him play the game. Wow! Just when you're thrilled that you have all the right cards, except for one, you realize that the remaining card isn't going to be easy to get. In Badugi, you're dealt four cards and it's lowball with 4-3-2-ace being the best hand. Well, not exactly. You can't have any pairs, and, unlike traditional lowball, you can't have two of the same suit. If you do, one card doesn't exist. Then, you can only play three cards, and any four-card hand beats you. Oh, and you get to draw three times!
So, now imagine you only need one more card of a different rank and suit than what you are holding. Come on! Noooo! Not that one! That's the aggravating part! But if you draw the right suit and don't pair, you feel like jumping up and down and yelling, badugi!
Low ranking cards. Like hold 'em, there are two blinds and four rounds of betting, one after you first see your cards and one after each of three drawing opportunities. At each of those opportunities, you can take four, three, two, one, or no cards (stand pat). If more than one player remains at the conclusion of that final betting round, there is a traditional poker showdown to determine who has made the lowest badugi - or who holds the lowest hand when no badugi is present, as I'll explain. In limit games, the last two betting rounds are double the stakes of the first two.
Badugi examples. You have a badugi anytime you can use all four cards, meaning you hold four different suits and no pairs. An example of a badugi would be an [4h] [3s] [2c] [Ad], the best possible hand. Another example would be [Kd] [Qh] [Js] [10c], the worst possible badugi. But even though that badugi is the worst one, it's still a badugi. And that means it beats a much better-looking hand like [7d] [3d] [2h] [Ac].
Why? It's because if you look closely, that hand has two hearts in it, and the biggest one-[7h]-simply doesn't exist. You can't play four cards, so you don't have a badugi, and if someone else does, you lose. Of course, you do have 3-2-A, so you'll at least tie anyone else who fails to show badugi. If you're dealt 3-2-A of differing suits, it's the best drawing hand you can get, but if you don't catch another low card of a different suit you can still lose to a K, Q, J, 10 of different suits. Just remember: badugi - meaning four cards that are different suits and different ranks-will beat any three-card hand.
I dare you. Remember, too, that although this is a lowball game, it's unlike any you've ever played before. If you have a K-Q-10-3 badugi and two players each draw a card against it on the final try, you're still likely to win!
You'll find Mike playing badugi frequently at Doyle's Room. Maybe you and I should log on and give him a run for his money. I'll bet we can get badugis and beat him-at least sometimes. Now wouldn't that be something to brag about? Come on, I dare you! Let's play him!
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Futuristic Poker
Published: 2005-12-30
 ...Twas the night before Christmas and all through the hall, everything was crowded, the casinos, the malls. ---Cut! Well, you get the picture. Welcome to futuristic poker. The time is approximately, 9:00 p.m. in the year 3010. Casino gaming has really changed in 1000 years plus, in addition, the Christmas promotional bonanza in now in effect. The litany of gigantic neon placards placed intrusively close to the highway is beckoning for your patronage. "Twenty-four gaming, we never sleep, even when you are, for your enjoyment pleasure. Easy access, lavish surroundings, comfortable amenities, compliments the state-of-the-art decor. For the finest in adult entertainment, make the switch to the place that pays to be there.
In the year 3010, many things have changed. For beginners, when arriving at the board to play in the poker section, there is no longer a line to be seated. Full automated state-of-the-art computers record your name, initials, etc. to be seated when a seat becomes available. In addition, while seated in the waiting areas, at the push of a button located on the full leather lounge seats that you occupy, free food and drinks are available. Full surround, wide-screen, floorto- ceiling plasma television sets, highlights the waiting area. So, when your name is called for a seat the computer memory automatically remembers whom you are, sending a beam of light like an on stage performer highlighting your presence. "Mr. X, your seat is ready. Once you have arrived at the designated table, you will find that the dealer is now a relic of the past. The game is controlled by a fully automated system that runs the game, dispenses the cards, makes decisions when applicable and monitors the over-all behavior of the table. Sort of like a self contained, miniature casino in a casino. Unlike the shuffle - machines instituted in the 2000's, the Shuffle Master 9000BTM, scrambles, shuffles, and distributes the cards with lightning speed precision guaranteed up to .9999988 in accuracy. Some of you naysayers may ask, "yeah, but what about that .0000012 percentage, huh? To you I say, "Go somewhere else, quickly, and get help!.
Once arriving at the designated seat, the dealer automated voice announces your arrival. Every seat entitled to a hand, receives warp speed, accurate cards. Once the player discards a hand, the automated vacuum like machine, sucks them in a pile. The play proceeds as normal with a couple of exceptions. After the hand is over the losing player can actually access the automated 9000BTM for comments on the winning hand. For example: by pressing a button by your cup holder, access' comments on the previous hand. "What did you think about that hand? Answer, "You did everything you could do on that hand, the man got lucky, stayed in there taking all that pressure and caught two perfect cards, Damn! So, for all you players that need to hear some words of encourage to supplement the fact that the chips were rewarded elsewhere, the 9000BTM can be that outlet. A variety of responses and comments are at the touch of a finger by the losing player only! Now here is the downside of that, comments can be accessed following a hand for three consecutive hands only..
The end results from this futuristic insight is the house makes money, shares the proceeds with the players by way of expansive jackpots, monitored by all monies received and dispersed at the ready on a 24 hour ticker tape, updated every three minutes. However, be forewarned all you bad actors that any disturbance and behavioral problems will be dealt with severely. Since the automated system has recorded your name, or initials, the system merely announces, "Mr. X has been disqualified from future playing for tonight, goodnight sir!
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