Does anybody here play badugi?

I kinda like that game, but there isn't much information on teh interwebs.

I do from time to time, fun game

Isn't it like Bingo, that you have to shout out BADUGI when you hit?

no

I have never played it. Are there any us sites that offer it?

I haven't checked this forum in a while, but yeah, I've played a bit of badugi. There used to be a training video by Steve Zolotow on FT, back in the day. I don't know if they still have those vids up. It was just a 5 minute crash course in basic strategy, so nothing deep there.

Badugi plays very similarly to 2-7 triple draw. Many of the betting and drawing tactics are extremely similar between these 2 games. These 2 games are not identical, but the play is quite similar.

Some basic strategy for Badugi:
As in all poker games, starting hand selection is key.
In FR games, don't even consider drawing 2 unless you have 2 to the nuts. Drawing with 2 or 3 to a 5-high is good. Drawing with 2 to a 6 is generally bad, but 3 to a 6 is solid. Starting out drawing with 3 to a 7 is dangerous, and drawing with 2 to a 7 is usually throwing money away. Don't draw with 3 to an 8 unless Villains at the table are over-valuing 9's.

Another thing that matters a lot in poker games is:
What's left in the deck?
If you are throwing away diamonds like crazy and still drawing for a low diamond, then probably should let it go.
If you've thrown away a lot of low cards, just haven't managed to complete your hand, then consider what Villains might be drawing for and that you know it's dead. This could be a good time to snow the third draw. (Snowing is when you stand pat with an incomplete hand to represent a made hand.)

A rough guide on showdowns:
b/r with 6432 or better (that's the top 9 hands)
b/c with 7432 or better (that's the next 10 hands)
c/c with 8432 or better (that's the next 20 hands)
... until you see reason to widen/tighten up vs. a specific villain.
note: 8432 is the 39th nuts
calling at showdown with an incomplete (3-card hand) 5 can catch a lot of bluffs, if Villain is willing to bluff at showdown.

Thanks MadMojo
Good post

Very much like 2-7x3 draw position is key here, knowing how many cards your opponents draws can greatly affect your decision

For example after the first draw if your opponnent draws one he has less then 50% to make your hand, so patting a weak made hand HU IP is often correct

there are even variants I have learnt: baducy and badacy (Sounds like badassy).

badugi is a funny and also frustrating game ! sure miss the ftp vids

Originally Posted by Credsfan03

I have never played it. Are there any us sites that offer it?

Try it here enterra-poker.com/download/EnterraPokerSoftwareDemoSetup.exe
you need to download this poker app (it's free) and play there (also for free). See you at a Badugi table!

Originally Posted by Credsfan03

I have never played it. Are there any us sites that offer it?

I know this is an old question, but if you're still looking for it, I saw games pop up on Carbon occasionally (Merge).

love the game, wish there were more tourneys

I play the game sometimes and it's fun and a lot of value as some of the players don't know how to play, so you can take that as an advantage you could say. I also like to play Triple draw too, and 5 card omaha, but not hi/lo as it's always a mess haha.

Originally Posted by SinkieCon

and 5 card omaha, but not hi/lo as it's always a mess haha.

You're probably making the rookie mistake that "winning half the pot is good".
In Hi/Lo games, winning half the pot is terrible. If you're not playing to sweep the pot, and if you think that winning half the pot is still a win, then you're probably chasing a lot of really bad -EV spots that are killing your winrate.

Originally Posted by MadMojoMonkey

You're probably making the rookie mistake that "winning half the pot is good".
In Hi/Lo games, winning half the pot is terrible. If you're not playing to sweep the pot, and if you think that winning half the pot is still a win, then you're probably chasing a lot of really bad -EV spots that are killing your winrate.

Hm good point.
I often chase the low, thinking everybody else is going for the high,
but was forgetting that it is of course only for half the pot,
although with many players in chasing the high, the low half of the pot can still be sizeable.

Originally Posted by chemist

Hm good point.
I often chase the low, thinking everybody else is going for the high,
but was forgetting that it is of course only for half the pot,
although with many players in chasing the high, the low half of the pot can still be sizeable.

Trouble is... When you have the nut low, you don't block it. So you could be splitting "your" half of the pot. So sometimes you end up getting a quarter or less of the pot at the end.

Think of how that affects your EV next time you do a thorough pot odds calc when you study. Factor in that %-age of the time that you win less than 1/2 the pot as well as the times you win half or none.

Once you factor this in to your pot odds calcs in split-pot games, you'll see the affects just can't be ignored. In HU pots, you need exceptional pot odds to make a call on the end when your best case scenario is getting your money back. In multi-way donk fests, though, you can very well find profit in winning half of the pot if you can get to showdown for cheap.

The game is a bit of a mystery to me. Okay I know the rules but a drawing game like this just seems to confuse me and I end up chasing hands and shipping chips.

Originally Posted by Tom1559

The game is a bit of a mystery to me. Okay I know the rules but a drawing game like this just seems to confuse me and I end up chasing hands and shipping chips.

And that's why it's a profitable game. If you're playing a solid drawing range, not overvaluing stuff like KJ54 pat, and drawing at the right price, then you'll make easy money because most people are clicking buttons chasing whatever they get dealt.

Im liking mixed games more and more - went from razz to horse, now I do 10game
badugi is fun and seems soft too
hope more people get into them so they would play more regularly

The game is still a mystery to me. I went off and read up on it after posting here before and then played a few low buy in games to try and get a bit more familiar with it. Not for me. Hard enough working out odds in Holdem ond Omaha but draw games like this I struggle with.