I Can't Spell It, but I Think I Like It

A new poker game has invaded Las Vegas. It's actually not a new game at all, as it's been played in home games for years, particularly in the South. Depending on where you play, the game may be spelled differently, as well. In Vegas, it is known as Badugi (Buh-doo-gee {gee as in geese}), according to the mixed-game plaques that signify which game is currently being played. In Los Angeles, where the game is rampant in mixed games at Commerce Casino, the plaques spell the game Badouqi. And some of my friends who are used to playing the game at home call it "Paducah."



So, what is this game that sounds like it should be a Pokemon character? Essentially, it is a form of triple-draw lowball, in which the worst hand wins the pot. The catch is, you get four cards, and the object is to end up with one unpaired card of each suit. This is referred to as a "badugi." The best badugi wins the pot, with the nuts being A-2-3-4 with all four suits represented.



If nobody ends up with a badugi, the best three-card "try" wins. The best possible three-card hand is A-2-3 of three suits. The fourth card is tossed out if it makes either a pair or two to a suit, so the three best cards count. This means that it is not uncommon for some really ugly- looking hands to beat some quite aesthetically pleasing ones; for example, K-Q-9-5 rainbow would beat A-A-2-3.



The basic strategy in this game (which is about all I know at this point, by the way) is to play only a few types of hands. Pat badugis are playable, even the ugly ones, as it is not that easy to draw to one. However, don't expect your king or queen badugi to hold up against several opponents who are drawing at you. If you are drawing, good draws are the ones that may end up winning as three-card tries if nobody fills his badugi. So, two cards such as A-2, A-3, or 2-3 are decent starts, and three cards such as 2-3-4 are very nice hands to draw to. You should try not to get involved with one-card draws such as 3-4-8, as you simply won't win the pot if you don't make a badugi.



I haven't logged too many hours in this game yet, although lately it has been a part of the mixed games I often play. One observation I have made is that there is a lot of randomness in this game. Unlike games such as Omaha eight-or-better, in which the winning hand figures to be fairly close to the nuts, winners in badugi are all over the map. One time, someone with a strong hand such as 6-3-2-A badugi may win, whereas another player will win with an incomplete three-card hand. This fact makes the game extremely volatile, and very frustrating at times.



At Bellagio recently, a friend of mine from the East Coast, Rocco, was in the game. In the span of one round, he made three 8 badugis and one 7, and lost all four hands. Nobody at the table could believe this, as it isn't easy to make a badugi at all, much less ones that beat Rocco's monsters. To his credit, and to the relief of the other players, Rocco didn't go ballistic at the table. Although I felt bad to see him suffer such a brutal streak, I was mostly just glad it wasn't me.



So, where can you learn to play this game? If you don't want to learn in the big mixed games of Vegas or L.A., you can play online. Badugi isn't offered at many sites yet, but you can find the game at DoylesRoom.com or at neverlosepoker.com. Give it a try, and let me know what you think.

Please e-mail me anytime at MarkGregorich@hotmailcom.