Badugi Poker
Badugi Poker is another fun and wildly exciting alternative to other popular poker games like Texas Holdem and Omaha. This draw poker variation is very similar to standard poker play with respect to the betting procedures and basic play of the game. One difference, however, are the different hand values in Badugi Poker. Another distinction is that, unlike in regular poker games where players' hands generally comprise 5 cards, in online Badugi Poker, each player's hand contains only 4 cards at any one particular time. You pronounce badugi as "bah-dew-gi" and the game is sometimes known as Padooki, Paduki or Badougi.
Basic Badugi
In Badugi Poker each competing player attempts to build the best possible poker hand they possibly can in order to win the pot. The pot is the money put into the game by all of the players over the course of each hand. There are 3 drawing rounds in every game during which each player may replace 1, 2, 3, or all 4 of their cards with the hope of drawing better cards with which to build their poker hand and ultimately win the pot. Players do not need to switch cards if they choose not to.
So where do I play Badugi?
Badugi poker rooms can be found in most major online casino and poker rooms today. It is a very unique version of poker and it definitely takes some time to learn. We recommend playing some free hands in order to get a good grip of the badugi rules before playing for your real, hard earned cash. For the specifics on how to play, and more importantly Badugi's interesting winning hand structure, see our Badugi rules page.
The History of Badugi Poker
According to many historians, Badugi Poker is said to have originated in Asia, Korea specifically. But like its origins, it is still anyone's bet how the game ever made its way west to Europe and the United Sates.
