Badugi hand ranking system explained:

According to Badugi rules of play, players may sometimes be required to remove a certain number of cards in order to make a legitimate Badugi hand. Although players are initially dealt four cards into their pocket, some Badugi hands may contain only one, two or three cards. This, of course, does not mean that there are no four-card Badugi hands.

At the showdown, the player is required to discard one of any two suited cards and any paired cards from the four in his hand. Any four-card Badugi hand is stronger than a three-card Badugi hand, a three-card Badugi hand is stronger than a two-card Badugi hand, and a two-card Badugi hand is naturally stronger than a one-card Badugi hand.

Whenever at the showdown there are two players holding hands with the same number of cards, the hands' strength is evaluated by comparison between them. Much like in other lowball games, whichever hand has the lowest card wins. As is the case with traditional poker games, suits play no role in comparison of two hands.

Badugi Game Walkthrough

Badugi is a form of poker now gaining wide popularity in land-based as well as online poker rooms all across the globe. Some believe that the game is of Korean origin. It is a draw poker variant sharing many common traits with triple draw.  Unlike standard poker games where players are typically expected to make a five-card hand, in Badugi poker, players' hands normally contain only four cards. A Badugi player's goal is to win the jackpot. In order to achieve this goal, the player must make the best possible Badugi poker hand.

Badugi Poker Deal

Play is launched with each game participant receiving four down cards to his pocket. The players are allowed to take a peek at their own cards without trying to find out what their opponents hold. The hand kicks off with a pre-draw round of betting, starting with the player seated to the left of the Big Blind. Each player's options are either call the Big Blind's bet amount, raise the pot or fold his cards. Play takes place in a clockwise direction.

A few betting rounds

After the first betting round is completed, the players must draw. Starting with the first active player seated to the left of the dealer, each Badugi player may discard any chosen number of cards from his hand and replace them with the same number of new cards. Each player must receive replacement cards before the next player announces the number of cards he wishes to draw. The discarded cards are discarded for the rest of the game.

After the first draw comes the second round of betting. A new playing option is added to the active players' selection of moves: they can now check. This means they are allowed not to invest additional funds in the pot in order to remain in the game. Much like before, betting action proceeds until all active players have placed the same amount of money in the pot or folded. After the second betting round ends, there is another draw followed by a third round of betting. After that, the final draw takes place. Then, a fourth betting round and the showdown are staged.

The Badugi Showdown

In case there is more than one player remaining in the game after the final round of betting, their hands are evaluated and the player with the strongest Badugi hand wins the jackpot.