Apr 24, 2025
You may have heard of Poker as a game where the highest-value hands are considered to be the best hands. However, there is a chance you may not know what is Badugi poker. Badugi poker is another variant of poker, which is regarded as one of the most unorthodox ways of poker. This poker variant is a type of lowball poker, where four cards of the lowest ranks and different suits are matched together to form a poker hand.
Sounds interesting? Well, in this blog, we will cover the history and evaluation of Badugi poker and also explain how it has evolved and transitioned into online poker gaming.
Early Origins of Badugi Poker
Traditional poker is said to have originated in China, as ancient traces of this card game were found there. However, Badugi poker has its roots in other South Asian countries.
Controversial Origin
There are several theories about Badugi Poker’s actual origin.
According to many professional poker players, the root of Badugi poker is in South Korea, where it was played years before the game got worldwide popularity. Another proof that the game originated in Korea, is the word ‘Badugi’ itself. The word derives from the Korean word ‘Baduki’, which means ‘black and white spotted dog’.
Conversely, there is another opinion regarding this game’s origin. It is said that the game originated in Canada, as the game was known as ‘Off Suit Lowball’. However, the most commonly accepted origin of Badugi poker is considered to be South Korea.
If this rings a bell, then you may want to know about the origin of the card decks. The roots of the first card games can be found in 9th-century China. However, since then, card games have travelled through history to make their presence known in the form of popular games like rummy, poker, and badugi.
Different Names
Another name for Badugi Poker is ‘Paduki’, which is chiefly common in South Korea.
Differences from Traditional poker Form
Though many similarities with traditional poker game rules, Badugi poker also has some differences which make this game interesting among players.
Unlike traditional poker, Badugi poker uses a four-card hand system instead of five cards. Moreover, in Badugi poker, the Ace is the lowest rank card, while in traditional poker, the Ace is always the highest. As per the traditional poker game rules, high-value cards are more used in games. Conversely, in Badugi poker, the lowest value cards like Ace, 2,3 and 4 of different suits can give you a good hand.
How did Badugi Poker Become Popular?
With the introduction of professional poker tournaments, the popularity of Baduki Poker increased massively. Professional poker players started playing high-stakes games with this variant. Therefore, poker events dedicated to Badugi poker started to arise and eventually became popular in North America and European countries.
The Emergence of Badugi Poker in North America
Many people associate the name of American Professional poker player Paul Clark with the introduction of Badugi Poker in North America. He learnt this variation of the Poker game while he was on duty as medical personnel in the Vietnam War.
How did Professional Poker Players perceive Badugi Poker?
According to different professional poker players, Badugi poker is one of the most simple low-ball poker. However, in physical matches of Badugi poker, you can bluff your opponents easily. Pro poker players also say that during the first times, it can be difficult to gather four low-value cards of different suits while getting pairs. One of the best strategies of this poker variant is to raise one after each turn while drawing the cards.
The simplicity and strategic depth of Badugi poker made the pro poker players interested in this game.
Involvement in High-Stake games
Experienced players who love to take on new challenges sometimes prefer to play Badugi in a high-stakes game because of its unconventional rules. It is a variant of a draw-poker game.
Increased Accessibility of Badugi Poker in Online Gaming Platforms
When poker shifted to online gaming platforms, people started playing the game massively, as almost everyone had access to a mobile device.
Badugi Poker’s Transition into Online Gaming Platforms
During the early days of online mobile gaming, players used to play poker in online poker rooms. Players used to play Badugi poker in those online rooms, too. Recently, in the age of digitisation, it has been common among people to play games online on different poker gaming platforms. There are only some platforms that offer to play online Badugi Poker, although there is very limited traffic.
How Online Badugi Poker increased the game’s popularity and accessibility
Irrespective of the geographic location, online poker gaming platforms effectively influenced the popularity of the game. Due to the unorthodox format of the game, seasoned players play this card game on lower stakes and practice more.
Many online poker gaming platforms post instructional and tutorial videos to help beginner players learn about the game rules. Hence, playing Badugi poker online has increased the game’s popularity and accessibility. This way, the game becomes more available and accessible to everyone playing poker online.
Interested to learn some tips about online poker gaming? Here are some strategies for you to start with.
How has Badugi Poker been Modernised?
With time, Badugi underwent changes to adapt to the modern player. Here’s how.
Incorporation of Badugi Poker in Tournaments
In 2011, a game of Badugi poker was first played in the ‘World Series of Poker’ tournament as a part of a 10-game mix. This poker variant also featured Dealer Choice Events and Triple Draw Mix afterwards. Moreover, in the 2023 version of the ‘World Series of Poker’, Badugi had a particular standalone event. This became the main reason for its popularity over the years, as players loved to play it because of its simple yet strategic depth.
Incorporation of Badugi Poker in Mixed Game events
Badugi Poker also placed itself on different mixed game events of the ‘World Series of Poker’. There are also some other variations of Badugi, like Badacy, Badacey and Badugi 2-7 Triple Draw, played among very experienced players. These variations have more complicated rules than standard Badugi Poker.
Different Variations as per the game’s requirements
Most commonly, Badugi poker has variations where a difference in the pot limit is observed. These variations include Limit Badugi, Pot Limit Badugi and Half-Pot Limit Badugi. There are also some differences in the hand rules. Unlike the conventional poker game rule, Badugi poker has non-existent high-value cards that players tend to discard at the start of the game.
Incorporation of AI tools
Many online poker platforms are using AI-based tools which understand the player’s strategies and move patterns. Beginner players can use these tools to understand the strategies of Badugi Poker by analysing the gameplay and getting feedback from the hands. This tool will make the game’s understanding and strategies easier for the players.
Final Thoughts and Future of Badugi Poker
In online poker games, players prefer to learn different variants of poker. Hence, there is a high growth potential of the card game. However, many poker players still do not know what Badugi Poker is and its rules. The online poker game platforms might introduce hybrid game formats and merge Badugi poker with other poker variants. Moreover, Badugi Poker’s introduction to international poker tournaments
Wrapping up, we may highlight the controversial origins of Badugi poker and its popularity among seasoned poker players, especially its growth in South-Asian countries. This poker variation has some unorthodox rules, which makes it fun and competitive among poker players. Professional poker players rate this card game highly because of its strategic and complex card management.
If you know the basic poker game rules, you can easily learn the tips and tricks of Badugi poker. So, gather your friends, start playing this amazing poker game and have fun!
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