Badugi Rules
Badugi is a four-card lowball draw game with a hand-ranking system found nowhere else in poker. The goal is to make a Badugi: four cards of four different suits and four different ranks, as low as possible. Aces play low, and there are three chances to draw. The best possible hand is A-2-3-4 of four different suits.
The objective
You want the lowest four-card Badugi at the table. Because every card must be a different suit and a different rank, much of the game is drawing toward a complete rainbow low and knowing when a three-card hand is already good enough to bet.
How Badugi hands are ranked
Four-card Badugi (best)
All four cards have different suits and different ranks. The best Badugi is A-2-3-4 rainbow. Any four-card Badugi beats any three-card hand.
Three-card hand
When two cards share a suit or a rank, the higher of the pair is dropped and you play three cards. A three-card hand beats any two-card hand but loses to every four-card Badugi.
Two-card and one-card hands
Progressively weaker holdings, reached when more of your cards collide on suit or rank. A one-card hand loses to any two-card hand.
Within the same class, compare the highest card first and the lower hand wins, then the next card down, and so on. Aces are the lowest rank, so A-2-3-4 is unbeatable.
How a hand plays out
Badugi uses the triple-draw format with fixed-limit betting: post blinds, deal four cards face down, then a betting round. A first draw and betting round follow, then a second, then a third, and finally a last betting round before showdown. On each draw you may discard from zero to four cards. Betting limits usually double after the second draw.
A worked example
Two players reach showdown. Alice shows A♠ 2♥ 4♣ 9♦. Bob shows 3♠ 5♥ 6♣ 6♦.
Alice has four different suits and four different ranks, so she holds a four-card Badugi reading 9-4-2-A.
Bob has two sixes, so one six is dropped and he plays a three-card hand of 6-5-3.
A four-card Badugi always beats a three-card hand, so Alice wins even though her highest card is a nine and Bob’s is a six.
On SPN
SPN evaluates Badugi hands automatically, identifying how many cards qualify in each player’s hand and comparing within the same class at showdown. The draw interface prompts you to select discards on each of the three draws. Dealing is provably fair and tables are bot-free.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Badugi?
A Badugi is a four-card hand with four different suits and four different ranks. Because all four cards count, it beats any hand that has only three, two, or one qualifying card. The best Badugi is A-2-3-4 of four different suits.
How do I compare two Badugi hands?
First compare the number of cards: four beats three beats two. Within the same number, read the hand from its highest card down and the lower one wins. A-2-3-4 beats A-2-3-5 because the four beats the five.
Why does a card get thrown out of my hand?
If two of your cards share a suit or a rank, only the lower one counts and the other is ignored. That is how a four-card holding can play as a three-card hand. Aces always count as low.
How many times can I draw in Badugi?
Three times. Badugi is a triple-draw game: a betting round, then a draw, repeated three times, with a final betting round before showdown. You may stand pat (draw zero) on any draw.
What is the best starting hand in Badugi?
A made low Badugi such as A-2-3-4 rainbow is the strongest possible start. Failing that, three low rainbow cards that let you draw to a strong Badugi are what you want to keep.