You may have seen Badugi Poekr on the menu at the big popular poker sites such as Doyles Room and Poker stars and wondered what it is all about. This is a brilliant new way of playing poker, it is often played in mixed sessions and getting to the rules of the game it the first place to start learning to play. 

Poker is not just about 7 Card Stud these days, there are so many variations of the game, and the more variations you are able to master, the better poker player you will be. No matter how much people say poker is played for fun, this is not why we play, we play to win, to get even better at our game and to one day take the main table at the WSOP by storm, don’t we? I know I do! 

If you want to get in on the Badugi action then you need to learn how to play. It’s all pretty easy; you are not looking for pairs, matched suits or high hands. On the contrary, you are looking for cards of each suit in the lowest possible hand and the game starts off with each player being dealt four cards.  

It is so much fun getting creative to make the worst hand possible and you could say the “nuts” is having a rainbow hand of A – 4. If you are traditionally a crap poker player, this game may be absolutely perfect for you because it is completely arbitrary. 

Any rainbow hand, which means a hand of all four suits is a “Badugi” hence the name of the game. A hand which contains two of the same suite such as AsAh2d3c is called a three-card hand and it can actually still win provided no other player has a Badugi. Even one card and two card hands play, such as AsAcAdAh, or As2cAd2h, but they don’t often win! 

It is easy to see why the card ranking is the most difficult part of this game because in most cases it is the complete opposite of what we are used to. But it is this aspect which make is an important part of out poker skill repertoire, the ability to rank cards backward means we have the ability to adapt. Adaptation to any poker situation is tantamount to survival in this thinking mans game!  

The betting structure and drawing rounds are very similar to that of Texas Holdem and it starts with a Big Blind, Small Bind and Ante. Four cards are dealt the betting starts and the players can draw or stand pat. Three drawing rounds take place and after the last betting round is concluded all players in the game have a showdown. The best, or should we say the worst hand wins! 

This is a profitable poker game once you get the hang of how to play. The most important thing to remember is to get that low, rainbow suit hand, once you have one of each suit in your hand it is possible to beast a slightly higher 3 card, so get that Badugi, it is the winning factor.  

Regular poker players psychologize that they are in the game for the challenge, relaxation or just pure and simple fun, but this way of thinking is actually rubbish. If you play this game, you need to know why you are playing and precisely what you are attempting to achieve. Ask the question “do I want to be a winning poker player”, if the answer is “yes” then you need to change your mindset. But don’t worry too much; the majority of regular players still haven’t come to grips with what they are “trying” to do.

One thing which needs to be understood from the outset is that time is money, just like you punch in and out of work, and are being paid for your time. Winning poker is just the same – if you put in the hours, you should be rewarded for it and be able to measure this reward in dollar chips.

Preparation for games or tournaments is of vital importance, as important as understanding that accumulation of profits is the name of the game in poker.

Some poker players only see bad days, big winning days and prize pots, no matter what the size, and they don’t see the bigger picture. Falling into a trap where you believe that money is made lumps here, bits there and pieces somewhere else, doesn’t make sense. It is fragmented thinking and poker is supposed to be a thinking mans game.

Even the Bible says, “so shall you sow, so shall you reap” and the same applies to playing poker, or any other money making activity. The more you put in, the more you get back and it’s as simple as that! Your poker game needs to be planted, fertilized, watered – in other words “nurtured” so that it pays off.

Winning poker is basically plain hard work and until you get to the very top, it is completely un-glamorous and un-sexy too. Just another job so to speak, and when it becomes a job well done, you become a master, and you reap the rewards.

Playing in tournaments is one way to win, it is also important to participate in these games to improve your game and see how the other side lives. Don’t get ahead of yourself and glamorize poker tournaments they are job, just like we described in the preceding paragraphs.

Tournaments are where your poker skill is rewarded, the rake is relatively low and because skill is valued, tournaments are always a profitable poker activity. It is a good way to use your poker time and the beauty of playing online poker is that tournaments can be played any time of the night or day.

Playing in tournaments is much more profitable than parallel ring games because of the skill:reward ratio, and this is why top players participate in so many poker tournaments. Thank goodness for online poker, because without it, would be extremely difficult to play in land based tournaments as an amateur – flying all over the world and costing you a small fortune, which you more than likely don’t have!