2017 WSOP: Get to Know the Ins and Outs of Badugi

 

In the last decade or so, Baidu has become a common fixture in mixed cash games across the world, with high stakes games running online also. The game features a different hand ranking system to conventional forms of poker, leaving some to question if the game has any place at the World Series of Poker and if the game should even be considered poker. Originating in Korea, the game is fast-paced with a lot of variance, a lot of room for creative plays and many different play styles can be profitable. This along with an importance being placed on many fundamental poker concepts makes it one of my favorite variants and there’s no doubt in my mind that this is a great form of poker. In recent years, the folk at the WHOP seem to be leaning towards agreeing with me. Despite not yet having its own standalone event, it will again feature in both Dealers Choice events ($10000 and $1500) as well as the Triple Draw Mix ($2500). Its cousins Debauchery and Baldfaced will also feature in the Dealers Choice events, so having some solid Baidu foundations will be important for those looking to try their hand in these events or in mixed cash games this Summer in Las Vegas.

Baidu is usually played Fixed Limit, though some Pot Limit tournaments do exist online. The WHOP tournaments and likely all cash games featuring Baidu and its variants will likely be spread fixed limit. Like in 2-7 Triple Draw, players have three draws to improve their hand. However, Baidu is played with only four cards and has its own hand ranking system.

A Baidu is a rainbow, unpaired hand. Those who regularly play Omaha games may have heard this term used in a derogatory fashion to remark upon the lack of suits and pairs in a hand. Here though, the aim of the game is to make Baddies. Baidu is a low ball game and with the lowest Baidu (counted as the lowest card in the hand) winning the pot. For example, 8-7-4-3 (rainbow of course) beats K-5-4-3 because an 8 Baidu beats a King Baidu. If both players have an 8 Baidu, the second highest card would be considered and so on. The best Baidu is 4-3-2-A and like in other low ball variants, it is often referred to as a wheel.

If no one has a Baidu, the best three-card hand will win. Three-card hands allow one card in the hand to be paired and/or duplicating a suit with the rest of the hand. For example, 4-3-2nd-Ad would not count as a Baidu, because a diamond is duplicated. This would be considered a 4-3-A three-card or more commonly, “tree.” 7-5th-4-4 would also fail to qualify as a Baidu because the 4 is paired. This would be a 7-5-4 tree. If no one is able to make even a tree then you are firstly probably playing in an excellent and secondly, the best two-card hand would take the pot.

The worst Baidu, K-Q-J-T is almost exactly a coin flip against a one-card draw. Whilst playable from later positions, this hand should usually be folded from early positions, consider it as a parallel to folding 22 TUG in full-ring HENLEY. The hand flips against many hands if all in but its play ability is very poor and will often be put in lots of tough situations. From early positions, “rough” King, Queen and Jack Baddies such as the one mentioned above should often be folded, especially if one is still learning the game. However, smoother Baddies like J-5-3-2 can be played more comfortably as they offer the ability to “break” our hand and draw to a fairly smooth tree (5-3-2 in this case), either immediately or later on in the hand if it is believed an opponent has drawn into a stronger Baidu. Smooth tris with three unpaired, rainbow cards no higher than a 6 can be considered from the early positions. All two-card draws should be folded without too much thought.온라인바둑이