Badugi!

Man, I don't know how I forgot to mention this yesterday, but I learned a new poker game that is starting to get pretty popular here in Vegas. It's called Badugi (Bah-doo-gee --with a hard 'g'--rhymes with loogie), and a lot of the card rooms out here are starting to spread it. In fact the ten guys I go to class with that got hired at T.I. have to deal it, so we've been practicing it in class a little bit each day. Basically it's a 5-card triple draw low game, where the best hand is A-2-3-4 unsuited--called a Badugi. It sounds easy, but it can be the most frustrating game you've ever played.

You can read the complete details on the Wikipedia link above, but you know how it seems that you always miss your draws in Holdem when you need that last card to make your flush? In this game, if you don't want a particular suit, you're damn near guaranteed to get it every time you draw--it's uncanny. Anyhow, there are some big limit cash games going on up and down the strip, and it's becoming the pros new favorite game--which I suspect is just because it's something different, and the ability to draw cards makes it more interesting.

There are four rounds of betting--one 'preflop' and then again after each draw, but I don't know if anybody is offering it in low limits. So the betting is just like in Holdem, with the same blind structure, straddles, etc. Although it's gaining in popularity out here, I think the smallest game I've heard of was $10/$20, and I believe Mirage has a $200/$400 game going almost every day.

A lot of the online poker rooms are starting to get it now, too, so if any of you have an account where it's offered, give it a try. I think it's a fun game, but it'll drive you nuts.

Mikey