Triple Draw Lowball variants are favored cornerstones of home games and casino mixed cash game action. Deuce-to-Seven and Ace-to-Five Triple Draw, and to a slightly lesser extent Badugi, are widely embraced as great one-winner gambling games even among those still harboring some resentment that their proliferation helped spur the demise of H.O.R.S.E. (Hold’em; Omaha Eight or Better; Razz; Stud; Stud Eight or Better) cash games.
However, for whatever reason Badeucey and Badacey are often not afforded the same level of respect and sometimes labeled as “carnival” games, a term not meant to be endearing. While they are simply split-pot variants combining Triple Draw Lowball and Badugi, they may have originally been viewed as short-term fads devised to separate tourists from their money.
Even if this was originally true, these games have clearly stood the test of time. Some players may be willing to give them a try but are hesitant since they don’t know the rules or basic strategy, an issue we can try and address here.
In Badeucey the object is to make the best deuce-to-seven low (straights count against you) and the superior badugi. The ace is a bad card as it’s considered high for both sides making 2-3-4-5 the best possible badugi and 2♣3♥4♠5♦7♠ a two-way nut holding.
As in all split-pot games, we aspire to scoop, and that typically means playing starting hands that can build eight-or-better lows and badugis. Making a badugi is important and early on the hand it’s often correct to focus on that side at the possible expense of the five-card low to try and freeroll your opponent.
A survey of starting hand types would include the following, where the parentheses indicate differing suits, e.g. 2♣4♥5♥7♠ would be represented as (2-4-7)5:
- (2-4-6-7) 5 and (2-3-5-8) 6 – Dealt pat monsters with both a premium low and badugi
- (2-3-4-7) and (3-4-5-8) – Extremely strong; a dealt badugi only needing a low completing card which will sometimes also improve the badugi
- (2-4-7) 5 and (2-3-4) 8 – Strong holdings that should often be played as one-card draws
- (2-4-7) 8 – Option to draw one but taking two to (2-4-7) is usually best especially in a multi-way pot
- (2-3-5), (2-6-7), and (2-5-8) – Most frequent starting hand type; rainbow versions of highly playable Deuce-to-Seven holdings
- (3-4-5), (3-4-6), (3-5-6) – These hands lack a deuce and can pick up straight draws but the potential to make a premium badugi makes these hands eminently more playable than in straight Deuce-to-Seven
- (3-4-7), (3-5-7), (3-4-8), (3-5-8), (4-5-7) – Mediocre hands; middle or late position opens
- (5-6-7), (3-7-8), (5-7-8) – Examples of late position steals, but can be trouble hands in raised or multi-way pots
- (2-3) 7, (2-3) 4, (2-3) 5 – Steal hands where the accompanying card is valuable enough to keep for the five-card low
- (2-3), (2-4), (2-5) – Button opens or defending from blinds
Notice that the list above doesn’t contain any nines; when starting with a hand as 2♣3♥5♦9♠J♠ we should typically break the badugi and draw two trying to make a strong two-way holding and preserve our implied odds. Keeping the nine caps our potential in both directions and over the course of three draws the odds are in our favor to make something better anyway.
On the first draw alone, there is around a 57% chance of improvement represented as follows:
- 4% – Both an eight-or-better low and badugi e.g. (2-3-5-8) 6
- 14% – Eight-or-better badugi e.g. (2-3-5-7)
- 5% – No improvement on badugi but eight-or-better low e.g. (2-3-5) 6-8
- 34% – Four-card eight-or-better, but no badugi e.g. (2-3-5) 7
After the first draw, we have the option to keep any improvement towards making an eight low even when it doesn’t complete a badugi. At showdown a holding of 2♣3♥5♦7♥8♣ is a contender to win either side and on your good days it can win everything with a good three-card badugi and eight low.
The most common beginner leak to avoid is entering raised multi-way pots with rough top heavy trouble hands such as 4♦6♥7♣ and 3♣7♥8♦ where many of the cards they need may already be out and can easily make second best even when they get lucky. Another common mistake is playing a one-way hand such as 3♠5♠6♠7♥ that looks reasonable but is very weak.
A hand like 2♠3♥5♠7♥ is far superior in that it has a deuce and vastly more potential. These hands might be underappreciated by some since it appears that they can’t scoop, but that overlooks the possibility of pairing (which can open up badugi possibilities) or winning it all with a premium three-card badugi and a very good low.
Lesser one-way hands such as 2♠3♠6♠8♥ can be a late position steal where we are mostly hoping to win either right then and there (we do have four low blockers) or early on without a showdown. Should that not occur, we do have six pairing cards (2♣, 2♦, 3♣, 3♦, 6♣, 6♦) that would give us a legitimate two-way draw, or we could simply end up making a decent low and salvage half.
Similarly, Badacey is a combination of Ace-to-Five Triple Draw and Badugi where aces are now good thus a nut/nut holding would be A♣2♥3♠4♦5♠. In this game a “seven-seven,” a seven low with a seven badugi will win many pots but since sevens are not as strong in Badacey as eights are in Badeuecy we should usually start out trying to build stronger holdings.
As such any unsuited three-card six or better is generally playable with a few caveats. Opening from an early position or calling raises with top heavy hands such as 3-4-6 or 4-5-6 may create some problems. And when the pot has been raised and three-bet in front of you it’s probably best to send holdings even as strong as 3-4-5 or A-5-6 to the muck.
Smooth three-card sevens are playable from late position and make no mistake we should virtually always keep the seven when it helps on the badugi side. When opening A♣3♥7♠ in straight Ace-to-Five some would advocate drawing three (I’m taking two), but we should always keep this seven in Badacey. Judgment is required when the seven is not part of the badugi, with a holding such as A♣3♥4♠7♠ it might be best to draw two in multi-way pots but keep the seven when heads-up.
Badeucey (Rating: 9) and/or Badacey (Rating: 8) are great additions to any mix as they check many of the important boxes. They are relatively easy to explain to newcomers, the action is frequently lively, and seasoned players appreciate the challenge of playing them well. The games offer all the strategic considerations of other high-low games such as pulling players in or tactfully eliminating opponents but with the additional responsibility of making effective drawing decisions.
More From This Series
Introduction
Old School Dramaha
Super Sized Stud Hi-Lo
Badugi Dramahas
Simultaneous Omaha And Hold’em
Point-Based Dramaha Variants
Archie And It’s Variants
Kevin Haney is a former actuary but left the corporate job to focus on his passions for poker and fitness. The certified personal trainer owned a gym in New Jersey, but has since moved to Las Vegas. He started playing the game back in 2003, and particularly enjoys taking new players interested in mixed games under his wing and quickly making them proficient in all variants. Learn more or just say hello with an email to haneyk612@gmail.com.