Tag: how to play

Badugi – How to play Badugi

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Badugi is a game that has gained wide popularity especially on Merge sites like Lock Poker. They even have daily freerolls for it.

Badugi is not complicated to play, but it can be confusing to a new player just learning it. The rules are clear and easy to understand.

To begin with, Badugi is a 4-card, triple-draw lowball poker. Betting depends on the whether Badugi is played as a limit or pot limit. I am not sure if there is any no-limit Badugi games online. In a limit game, players can only raise the bet based on a specified or incremental unit per round. A pot limit game allows players to bet any amount from the minimum, equal to the big blind, to the maximum equal to the current pot value.

During the betting round, the players may choose to call the bet, check, raise or fold the card and leave. A player’s betting decision depends on the kind of card combination or hand.

Badugi players have three card drawing rounds. In each round, you may maintain the existing hand or replace from one to four cards. The aim of each player is to have the lowest badugi. A badugi is a 4-card hand where there are no cards with the same value or from the same suit. You want to get a hand with all low numbers (below 8 is preferable) and with no pairs and no two cards of the same suit.

The first section describes what should be selected as starting hands in different situations. So, if you have a made Badugi hand, all cards should be seven or lower for a full table or eight and lower for a shorthanded table. If on the other hand you have a one-card draw to a Badugi, all qualifying cards should be six or less for a full table and seven or less for a shorthanded table, and so on. Obviously, with the exception of special circumstances (such as the blinds) you should not be playing three or four card draws.

The rest of the data takes you through each round, comparing what you are drawing to, with what your opponents are doing. For example, it is generally a mistake to draw if an opponent has not (unless you are sure they are bluffing). Conversely, if your opponent draws more cards than you then you should perhaps bet, to drive them out of the pot and for value when you do make your hand on a later draw.

As a final note, because you will be drawing to a 7-low most of the time by following these guidelines, when you do make a hand you will generally be playing the best hand on the table. There are also times when you make a higher Badugi Poker hand (such as a 9-low) which can still win you the hand providing your opponents are still drawing (not so strong if another player is already standing pat).

Online Poker Tournament Rules – Rules for Poker Tournaments

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Online Poker Tournament Rules

1. Tournaments will begin at the time designated in the tournament details.

2. Players are assigned seats randomly and are not allowed to choose or change their seats.

3. Late registration will be allowed up until 10 minutes after the start of the tournament, unless the tournament fills up or the first player is eliminated.

4. Players may unregister from a tournament up to 10 minutes before the start of the event.

5. There is a deal for the button at the start of the tournament – high card plays the button for the first hand.

6. The button moves in the conventional clockwise manner so that no player receives the button twice in a row. Occasionally a player will become the button without having played in the blinds due to other players being eliminated. This occurs commonly in online tournaments and is due to technical software reasons. This may happen to any player during the course of a tournament, and therefore creates no long term advantage.

7. If two players should be eliminated simultaneously, then the player with the most chips at the beginning of the hand will finish higher.

8. When a tournament is down to the last two players, the button will post the small blind and be first to act in the initial round. The big blind will then be first to act in the following rounds.

9. The tournament finishes when one player has won all the tournament chips and is declared the winner.

10. Internet Issues and disconnections are a reality of online poker. We will do our utmost to limit any kind of interruptions during a tournament, but does not assume responsibility for any problems unrelated to the performance of the game server. We acknowledge that certain Internet issues may be unavoidable and allows extra time for disconnected players to reconnect in the later rounds of a tournament. If a player chooses to sit out or is unable to reconnect, they will still have cards dealt to them and will automatically post blinds and antes. Players that are unable to reconnect during the allotted time will have their hand automatically folded.

11. In the event of a server interruption all hands will be ‘rolled back’ to the start of the interrupted hand, and all chip stacks will reflect the original amounts that existed before the hand commenced.

12. Any play that is deemed unethical, such as team play, soft play, or chip dumping, will result in a player(s) being disqualified from the tournament.

13. As players are eliminated over the course of the tournament, tables will be consolidated to keep a full complement of players. Players may be forced to post the blinds when arriving at a new table. Table reassignments are an inherent and random part of tournaments, and apply equally to all players.

14. Players and observers are asked to use the chat function in a friendly and considerate way. At no time are players and observers allowed to discuss or comment on live hands.
15. All prizes will be distributed according to the specific details of each individual tournament. All details concerning a tournament may be found in the Tournament Lobby.

Exceptions to the above rules.
*Any rules pertaining to the button or button movements apply only to Texas Hold’em and Omaha.
*Sit and Go tournaments do not begin at a specified time, but rather when there are enough players to fill a table. Additionally, Sit and Go tournament blinds increase in relation to the number of hands played, whereas Multi Table Tournament blinds increase at set time periods.

Satellite Poker Tournaments

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Satellite Poker Tournaments

Satellite poker tournaments have become increasingly more significant as the number of players have increased over the years. The reason for this is because many of the high priced poker tournaments now have online and live satellites in which to gain entry. Only a few years ago there were merely a couple of hundred players in the high stakes events. Now those numbers continue to grow due to the influx of online qualifiers via satellite.

Another reason why satellite poker tournaments are so popular is because they are inexpensive. Typically a satellite tournament will cost 10% of the buy-in for that particular poker tournament. This means that you are getting a tremendous bargain whether you are in a multi-table satellite or a single table satellite. Satellites also change your approach to the game as well. The idea of survival is even more apparent in these kinds of scenarios than most.

Lastly, satellite poker tournaments are a tremendous way to help you manage your bankroll. They also have the potential to have a huge impact on your bankroll should you go on to win the big tournament. Just ask Chris Moneymaker.

Now that we have explained the benefits to playing satellites I am going to go more in-depth in how you should approach them to maximize your edge.

Single Table Satellites

Single table satellites are just that, they are one table satellites with 9 or 10 players that usually pay 1 or 2 seats into the main event. This means that you are going to see some extremely aggressive play and you need to play these tournaments to win them. There is definitely an approach to playing and winning these kinds of satellites. The typical poker strategy you may use in a normal poker tournament does not apply here. Aggression is extremely important even to the point of taking a big flush draw with 7 players or less left to position yourself to finish in one of the top two spots. I do not encourage slow play in these tournaments for obvious reasons. You are not going to be the only one that is hungry for a shot at the big money.

Tighten up early and allow other players to bounce around and get knocked out unless you are picking up premium hands. The real satellite play doesn’t start until things get short-handed at 6 players. Then the more astute players get more aggressive and pick up the blinds and antes if there are any. This is extremely important at this stage because the structures are usually so fast it becomes an all-in fest because the levels are only 10 minutes or less. You also need to open up your hand selection when you are short handed as well. If you are not a very good short-handed poker player then I would stay away from single table satellites. Conversely, if you are comfortable playing a fast structure with 6 or less players then you will likely do well in single tables.

Multi-Table Satellites

Multi-table satellite poker tournaments are my favorite. Why? Because they usually pay out multiple seats into the main event and I can usually put myself in position to win one of those seats if the cards break even. Most of the larger online poker tournaments on various sites get the majority of their players by running these low cost high reward satellite poker tournaments.

The approach taken in these kinds of poker tournaments is a little different than in a single table format. First, you do not have to “win” the tournament and that takes a certain amount of pressure off. However, this does not mean that you can be lackadaisical in your approach. You still need to accumulate chips as the tournament progresses. Unless you have a monster stack with only 1 or 2 players left before winning your seat you are going to need to be smart.

My approach to these kinds of tournaments is a little different. Instead of laying back and waiting to open up as in single tables I prefer to play a lot of hands early in hopes of accumulating lots of chips. Once I do so and hit the break with a better than average stack I will usually slow down a bit unless my table is so passive that it would be detrimental to do so. I also try to stay away from players that can seriously hurt me unless I have the nuts. Again, the idea here is to get the seat and not necessarily to win the poker tournament.

Ultimately, you have to find the platform that fits your game best.

Curtis Mayfield III