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Draw and split-pot games

Badacey poker rules

5 Cards / 3 Draws / Ace-to-Five + Badugi

Hole cards
5
Board
No community board
Betting
Fixed-Limit
Players
2-6 players
Pot
Split pot
Family
Draw and split-pot games

What is Badacey?

Badacey is a triple-draw split-pot game with no community board. You start with five private cards and draw up to three times, replacing 0-3 cards each time.

Half the pot goes to the lowest Ace-to-Five hand (A-2-3-4-5 is best) and half to the best Badugi, the lowest four-card hand with all different ranks and suits.

Fixed-Limit, 2-6 players, with the big bet kicking in after the second draw.

Starting cards

Five private cards, no community board. 2-6 players. Button and blinds.

How to play

  1. Initial betting, draw 1, betting, draw 2, betting, draw 3, final betting and showdown.
  2. Discard and replace 0-3 cards each draw; zero is Stand Pat. Keep exactly five cards.

Fixed limit

Small bet equals the big blind on the initial round and after draw 1. Twice that after draws 2 and 3. One bet plus three raises per round; the initial big blind counts as the opening bet.

Showdown / A-to-5 half

50% goes to the lowest five-card hand. Ace is low; straights and flushes do not hurt. Pairs count against you. A-2-3-4-5 is best.

Badugi half

50% goes to the best subset with unique ranks AND suits. Ace is low. Four cards beat three, three beat two, two beat one. Compare highest cards first; lower wins. A-2-3-4 rainbow is best. Scoop both or split tied halves. A-to-5 receives the odd split chip; tied winners receive remainder chips clockwise from the dealer.

Hand rankings in Badacey

Ace-to-Five Low

A-2-3-4-5 is best. Ace is low; straights and flushes do not count against you. Unpaired hands beat pairs; compare highest ranks first, lower wins.

Badugi

Best unique-rank, unique-suit subset: four cards beat three, three beat two, two beat one. Ace is low; A-2-3-4 rainbow is best. With equal lengths compare highest ranks first, lower wins.

Common mistakes

  • Drawing more than three cards at once: each draw replaces 0-3 cards, and you must keep exactly five.
  • Counting straights or flushes against the low half: in the Ace-to-Five half they do not hurt, only pairs do.
  • Confusing it with Badeucey: Badacey uses Ace-to-Five low with the Ace low in both halves, not Deuce-to-Seven.
  • Forgetting that a four-card Badugi beats any three-card Badugi, whatever the ranks.
  • Dramaha

    Dramaha has a community board, one draw and two high halves; Badacey has no board, three draws and two low halves.

See how Badacey lines up against every other game in the poker variants comparison table.

Badacey FAQ

How many draws are there in Badacey?

Three. Betting, draw 1, betting, draw 2, betting, draw 3, final betting and showdown. Each draw replaces 0-3 cards.

What is the best Badacey hand?

A-2-3-4-5 for the Ace-to-Five half and A-2-3-4 in four different suits for the Badugi half. A hand holding both scoops.

What are the betting limits?

Fixed-Limit: the small bet equals the big blind on the initial round and after draw 1, and doubles after draws 2 and 3. One bet plus three raises per round.

Is Badacey the same as Badeucey?

No. Badeucey uses Deuce-to-Seven low. SophiesPick's Badacey uses Ace-to-Five low plus Badugi, with the Ace low in both.