Badeucy Starting Hands

Overview of Badeucy

Badeucy is a mixed poker variant that alternates between Badugi and Deuce-to-Seven (2-7) Triple Draw each hand. In a typical rotation, one hand is played as Badugi (A-5 lowball with suits), and the next as 2-7 Triple Draw (2-7 lowball, no straights or flushes). Players must assemble a hand that can compete in both disciplines, though only one game is active per hand. Starting hand selection in Badeucy focuses on hands that are playable in either game, with a premium on those that can draw to a strong low in both formats.

Key Characteristics of Strong Starting Hands

A strong Badeucy starting hand usually has:

• Three-card Badugi potential: Three cards of different ranks and suits (e.g., A♠ 2♥ 3♦). This allows drawing to a four-card Badugi (a low hand with all different suits and ranks).
• Low unpaired ranks for 2-7: Cards between 2 and 7, ideally 2-7 range, with no pairs. Since 2-7 counts A as high, A is undesirable in the 2-7 round.
• No duplicate suits that would hurt Badugi: Duplicate suits in the starting hand reduce Badugi chances, but if the hand has a good 2-7 core, it may still be playable.

Example Starting Hands

• A♠ 2♥ 3♦: Excellent. Three-card Badugi (three suits, three ranks) and low cards. Good for both games.
• 2♠ 3♥ 4♦: Strong. Low cards in both games, three-card Badugi.
• A♠ 2♠ 3♦: Marginal. Duplicate spades hurt Badugi (only a two-card Badugi), but still playable in 2-7.
• 7♠ 8♥ 9♦: Weak. High cards in 2-7, and three-card Badugi but with high ranks. Not recommended.

Strategic Considerations

Because each hand is either Badugi or 2-7, players must adjust their starting hand requirements accordingly. In the Badugi round, hands with three different suits and ranks as low as possible (A-2-3) are premium. In the 2-7 round, hands like 2-3-4-5-7 are ideal, but starting hands are typically three-card draws (e.g., 2-3-4 or 2-3-5). A common mistake is overvaluing hands that are good in one game but terrible in the other. For example, a hand like A-2-3-4 (all different suits) is excellent in Badugi but poor in 2-7 because A is high. Conversely, a hand like 2-3-4-5 (with duplicate suits) is strong in 2-7 but has no Badugi potential.

Typical Starting Hand Ranges

In practice, experienced players often play hands that contain at least two low cards (2-7) and have no more than one duplicate suit. Hands that are three-card Badugi with all ranks from A-7 are generally playable from any position. Hands with a pair or a duplicated suit require caution and position consideration.

Summary

Badeucy starting hands balance the conflicting requirements of Badugi (different suits, A low) and 2-7 (no suits, 2-7 low). The best starting hands are three-card Badugi draws that also serve as solid three-card low draws in 2-7. Understanding this dual nature is key to success in the game.