Community Card Game · Blinds · Split Pot · 7 Players Max
Overview
5-Card Shodugi deals 5 hole cards to each player. After the pre-flop betting round, players secretly separate their cards into a 2-card Texas Hold'em hand and a 3-card Badugi hand, then cap both groups. Before the Badugi draw (which occurs between the flop and turn), a 4th Badugi card is dealt face-down to each player, giving them a complete 4-card Badugi hand. Players then draw (exchange 0–4 Badugi cards). Community cards are dealt in the standard Hold'em pattern.
Split pot: The Hold'em half uses the 2-card group (must use both) plus 3 community cards. The Badugi half uses the 4-card Badugi group (best Badugi hand wins).
What is a Badugi?
Badugi is a 4-card lowball hand where the goal is four cards of four different suits and four different ranks. An "Ace-to-Four" Badugi (A-2-3-4 in 4 different suits) is the best possible hand. If cards share a suit or rank, the duplicates are discarded — reducing the effective hand size. A 4-card Badugi beats any 3-card Badugi; a 3-card beats any 2-card; and so on. When comparing same-size Badugis, the one with the lowest highest card wins (like lowball).
Watch a Sample Hand
Watch how splitting 5 cards — and then receiving a 4th Badugi card — creates a unique two-way competition!
POT: $40
Player 2
Hold'emBadugi
HOLD'EM WIN!
Hold'emBadugi
YOU (Hero)
BADUGI WIN!
Ready to Deal
Press Next Step to begin dealing the sample hand.
Step 0 of 10
Key Rules
5 hole cards dealt face-down to each player
After pre-flop betting, secretly separate into a 2-card Hold'em hand and a 3-card Badugi hand and cap both
Flop (3 community cards) + betting
A 4th Badugi card is dealt face-down to each player, completing their 4-card Badugi hand
Badugi draw: exchange 0–4 of your Badugi cards
Turn (1 community card) + betting
River (1 community card) + betting
Hold'em half: Best 5-card hand using exactly your 2-card group + community cards
Badugi half: Best 4-card Badugi hand using your 4-card Badugi group
Betting Sequence
Deal 5 hole cards face-down
Pre-flop betting
Players secretly split into 2-card Hold'em group + 3-card Badugi group, cap both
Flop (3 community cards) + flop betting
4th Badugi card dealt face-down to each player
Badugi draw (exchange 0–4 Badugi cards)
Turn (4th community card) + turn betting
River (5th community card) + river betting
Showdown — split pot
Key rule: The Hold'em group must use exactly both hole cards (combined with community cards). The Badugi group uses all 4 cards — the best Badugi hand possible from those 4 cards wins the Badugi half.
Strategy Tips
When splitting your 5 cards, look for a strong pair or high cards for the Hold'em group and 3 low, different-suited, different-ranked cards for the Badugi group
Starting with 3 Badugi cards of 3 different suits and ranks is a great foundation — you need just 1 more to complete a 4-card Badugi
A perfect 4-card Badugi (4 different suits, 4 different ranks) is very hard to beat — even a bad 4-card Badugi beats all 3-card Badugis
The Badugi draw gives you one chance to improve — plan which cards you'll exchange when you first set your hand
Watch whether opponents draw 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 — drawing 0 (standing pat) signals a strong Badugi
