Despite my hand selection below, I've been the tightest player at the table for the past few hours in the 40-80 mix game. This is the first time I've left home without a deuce (in this or 2-7 TD). I'm sure it's been noticed.

The hand:

We're six-handed.

The loosest player at the table (and only moderately aggressive) limps UTG. Two players fold to me on the button.

I've got 4569T

I decide to pray for the 2 and limp in.

The small blind folds and a LAG checks in the big blind.

First Draw
LAG big blind draws three. UTG draws three.

I discard two and catch 456JQ

It's checked to me. I bet and get called in both spots.

Second Draw
LAG big blind draws two and UTG draws one.

I discard the Queen and catch 456J8

It's checked to me. I bet and get called by both opponents.

Third Draw
LAG big blind stands pat. UTG draws one.

I stand pat.

It's checked to me and I bet.

Your limp should be fine. I would check back flop and just draw 2 again. As played, the river bet is really bad IMO. BB is pat so you never win the low. Only way river bet can really work is if UTG makes just a low that he can call down with or maybe like ABC...nonetheless I would be thrilled to just show the hand down and be done with it.

Ik check back every draw and draw two on second draw again. Review again on third draw.

Haven't played much of this game. I personally would've drawn 2 on the second draw but probably would pat HU. And never betting river as played. Happy for free showdown.

I'm surprised by the advice to discard the J on the second draw.

Badugis aren't rare. But, there are plenty of hands in which half the pot is won by a three-card badugi. So, breaking a Jack-badugi seems dubious to me, especially against two players who have shown no strength.

There are only six cards in the deck which give me a better badugi: 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, and T

With 45 unseen cards in the deck, I've got a 13.3% of improving my badugi by drawing one (and then discarding the Jack on the third draw if I do improve).

Is it really worth it to break the made badugi simply to double my chances to improve the badugi?

I figure the line of reasoning is that you're unlikely to scoop with a J in your hand so breaking gives you a chance to improve to a scooping hand, and you can fall back on just a low or bad badugi anyways. I haven't played enough to know what tends to win at showdown so just discard my earlier advice although I continue to be curious what other people think.

3-handed vs a pat who has not shown aggression I would expect to win the badugi half with a Jack so I actually like your bet on the river. I would not have kept the Jack on the first draw vs another D1 unless HU though. Especially multiway I think a Ten is significantly better and would play a Ten like this.

I get what you're thinking, UTG probably has a decent low hand with a 3-card so your Jack is a favorite to be ahead for badugi but if either player improves your redraw to a Jack low is pretty weak and you may find yourself paying off so your implied position for the last draw is not great.

Results:

After I bet the river, LAG big blind tanked and folded (after patting on the last draw).

UTG took a few seconds and called.

I scooped.

LAG big blind looked at my hand for quite a while. There's no way he folded any badugi (and probably would have bet/check-raised with one). I couldn't tell if he folded a low better than J8654 based on his reaction. Maybe he had a Ten or worse Jack and thought I wouldn't stand pat without being able to beat that. However, it's a strange decision to stand pat with those weak hands out of position.

UTG said he "paired twice". So, he presumably called the river with a premium three-card badugi.

I'd check back after first draw and draw two. If I played this, I'd raise before the draw

Looking this over I prefer raising preflop, 3 cards to the 6 is far from garbage

I'd raise pre-flop if I am entering. And with this hand, I enter. I have a hard time justifying a limp ever in any of the triple draws.

I'd play 1st and 2nd draw the same here.

I'm also not certain I can bet a Jack-Jack on the end, even in position, against a patter and another opponent.

I limp in this spot with all my 2 card hands for sure.


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You should never open-limp in triple draw games (except bvb), but you can overlimp in some circumstances. For example, any strong D3 in B2 or BA. This hand would be similar, to me, to like a 7xy with no 2 in regular deuce. You can overlimp and try to catch perfect cheaply.