Badugi Mistakes: Treating 765 Like 732

The mistake:

When looking at starting hands, it’s important to take into account the possibility of improving to a three-card hand that can win the pot. With 765, you’re basically chasing a Badugi, while 732 can catch an ace or four in the same suit as the seven, and become a much better hand.

How to tell when your opponents are making this mistake:

These opponents will often have rough hands at showdown. They play a lot of one-card draws, and don’t play them very aggressively. They like to coldcall first-round raises and draw one. They usually have lower standards for raises on the end than most players.

How to exploit an opponent who makes this mistake:

Basically, don’t make it yourself. Recognize that it takes a significantly better situation to play a rough hand in the first place, and tend to fold them on the first round when in early position or facing a raise. When you’re playing a hand against this player, value bet your good three-card hands strongly on the midrounds, and be more inclined to bet three-card fives and smooth sixes. On the end, you can often put in one raise more than you otherwise would with your very good Badugis, and if you end up there with a bad three-card hand, bluff. When you’re out of position and both players are drawing one, you can often induce a bluff by checking.

Counterexploits to watch for:

The only useful strategy this player has (other than to stop playing those hands) is to snow more often, though a player with that insight is rare. Be aware if he’s tightening up, but that won’t happen very often either. This is one of the most persistent mistakes in the game.