Unsolved at Badugi?
Badugi is a four-card draw game unlike anything else in poker, with its own distinct hand rankings: you want four low cards of different suits and different ranks, and the best possible hand, a "badugi," is four unpaired, unsuited low cards, with A-2-3-4 rainbow being the nuts.
The coaches below coach mixed games — including Badugi. They're ranked by their overall mixed-game reviews and shown here because Badugi is part of the mix, not as single-game specialists.
7 coaches · ranked by weighted review score
Filter in the directory →- AL
Alex Livingston
Taking studentsUnclaimedMixed Games · HighAlex Livingston is a high-stakes mixed-games coach with experience across no-limit hold'em, PLO, and the full mixed rotation. Through Mixed Minds Poker, he teaches a theory-led, exploitative approach built around player psychology, pool tendencies, and hands from elite mixed-game tournaments.
No reviews yet - BH
Brian Hastings
Availability unknownUnclaimedNLHE Cash · HighPLO · HighMixed Games · HighBrian Hastings coaches advanced no-limit hold'em and mixed games through Octopi Poker, offering both an advanced NLHE track and a separate mixed-game mentorship. A six-time WSOP bracelet winner, most of them in stud and mixed-game championships, he's one of the most accomplished mixed-game players teaching today. He's a strong fit for players who want to grow beyond a single format into PLO and the mixed rotation.
No reviews yet$400/hr - BY
Bryce Yockey (Oracle of Omaha)
WaitlistUnclaimedPLO · HighMixed Games · HighBryce Yockey, who coaches as the Oracle of Omaha, specializes in Pot-Limit Omaha and mixed games for both cash and tournaments. A three-time WSOP bracelet winner, all in PLO and mixed-game events, he covers PLO variants, Big O, Omaha 8, stud, razz, badugi, and 2-7 triple draw, building custom solutions in Monker Solver. He's a strong fit for players going deep into Omaha and the mixed rotation.
No reviews yet$1000/hr - C"
Chris "DeathDonkey" Vitch
Taking studentsUnclaimedMixed Games · HighChris Vitch, known as DeathDonkey, is a high-stakes mixed-games coach for mid- to high-stakes cash and tournament players. A three-time WSOP bracelet winner across stud, draw, and Omaha disciplines, he teaches solver-based strategy and practical frameworks for fixed-limit games, tournament PLO, PLO8, and big-bet draw, and builds mixed-game study tools through his Lab. His coaching suits serious players ready to add the full mix to their game.
No reviews yet$500/hr - DL
Dylan Linde
Availability unknownUnclaimedNLHE Cash · HighMTT · HighMixed Games · HighDylan Linde coaches mixed games and no-limit hold'em through Octopi Poker, covering the draw, stud, and flop games most players never properly learn alongside high-stakes tournament decisions. He wrote Mastering Mixed Games: Winning Strategies for Draw, Stud and Flop Games, and backs it with a WSOP bracelet and a WPT Five Diamond title. He's a strong fit for players ready to add mixed games to their range or to sharpen multi-format tournament play.
No reviews yet$700/hr - GV
Greg Vail
Taking studentsUnclaimedMixed Games · MidGreg Vail is a Big O and PLO8 coach focused on split-pot strategy, mental game, and the professional side of poker. Through Double Suited Poker, he works with players who want structured coaching for Omaha high-low and related mixed games.
No reviews yet$300/hr - JM
Jeff Madsen
Availability unknownUnclaimedNLHE Cash · MidPLO · MidMixed Games · MidJeff Madsen coaches no-limit hold'em, PLO, and mixed games through Octopi Poker across multiple formats in a single coaching offer. A five-time WSOP bracelet winner and the 2006 WSOP Player of the Year, he broke through as one of the youngest stars in series history. His flexible, multi-format coaching suits players working on NLHE, PLO, and mixed-game fundamentals rather than a single specialty.
No reviews yet$189/hr
About Badugi coaching
Pairs and matching suits hurt you, because duplicate ranks and suits don't count, so a four-card "badugi" beats any three-card hand. The game has three draws and four betting rounds, and its unusual structure means the standard instincts from other poker games simply don't apply — which is exactly why it confuses newcomers and rewards those who study it.
A Badugi coach helps you learn the game's particular logic: which starting hands and draws are strong, how to value a made three-card hand versus a drawing hand, when to snow (bluff by standing pat), and how to read opponents' draws from their discards and betting across the three draws. Because Badugi appears in Dealer's Choice and the badugi-based mixed games, and because so few players study it seriously, even modest competence creates a real edge. The game is deep enough to reward dedicated coaching and rare enough that strong players are uncommon — a combination that makes focused study unusually profitable for the player willing to put in the work.
Badugi coaching, unsolved questions
- What is a badugi (the best hand)?
- Four cards of different suits and different ranks, the lowest such hand wins, so A-2-3-4 rainbow (all different suits) is the nuts. Pairs and matching suits don't count, so a four-card hand beats any three-card hand.
- Why is Badugi hard to learn?
- Its hand rankings and structure are unlike any other poker game, so standard instincts don't apply. Reading draws, valuing three-card versus four-card hands, and knowing when to snow all take dedicated study.
- Is it worth getting a Badugi coach?
- Yes, so few players study Badugi seriously that competence creates a real edge, and it appears in Dealer's Choice and badugi-based mixes. The game is deep enough to reward coaching and rare enough that strong players are uncommon.