General Considerations for Bummer
	If you play "Bummer" in the wild card version, the winning hands will need to be excellent. For high, expect a high 4 of a kind to be the minimum you will need to win. For low, the nuts or second-best nuts, with much depending on the board cards. Low board cards can also make a tie for the low likely.

Additionally, since there is no checking and you must either bet or fold this is not a game to be chasing. A good solid hand is mandatory.

If you play Bummer without wild cards the likely winning hands will be much less, with high trips having a decent chance. The board cards will also take on more significance. The more coordinated they are (eg suited, consecutive, paired) the more likely it is that someone will make an even higher hand. You will still want to have solid starting cards

Starting Hands

In the wild card version, staring hands fall into 2 broad categories based upon what you are originally dealt: made hands and drawing hands. Powerful made hands are 4 of a kind and 4 to a straight flush (including one-gapper) for high and 4 unmatched cards of 5 or less for low. With the guaranteed wild card you already have 5 of a kind, a straight flush or the nut low. A slightly less powerful made hand is 3 of a kind, since you will have 4 of a kind at a minimum and a draw to 5 of a kind. However, the higher the trips you start with the better. A final hand of 4 aces or kings may stand up, while a low or medium 4 of a kind may not.

Drawing hands would include 3 to a straight flush, 2 big pairs,a single big pair (aces or kings), 3 (unmatched) cards of 4 or less. Each of these is going to need additional improvement beyond just the one wild card to be a winner. Be especially wary of 2 pair. While you have a guaranteed full house, that is usually not good enough to win unless there are only a few players and/or no one is showing much strength by raising.

If you play Bummer as the progresive betting version, the drawing hands can become more attractive. You have the opportunity to see the board cards at the lowest betting limits. If you should catch your hand you will be able to make more money, since the betting limits increase.

When played without wild cards draws to flushes and straights become very good hands. However, you would want to start with a 4 flush or straight already in your hand. Drawing to those hands with only 3 in your hand is a long shot. It is also much more important to have a hand with several possibilities for improvement.

The Board Cards

The wild card version has the second exposed board card being automatically wild as well as the other 3 like-ranked cards. While this means you have at least one wild card for your hand, it also means that so does everyone else. You must not think of this game as having just 4 wild cards. You need to think of it as having one wild card for each active player, plus 3 other wild cards. If there are 5 players remaining in the hand that is a total of 8 wild cards. Should the other board card match the wild card there would be a total of 12 wild cards. Obviously, the more active players and the more wild cards the better the hand you will need to win.

Without wild cards the 2 board cards play a more significant role, as was already mentioned. They will also provide a better sense of what types of hands people hold, and in what direction (high or low) they might be going.

Read playing tips for high-low split.