What Game Should You Pick in Dealer’s Choice?
Table Of Contents
The 2021 World Series of Poker is in full flow and this year sees the return of both Dealer's Choice events. Event #7: $1,500 Dealer's Choice 6-Handed gets underway today with Event #36: $10,000 Dealers Choice 6-Handed Championship starting on October 18.
Mixed poker games like 8-Game mix or H.O.R.S.E have a predetermined order of games whereas in Dealer's Choice, the games that are played are picked by whoever is on the button, you could be No Limit hold'em one hand and then playing Big O the next. This gives dealer's choice games it's unique selling point and how it sets itself out from the crowd. The game dynamics swing greatly which makes for some great viewing as well as playing in.
How to Pick Your Game in a Dealer's Choice Tournament
Adam Friedman won back to back bracelets in the $10,000 Dealers Choice 6-Handed events in 2018 and 2019 for a combined earnings of $605,692. The mixed-game specialist also has another piece of WSOP hardware after topping the field in 2012 winning Event #15: $5,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better for $269,037. So it's safe to say Friedman knows his stuff when it comes to making deep runs and even triumphing in these tournaments.
Fresh off his 2018 win, the Ohioan spoke to Sasha Salinger on how to choose the games to play in a dealer's choice event. Make sure to watch the video as this will tell you how your stack (and those of your opponents) can play a crucial role in choosing the right poker games in a Dealer's Choice event.
Dealer's Choice Games
There are a total of twenty poker variants to choice from when playing dealer's choice and these can split into five general categories.
- Hold'em Variants
- Omaha Variants
- Stud Variants
- Single Draw Variants
- Triple Draw Variants
For those unfamiliar with some of the games in the table below, there's no need to fret as you can get up to speed with this Dealer's Choice Game Breakdown. This encyclopedic article has everything you need to know, including how each game plays as well as a host of really useful suggested readings that will really sharpen up your game.
| Hold'em Games | Omaha Games | Stud Variants | Single Draw Games | Triple Draw Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No-Limit Hold'em | Pot-Limit Omaha (High) | Razz | No-Limit Five-Card Draw (High) | 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw |
| Pot-Limit Hold'em | Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo Eight-or-Better | Seven Card Stud | No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw | A-5 Lowball Triple Draw |
| Limit Hold'em | Limit Omaha (High) | Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 | Badugi | |
| Limit Omaha Hi-Lo Eight-or-Better | Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo Regular | Badeucy | ||
| Big "O" | Badacey | |||
| Pot-Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw |
Mixed Game Festival: October 4th-7th at Westgate Las Vegas
If you're looking to dabble in some mixed action and get your feet wet at an affordable price point, the Cardplayer Lifestyle Mixed Game Festival at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort from Oct. 4-7 might be just up your alley. The event is hosted by industry veteran Robbie Strazynski, who recently joined Chad Holloway on the PokerNews Podcast to talk about the upcoming festival.
Rest assured that every poker variant under the sun, from Double-Board Omaha to Archie, will be spread during these days. On October 7th, a PokerStars Platinum Pass valued at $30,000 will be added to a $200 H.O.R.S.E. tournament, adding a massive first-place prize on top of the regular prize pool.
For more information, visit the Cardplayer Lifestyle website.
Calum has been a part of the PokerNews team since September 2021 after working in the UK energy sector. He played his first hand of poker in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the game. Calum's proudest poker achievement is winning the only tournament he has ever played in Las Vegas, the prestigious $60 Flamingo evening event.
In this Series
- 1 WSOP 2021 Schedule: 88 WSOP Bracelet Events, Sept. 30 - Nov. 23
- 2 WSOP 2021: Best Events to Play on a Budget
- 3 WSOP 2021 Main Event Satellites From $80 Hit GGPoker
- 4 WSOP 2021: Former Champ Chris Moneymaker Set to Miss This Year's WSOP
- 5 WSOP 2021: COVID-19 Vaccination Required for Players, Update on Staff
- 6 WSOP 2021: Best Hotels in Las Vegas
- 7 WSOP 2021: Try These 5 Hidden Gem Las Vegas Restaurants
- 8 World Series of Poker 2023: Read Phil Ivey's Top WSOP Tips
- 9 WSOP 2021: 8 Things Poker Players Should Definitely Bring to the WSOP - and 2 You Shouldn't!
- 10 How to Enter the WSOP 2021 Freezeout Events
- 11 Is It Worth Playing Cash Games During the WSOP?
- 12 What Game Should You Pick in Dealer’s Choice?
- 13 What We've Learned from the First Week of the 2021 WSOP
- 14 Hands That Helped GGPoker Ambassador Jason Koon Win 1st WSOP Gold Bracelet
- 15 GGPoker Successfully Brings Online Flip & Go Concept to Live 2021 WSOP
- 16 Jason Koon, Connor Drinan Lead 2021 WSOP Player of the Year Race
- 17 Anthony Zinno in Exclusive One-Player Club Following Fourth WSOP Title
- 18 Looking Back At The Illustrious History of the Poker Players Championship
- 19 Phil Hellmuth Blows Up AGAIN; Rails Against WSOP POY Rules
- 20 Poker Fan Loses Job, Twitch Streamer Gifts Him WSOP Main Event Package
- 21 WSOP 2021: Are the Fields Tougher or Softer than Recent Years?
- 22 Doyle Brunson Treats Crowd to Surprise WSOP Return on Halloween
- 23 Spooktastic: Best & Worst Halloween Costumes from the 2021 WSOP
- 24 Phil Ivey NFT Launch Party a True 'What Happens in Vegas' Night
- 25 Poker Community Buys Man Facing Terminal Cancer into WSOP Main Event
- 26 Everything You Need to Know About the 2021 WSOP Main Event
- 27 WSOP Temporarily Goes on Lockdown Over Suspect's "Suspicious Item"
- 28 Did Phil Hellmuth's Sex Ban Lead to 1989 WSOP Main Event Glory?
- 29 Doyle Brunson Arrives; Defending Champ Salas Busts Before 1st Break of 2021 WSOP Main Event
- 30 Aces Cracked Leaves Kevin Campbell as the 2021 WSOP Main Event Bubble
- 31 Quads Vs. Quads Sends Chang Liu Home Near WSOP Main Event Bubble
- 32 The Muck: Mike "The Mouth" Matusow Wants to End Max Late Reg
- 33 Doyle Brunson Proves He Still Has it Despite WSOP Main Event Exit
- 34 Phil "Gandalf" Hellmuth Makes Grand Entrance in 2021 WSOP Main Event
- 35 Chris Moneymaker Makes Late Decision to Play WSOP Main Event
- 36 Who is GGPoker Ambassador and YouTube Vlogger 'Greg Goes All In?'
- 37 The Muck: Poker Twitter Debates Potential Angle-Shooting in WSOP Main Event
- 38 Nick Rigby Plays the 2-3 "Dirty Diaper" in 2021 WSOP Main Event
- 39 Is Josh Arieh Running Away with WSOP Player of the Year?
- 40 'Wedding Crashers' & 'Old School' Star Vince Vaughn to Join WSOP's Move to Strip in 2022
- 41 Eli Elezra Selected as 2021 Poker Hall of Fame Inductee
- 42 Master of Ceremonies Vince Vaughn Suffers Bad Beat in His First WSOP Tournament
- 43 Players Implement Covid Contract During WSOP $250K Super High Roller
- 44 How Much Money Did Players at the WSOP Main Event Final Table Really Make?
- 45 Phil Hellmuth Breaks WSOP Single Series Final Table Record
- 46 Daniel Negreanu's Most Mind-Boggling WSOP Stat at the Rio
- 47 Josh Arieh a Surprising 2021 WSOP Player of the Year Winner
