In my experience people think they are good at it and aren’t or they just don’t get to play it a lot and want to get “their” game in. My sample size from the two dealers choice events last year was small but I remember the people that called badeucey / badacey sucked at them.

I never pick those games even though I think I’m fine at them (I may be guilty of the same thing I just said above though), I think in early stages one winner games are higher value and late stages you need to find games with low volatility (and lower blinds).

Side note: I enjoy the dealers choice events but later on they are truly a structure nits paradise, rewards understanding the blinds and stack sizes more than any actual poker strategy.

I agree with DD that the WSOP DC tournaments become all about the structural differences in the games as they interact with ante levels as stacks get shorter, but I like that aspect a lot. Does that make me a structure nit?

+1 I think the strat in picking games and understanding their dynamics is huge. In addition to playing the $1500 DC come June, I'm also planning to fire the $1000 DC mega sat to the $10k (and sell the lammers of course) -- 10x bubble dynamics in this format have gotta be so interesting. What do you pick if you have a huge stack? I'd guess big bet games, maybe even maximize variance all the way with 5c Omaha. What do you pick if you're trying to hobble into the money? Stud8 so you can chop a lot but you can get ante'd off. So then maybe badeucy/badacey is the way to go because the hands go so slow! (at least until h4h). At what point do you stop liking an ante game, if ever. Because I know in stud games you have the ante overlay when you get super short (the possibility of a 6x-up). I welcome although don't expect responses. I'd love a DC strat discussion thread. It's a shame there aren't more tournaments to play in and that you only get to exercise your game selection strat once every 36 hands (assuming a full table).

By full table, you mean 6-max in DC?

Ignoring when I'd choose a different game due to it being more favorable at certain blind/ante levels and stack sizes, I'd only pick:

Stud high low regular
Big O
NL 2-7
NL draw high
NLHE
LHE
PLO

The 1 exception being that I'd pick PL 2-7 triple draw every time on day 1 this year if I chose to play tournaments because I would like to play the 1500 NL 2-7 and this tournament and they are on back to back days, so PL 2-7 triple draw gives me the best chance of having either a ton of chips or 0 chips.

We added PL 2-7 TD in our mixed game tourney one time! What a sickly awesome game! Re-buys in the first level (Say what?!) Lol!

Yes. 6 players * 6 hands per orbit = 36 hands between choosing games for a given player

Let me try to guess your logic:
Big O and PLO to bully people and exploit to win big pots
NL draw games since people are unfamiliar and also 2 streets only so good for when shorter
Stud regular since people are so incompetent
NLHE at tough table or people playing scared in limit games to get jams through when short potentially
But why LHE? Please correct if I’m wrong in any of this.

There is a large misconception that stud8 is a good choice for a short stack. The problem is the antes will eat you alive. Any pot limit game is best as you pay the least per hand. Probably big O is a good choice as equities run close and you can get half when all in and stay alive.

Pot limit triple draw and stud high probably the highest ev games for an expert

My thinking was stud8 is good for a medium stack (>10BB) where losing antes isn't such an issue or for an ultra-short stack (<1BB) not on the bubble for the aforementioned ante overlay. Is this logic reasonable or am I still part of the misconception?

That seems reasonable, though no qualifier seems better in all ways. > 10 BB I’d often just choose the game I think I have the biggest edge in at my table, you still primarily are trying to max EV

Ben Yu had a good article on game selection considerations for different stack sizes many years ago.

Unless it’s a stone cold bubble, I’m looking to play NLHE and NL 2-7 with a push stack with all antes in pot and ability to mostly play headsup to get a chance at a double.

Overall though I don’t think game selection has a huge impact on the what happens to you. We are talking about a game you will play 1/6 of the time and if you go full guns blazing because you feel the need to play the game you chose you will often do more harm than good.

Sorry for thread drift but here’s a question: I’ve never played stud hl regular but am aware of the rules and the basic strat (be super careful about playing high only hands to the point of folding rolled up Kings on 3rd potentially). I have played a fair bit of stud8 in 8game to the point of decent competence. So with that said at a random table in $1500 DC, would I be better picking stud8 or stud hl regular?

If I magically became the most talented stud 8 or better player on the planet without improving my skill at any of the other games, stud 8 would still be among the last games I would pick

Picking high low regular isn't about being good at the game, it's about happening to be at a table where high low regular is obviously a good game to pick.

Also, the reality is I probably wouldn't actually pick most the games I listed. Just Big O and NL 2-7 would probably suffice.

Sean, what are the big, disastrous mistakes you see people make in NL 2-7? I love that game and intend to play in the $1500 NL2-7 as well as likely to see it in the DC (esp if I'm at your table!) but I don't have a ton of experience so I'd greatly appreciate if you'd identify some basics I should definitely avoid.

Noob question because I'm not sure what you folks call "ante overlay". Let's say in a Razz 50/100 6-handed game that has an ante of 10$ and my stack is 7$, so I'm obviously all-in since I can't pay a full ante.

If I win the main pot, what size would it be?
A) 42$
B) 60$
C) Man, you're such a clueless noob!

you wouldnt get dealt in

Sorry, my question was meant for tournament play.

You'd win 6*7 = 42 chips. You can never win more from anyone else than you started the hand with, in any game. The reason that's called ante overlay is because you won't be contesting the hand with all 5 opponents, more likely just 3 or even heads up by the time it gets to showdown. As a result, you have more equity than if you just did a 6 way flip. The people who fold before showdown (and especially those who fold on 3rd) forfeit their equity. Similarly players often forfeit quite a lot of equity in stud games on 3rd by folding (correctly, but still), whereas when you're all-in for your last ante, you're guaranteed to realize your full equity. Lastly and for this reason, it's fine to fold to your last ante in stud because consider these scenarios:

All in for last ante, you 6x up to 6 antes
All in for your last 2 antes but pot only goes HU vs the bring-in, you 4x up to 8 antes (the 6 antes in the pot, your 1 ante call of the bring-in, the matching 1 ante from the bring-in)
This effect is even greater at an 8-handed table (8x up to 8 antes vs. 4x up to 8 antes)

Ok, that's what I thought regarding my question.
I get it for the ante overlay, thanks.

Fwiw I called Stud hi/lo regular a few times early on no dumb play was observed and there was little action.

Early levels don’t matter much and I like to play stuff I don’t get a chance to but if play was bad would have kept with it.

Anyhow I’m pretty sure I won the first Badeucey hand in WSOP history! In very first event I called it, played 1st hand from button and stole the blinds

early levels can matter a lot when its pl 27 triple draw, only game I would be liekly to call day 1.

Seems like a good game to call when deep (so can play 4 streets) and early on (against people who've barely played fixed limit let alone pot limit 2-7td). Yet, I count as one of those players who's never played PL other than occasionally in a HU mix. Is the strat basically to blast pot sized bets when you're drawing ahead? What are the key mistakes a FL player is likely to make playing PL?