What I learned yesterday, though, is that players who enjoy mixed games can be quite creative, and I mean that in the fullest sense of the word. I knew that the mixed games cash environment was pretty liberal in terms of games played, but I was surprised to see some games that I hadn’t even heard of before.

After the HORSE event on Day 1 of Mixed Game Festival III, yesterday was reserved exclusively for cash games, and the action started at around 2 PM. That’s what you’d call an early start in poker, but you could tell that everyone who arrived came ready to play!

It was just one table with a rotating cast of between six to eight players participating at any given time — Robbie Strazynski being one of them, from start to finish — and to say they were having a blast would be an understatement. That one table was making more noise than the rest of the tables in the cash game room combined!

With €5/10 fixed limits in place, it was a fairly affordable game that wasn’t going to break anybody’s bank (or make anyone rich, for that matter), so the focus was on having a good time.

Come Again, Please?

I was in and out of the cash game area, checking out what was happening and trying to keep up. After watching the game for half an hour or so, I was debating joining the action myself (especially after a kind invitation from the gentleman in seat three), but a few moments later, I decided it would probably be best to remain on the rail for this one.

As the button made a full round, it was time to pick the new game, and someone announced “Razzdugi.” I double-checked with Robbie to make sure I heard correctly, and he was kind enough to explain it was a split-pot game, where one half of the pot went to the best Razz hand and the other to the best Badugi hand, and the game was played like 7-Card Stud.

What fascinated me more than this completely new game (to me, at least) was that no one at the table even batted an eye. They were now playing Razzdugi, and no one missed the beat!

This included the dealers, who kept on dealing these different games as if it was nothing. The action was smoother than what you’ll find at most Hold’em tables, and that blew my mind. Sure enough, they needed a little assistance with announcing winning hands when games like “Razz High” were called, but overall, it was smooth sailing.

Poker Till Dawn

As cards and chips were flying around, players were having a great time. The table had more of a home game vibe to it, as everyone was very friendly to each other, and there was no tension. Not all of them were friends by the strictest definition of the word, but they were all brought together by their love for mixed games, and they weren’t going to let anything spoil the fun.

And they most certainly did not, as the game continued all the way until the early morning hours. I wasn’t there to see the conclusion, but Robbie let me know they wrapped it up at around 5 AM, for a total of over 14 consecutive hours of game play! During the entire session, the table only took one short dinner break. Some players came and went, but a few were there for the entire duration.

As is always the case with poker, some walked away with more than they bought in with, and others went home with their wallets a bit thinner. But there is no doubt in my mind that everyone walked away from that game a winner, as it was one of the most chilled and relaxed tables I had a chance to witness, in casinos and home games alike.

And today, they get to do it all over again, as we head into the third and the final day of Mixed Game Festival III at Malta’s Portomaso Casino.

Adam Friedman discusses his record win at the $10,000 Dealer’s Choice Championship for 3rd consecutive time

Adam Friedman talks about which games are his best & how to choose specific games in Dealer’s Choice

NOTE: PLEASE SUBSCRIBE To Bernard’s YouTube page AND LIKE any videos that you enjoy

Adam Friedman

In this episode of The Bernard Lee Poker Show on the Cardplayer Lifestyle Podcast Family, Bernard Lee interviews Adam Friedman, who recently captured his fourth WSOP bracelet. More impressively, he won his third $10,000 Dealer’s Choice 6-Max Championship in a row. This unprecedented achievement is a WSOP record.

At the start of the interview, Adam talks about his historic achievement of winning the $10,000 Dealer’s Choice 6-Max Championship for the third consecutive time. Next, Adam talks about how he got started in the world of poker, which included the movie, Rounders. Adam discusses his transition from no-limit hold’em to mixed games. He also discusses why he has been so successful at Dealer’s choice tournaments and which games are critical to learn.

During the second part of the interview, Adam talks about which games he feels are his best and how players can improve in new games. Adam also discusses how to choose specific games in specific situations. He then discusses the final table in the 2021 WSOP $10,000 Dealer’s Choice 6-Max Championship, including getting heads-up with Phil Hellmuth. Adam discusses his future poker goals, including future WSOP bracelet events.

For the first time in almost 12 years of operations, Cardplayer Lifestyle will be hosting its very own branded live event festival. The cash game/tournament hybrid will feature three days of low-stakes Dealer’s Choice cash games culminating in a $200 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. tournament on the fourth day.

We believe that there’s a niche segment of the poker-loving public that’s just a bit underserved. Too often, low-stakes mixed games simply don’t run in brick and mortar casinos because it’s impossible for enough interested players to spontaneously and simultaneously assemble. With plenty of advanced notice, however, we’re ready to make some massive mixed game magic happen!

The cash game portion of the festival will run from Monday October 4 until Wednesday October 6. A direct buy-in $200 H.O.R.S.E. tournament will then take place beginning at 12PM on Thursday October 7 that will see the winner take home a coveted Platinum Pass to the PokerStars Players Championship next year (date TBD).

For every five hours of Dealer’s Choice cash game play logged during the first three days of the festival, players will earn extra starting chips for the final day’s H.O.R.S.E. tournament, up to a maximum of 25 hours play for double the starting stack.

Click to download: Official $200 H.O.R.S.E Tournament Rules

Click to download: Official $200 H.O.R.S.E. Tournament Structure

Due to space considerations, players interested in attending the festival are encouraged to register in advance on the bespoke daily interest lists via the Poker Atlas app.

FREEBIES AND GIVEAWAYS GALORE

In addition to the added value the Platinum Pass brings to the proceedings, all players will enjoy a number of other festival features including:

• FREE salad bar and fruit/vegetable platters throughout cash game play
• Multiple daily merchandise giveaways courtesy of PokerStars as well as other premium poker industry brands
• $7 time rake per dealer down

… with more to come in future announcements.

**Update: We’ve just made that “future announcement” here!

CHARITY COMPONENT

There will also be a nod to charity throughout the Cardplayer Lifestyle Mixed Game Festival, with the non-profit Westgate Resorts Foundation set to benefit (with perhaps an additional organization, to be determined).

“Tip jars” will be set up on site where players can choose to donate chips towards charity, with the total amount collected each day to be matched both by PokerStars and Westgate Casino.

HOSPITALITY DISCOUNT

Players who stay at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino during the Cardplayer Lifestyle Mixed Game Festival will be eligible for a special promotional rate of $50 per night from October 3-6 and $80 on October 7 (those are final prices; no additional taxes or fees). Just mention the code ZCLPO21 when calling the hotel to book your room at (888) 999-3836 or (702) 732-5151.

I’m absolutely thrilled to have great partners in PokerStars and the Westgate Las Vegas Poker Room with whom to host our inaugural Mixed Game Festival. We’ve been working hard to put this special event together, and we’re all dedicated to making this a truly memorable experience.

Having the opportunity to award a Platinum Pass to our tournament winner brings unprecedented value to a promotion targeting live low-stakes players during peak poker season. This will be an unforgettable festival where every participant will feel like a winner, including charitable foundation(s). It’s a mixed game player’s dream come true.

See you all in Las Vegas!

About Cardplayer Lifestyle

Founded in 2009, Cardplayerlifestyle.com is dedicated to bringing fans the latest news, interviews, op-eds, and strategy and lifestyle pieces from the world of poker. Our digital poker media outlet publishes some of the most interesting stories the world of poker has to offer, including exclusive features on top poker personalities. We also provide our readers with a plethora of unique strategy pieces and the most up-to-date, comprehensive reviews of popular poker training courses.

Got questions about our Mixed Game Festival? Please contact: [email protected]

Alas, I no longer resided a mere four-hour drive away in Los Angeles, where I was born and raised, but rather in a far more distant and ancient land. For over a decade, as a serious recreational player and highly engaged poker fan living in Israel, I felt like an outsider looking in, longingly wishing I could take part in the game’s ultimate festival. I lived my Cardplayer Lifestyle vicariously, over 7,000 miles away.

When Vegas is 7,333 miles away,  there to participate in the @WSOP is not something one takes for granted. Emotions running the gamut from excited to grateful to anxious and back to excited all over again.

I keep pinching myself. How lucky am I?!

to the airport in <24 hours pic.twitter.com/ms47MQOYsn

— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) May 26, 2019

At the time, that (first) trip felt like it would be my once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I treated it as such, trying to make the most of every moment. Fortunately, in retrospect, it proved to be one of the first major milestones of what has become my career. I had found my way in. Blessed to have had my years of “nights and weekends” work pay off such that I could give self-employment a try and be able to pursue my poker passion through media work, each successive return to the Rio has felt resoundingly triumphant. My excitement levels have not waned even in the slightest, and I’ve even developed what I believe to be a healthy anxiety leading into what has become – and what I hope will continue to be – a yearly WSOP pilgrimage. Indeed, I still do not – and cannot – take attending this annual calendar event as a given.

Now in Las Vegas for my fourth consecutive summer, I find myself a seasoned veteran; a member of the club, knowing all the ins and outs, and even putting together comprehensive lists of WSOP tips for newbies. Yet, there’s still a monkey I’ve got to get off my back.

While I’m grateful to be in a place professionally that I could once have only dreamed of, the poker player within me still has many fantasies unfulfilled, chief among them World Series of Poker glory. One can only be a fanboy and wear a media badge for so long before the desire to shuck off those mortal coils becomes irrepressible. I simply cannot wait any longer to take my seat at the table and let my inner competitor loose.

It’s that burning passion for poker notoriety that can only be achieved at the felt that’s spurred me to finally take my first shot.

My Poker Playing History

While I first learned how to play poker as a young kid around the kitchen table, like so many millions of others I only began playing regularly and taking the game seriously in the wake of Chris Moneymaker’s landmark 2003 WSOP Main Event win. For over a decade and a half, I’ve been that proverbial “home game hotshot” and that “weekend warrior.” Though I haven’t kept an exact count, I know that I must have close to 1,000 sessions under my belt by now, most of them home games, with a precious few dozen in brick and mortar poker rooms (we don’t have any in Israel, so those only happen on my trips abroad). My many thousands of hours of experience straddles both the cash game and tournament realms, though admittedly I play at most one or two tournaments per year.

Naturally, like my fellow Moneymaker Boomers, I took to Texas Hold’em and have a deep familiarity with that game. Unlike most of my compatriots, however, I also have just as much experience playing all manner of mixed games. That’s why when it came time to choose which would be the first WSOP bracelet event I’d enter, my pick was a no-brainer.

Had my last Dealer’s Choice home game before the #WSOP tonight.

Each one over the last few months has been in preparation for the big day.

If there’s such a thing as emotional readiness, I think I’m there.

After 16+ years of home games, it’s finally time to go #bracelethunting pic.twitter.com/SHkdJ7Asuz

— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) May 22, 2019

So, no, I have not entered “The Big 50,” which so many might feel would be the “obvious” choice. Rather, I will be making my WSOP player debut in the $1,500 Dealer’s Choice event.

Now before the more experienced and professional poker players among you scoff or laugh too loudly (perhaps I’m already too late to muffle those giggles), I respectfully feel like I’ve got a shot at making a decent run. For what skills and experience I may lack, I possess one key ingredient a true poker player needs: I have no fear.

I’ve always felt that my home game is a bit unique. We don’t just play all the games in the typical 8- or 10-game mix. Hell, we play even more games than the 20 one can choose from in the Dealer’s Choice event! Moreover, we play almost every poker variant no-limit, and we switch the game every single hand. If that’s not a poker game that keeps you on your toes and that keeps your wits razor sharp, then I don’t know what is.

So, sure, I don’t have the fixed limit tournament reps like the rest of the field, but there’s literally nothing any player could throw at me that would throw me off my game. I’ve got overflowing levels of stamina as well as excitement to boot, so the only demon I have to ward off is action-hungry spewiness.

And I’ve got a plan for how to combat that, too, namely…

Focus on the Story

My wife – bless her – loves to laugh at me that I can’t tell a story in under an hour. She’s right . I love the details. The nitty gritty. The set up. The context. The sub-context. The characters. I’m not a journalist, but I sure am a storyteller at heart. That’s why you’re readying an almost 1,800-word-long essay rather than just a 180-character Tweet.

I know that a poker tournament can’t be won in the first hand, or in the first hour, or on Day 1. I also know that stories that end abruptly, before they’ve had time to flesh themselves out, are the unfortunate manifestations of unfulfilled potential. While I’m under no illusions that I’m destined to hoist a bracelet a few days from now, the only thing that would truly hurt at the end of my first WSOP tournament run would be if I didn’t have a good story to tell.

If I’m going to get eliminated, which of course every player is save the event’s winner, let it be crashing out in a blaze of glory rather than exiting with a whimper.

Let me sit across the table from some players I recognize, such that I could add more layers to the retelling of the experience later on in life. Let me see a hand or two to showdown against one of my poker heroes and perhaps even emerge victorious, so that I can say “I beat THAT guy in a big pot!”

For lifelong recreational poker players like me, even more than the glory, the enjoyment is in the story.

I’ll be playing in a WSOP bracelet event for the first time this summer.

Because I’m excited and it’s all about having the experience, I’ll be registering in person in cash.

For the rest of y’all, there are far more “GTO” ways to do so. https://t.co/sY9xL1nl8B

— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) May 2, 2019

And that story has already begun to pick up steam. Like a “real” poker player, I’ve sold some action to my friends. Like a “true” poker player, I’ve done Twitter giveaways for a couple percentage points of my action. Like a “genuine” poker player, I want to finally earn myself a Hendon Mob profile.

Hell, I’m ECSTATIC to have the chance to potentially play 30 hours of poker over three days! When else will the opportunity to do something like THAT ever happen?!

After 16 years of preamble and build-up, it’s time for my #bracelethunting story to begin in earnest.

So, yes, I did indeed snake my way through a 45-minute-long registration line such that I could experience the feeling of parting with $1,500 in cash. We’ve become immune to things like that happening in the poker world as they’re so commonplace, but in most any other circumstances, exchanging that much money for a slip of paper solely entitling you to sit down at a table to play a game is exceedingly unusual.

Raw, Surreal Emotions

The anticipation was similar to what one feels when waiting to board a new roller coaster at a theme park. More accurately, the feeling is akin to reaching the top of said roller coaster, just before the inevitable plunge. It’s a nervous excitement that’s hard to match, and I loved every unforgettable moment of it. Mirabela, a Bucharest native, handed me my receipt and wished me “good luck.” WHAT A RUSH! Beyond exhilarating. All of a sudden, for the very first time, my long-held fantasies transitioned from the realm of the theoretical to the realm of a possible reality. You can’t win anything without a ticket, right?

And then I broke down and started crying.

After all this time I’ve spent as a poker fan, as a member of the poker media corps… I had my very own moment.

I’ve already won.

It might be my first WSOP event as a player, but just like the first one I attended as a spectating media member, I’m hoping for many repeats in the future, and I know that I will be performing at my absolute peak A-game to try and make that happen.

Fate, please give me that opportunity to utter those delightful phrases: “found a bag,” “still alive,” “made the money.” To stack heaps of chips in 20s. To tell one of the live reporters how to correctly spell my last name. To have my backers, fans, and followers complain about getting either too many or not enough chip count updates.

In a very real sense, I’m already freerolling, so any progress from this point forward just makes the story richer.

Above all for which I hope, let this moment please just be the opening chapter of a very long story yet to come.

Shuffle up and deal!