A Deep Dive Into Mixed Games at the 2021 WSOP in Las Vegas

While I was covering the final nine players in Event #40: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship, Ray Henson glanced over from the rail and we had a quick chat about what has been happening in the last two weeks. Almost exclusively, I was scheduled to cover mixed games including the Dealers Choice Championship in which Henson cashed and bowed out on the final two tables.

“I guess you are the only one that can confidently say they know how to cover these games,” he said with a sincere voice. To be honest, I am entirely sure if that is really the case but I will gladly take the challenge even if it means to cover up to 20 different poker variants during the same tournament.

For the first month of the in-person festival in Las Vegas, I covered the most common poker variant No-Limit Hold’em for a mere two days. All other days were filled with alternating game types and up to the 20-game mix with buy-ins of $1,500 and $10,000. What may usually be a fun challenge for a few days suddenly drained the mind day in, day out, to leave very few energy behind.

However, it didn’t take me long to appreciate the opportunity to showcase my skills on a different level … all the while learning more about the unusual game types at the same time. One of the proudest moments probably came when Adam Friedman read the coverage on the table and acknowledged a well-thought split of the hand value for Badeucey and Badacey. Friedman went on to win the $10,000 Dealers Choice Championship for the third edition in a row, which shall be considered as one of the biggest feats in WSOP history.

While I know the rules of pretty much all of the games I covered during this “delayed summer camp”, there is obviously no doubt that I am lacking expert knowledge in quite a few of them. As a result, it has rather been a steep learning experience in game theory for several game types and the poker pros were very considerate to explain the different rules.

The majority of the mixed games coverage contained a lot of similarities to the summer of 2014 when I was one of the brand new guys on the PokerNews live reporting team. Albeit prepared with years of solo coverage prior to that, it was still a jump into the cold water because there is no other place than the WSOP to cover games other than NLHE, PLO and the occasional HORSE variant. Self-doubt, confusion, overall tiredness and a giddy excitement all unfolded at the same time.

To be honest, it felt quite strange to question yourself if the coverage of the mixed games was adequate, correct and easy to read / understand for the participants and those following and sweating the events at home. Unfortunately, I received very little feedback apart from pointing out errors in the action and that makes it difficult to judge the own performance and improve upon the overall mixed game writing.

That leaves pretty much just one option to proceed: Let common sense rule and figure out the most logical way to cover these variants on your own while also providing as many details as possible. Some shortcuts seem plausible such as summarising that a player bet the lead on all streets in a Stud game as long as the entire boards are listed above or below. That can get tricky when walking into a hand mid-way and it is best not to assume any of the action even if the boards often dictate what the previous betting “must have” been.

During the five weeks I got to cover the mixed game events of the 2021 WSOP in Las Vegas, it was refreshing to see that several of these tournaments were picked up for streaming by PokerGO. While they may not reel in tens of thousands of viewers, they are bound to showcase the talents of the best mixed games players. Along with guest commentators and their insights, that’s the secret recipe to grow the popularity and shift the attention to a wider audience.

Whether or not my own reporting work plays a tiny role in that, I shan’t say. But one thing is guaranteed — no matter what poker variants I cover, where they take place and what buy-in they may have — the motivation to provide a conclusive coverage with the utmost effort will remain the same as long as I am part of the poker media. If anyone finds a major flaw or bad style in my reporting, please don’t ever hesitate to let me know and I shall try and rectify it.

There were also plenty of lessons learnt during the most recent endurance contest but that is perhaps better saved for another blog entry or this piece may turn into a short novel. Nobody wants to read that.