Choose Your Own

[Phat Mack]

I finally got to play some Choose Your Own. Choose your own is a 5-card stud game introduced here by 2+2 poker historian Al Mirpuri:

"After the first round of betting (everything the same as Five Stud), the upcards for third street are dealt in the center (one upcard for each active player) and the low board gets to choose which upcard he wants, and then the next lowest board chooses, and so on. Then a round of betting. This is repeated until all the active players have four upcards and you then have a round of betting and a showdown."

Interesting game. We were playing it 5-handed for straight $1 limit, with the high card bringing it in for $1. If I play it again, I think I'll tweak the betting structure. It might be fun PL or 1-2-3-4. I thought I'd offer some comments.

Being dealt a high pair is bad, and any high up-card is bad, because you'll be last to choose on 3rd street, and the other players will keep you from improving.

A hand like (A) 2 is good because you'll have first choice on the next pick. We had 4 or 5 players seeing their third card, so there was plenty to choose from on most hands. An A would be a good pick, as well as another wheel card since a third wheel card would virtually guarantee first pick on the next round.

I kept above philosophy in mind, playing suited cards with a low showing, low pairs, and low connectors; always trying to fit on 3rd street with a card that would perpetuate my first pick.

Picking a card that paired an up card pretty much finished the development of a hand since it would be moved to later on the picking order, and the other players wouldn't allow further improvement unless doing so would lock them into a better hand. One time I had (5)54 and picked a 4 for 4th street. This proved to be a mistake since 2 pair was no lock, and I lost my right for first pick on the last card against some straight and flush draws.

There is a lot of defense in this game, picks must be made to prevent improvement to other players, and/or to kill their hands by dinking a straight or flush draw or forcing them into tough decisions as to whether they should improve of defend.

Choose Your Own is a game of ad hoc collusion, where if you make the correct defensive play, you are relying on others to do the same. But it also, reminiscent of Push, an open door to team play.

Here's a hand:

I have (5)5h, 2h
Player 2 (x)Ks, Tc
Player 3 (x)Qd, Jd

4th street spread: 2s, Kd, Qc

If I choose the 2s, I'll have 2 pair, but Player 3 has next pick and can give herself a pair of Q's (knowing that doing so will give Player 2 a pair of K's), or she can take the Kd, giving herself a (x)Qd, Jd,Kd. If she takes the Kd, I don't know if she is blocking Player 2 or building a straight or flush. If she picks the Q she must feel she can beat KK, and therefore my two pair. To go even further, if she does pick the Q, I will still have first pick on the last round and three shots at filling.

On the other hand, if I take her Q and she takes Player 2's K, I may have the best hand as well as the first pick from the final spread, but I gain little information about my opponents.

What's the correct play?