Becoming a Best Ball Bro: Should You Stack Backfields?

Rich Ryan (0:00)

Hey, JJ, are you a game show guy at all?

JJ Zachariason (0:04)

I like game shows.

I've watched the game show network quite a bit in my time. Actually, I feel like no one else watches the game show network, but I have. I like game shows. How about you?

Rich Ryan (0:14)

Yeah, so pretty much nightly since I was a child, I've watched Wheel of Fortune. And right as we were coming out of the pandemic, I was actually cast on the show because they were looking basically for just people in the LA area. But I was never given a call date. So with the host leaving, I just want to say from the bottom of my heart, Pat Sajak, go for it.

JJ Zachariason (0:37)

I'm JJ and I've been playing in best ball leagues for years, but there are people out there who play a lot more than I do. And there are people out there who have won a lot more than I have. And I want to learn from them. This season, I'll be documenting my journey of Max entering Underdog's best ball mania contest. And I'll be doing so with guidance from some of the most successful best ball players on the planet.

This is the year where things start to change. This is the year where I officially become a best ball bro.

Welcome in to another episode of Becoming a Best Ball Bro. I'm JJ Zachariason, and as always, I am joined, I can say as always now, by my co-host Rich Ryan. Rich, what's going on, buddy?

Rich Ryan (1:25)

Yeah, I think we're at the point where it's an established at always. I'm doing great, WSOP, in the rear view, fully focused on best ball, fired up some drafts, but I do have to say, off the top, because I am a transparent person, poker is a world of, you have to be truthful and outright.

You know, there's honor amongst thieves. So I must say, last week, when you brought up Homeward Bound, it was right before the show, I thought you were talking about Old Yeller.

So that's why I led with trauma, and I was very confused. But of course, I've seen Homeward Bound. That's why I also thought your take was especially hot. I'm like, the dog died. Like, JJ's going in on a dead dog.

JJ Zachariason (2:08)

So here's the thing, though, there is some trauma with Homeward Bound, where the family is-

Rich Ryan (2:13)

Yeah, they just leave the dogs.

JJ Zachariason (2:16)

Yeah, they leave the dogs, but then the dogs are gone, right? And there's this roller coaster of they think they found the dogs, and then they didn't find the dog. I guess the cat, too. The animals, and then the animals then arrive. But even at the end of that movie, spoiler alert from 1991, but spoiler alert, I don't know when that movie was created, when Shadow, they thought Shadow was not going to make it because he was the third of the three animals to kind of come over the hill into their backyard and sort of limp to his owner, Peter.

But yeah, man, look, I'll double down on the take. Shadow's a moron, all right? I can't stand Shadow.

That's the take.

Rich Ryan (2:58)

Poor Shadow.

JJ Zachariason (3:00)

Poor Shadow.

Rich Ryan (3:00)

Speaking of poodles.

JJ Zachariason (3:03)

Oh, look at that.

I was gonna go with the segue. That's a way better segue. Way better segue, even though he's a golden retriever. Speaking of poodles.

Let's talk about poodles.

Rich Ryan (3:12)

The golden doodle is hot right now, the retriever makes. Yeah, poodle fired up. I saw you max entered.

I entered about a half dozen. And JJ, you're in all my drafts.

Every single one I look and it's just, JJ has the 1.1, he's drafting top three, golden position. But I will say, to keep it serious for the moment, I did see in the two that you had 1.1, one you went CMC, one you went CD. So I'm assuming why? Why do you make that decision? When do you pivot? Are you randomizing? Is there a weighted amount that you want to get CD at number one and not just click CMC? What's going into your thought process there?

JJ Zachariason (3:50)

Yeah, honestly, it just really came down to the fact that I haven't gotten many 102 slots and I needed a little bit more CD-LAM. And I know that it's likely to sort of normalize across the summer, but I still want to force it a little bit. Not only that, but when you switch things up and you get CD-LAM 101 instead of CMC 101, you might get a slightly different build just given the players that are available and stuff.