Following the successful kickoff of Mixed Game Festival X, which was marked by the traditional pizza party to get the ball rolling and a full 12 hours of dealer’s choice play across two cash game tables, players descended upon Resorts World in Las Vegas on Day 2 to continue where they left off.
The focus of the second day of the festival was on the $300 O/E tournament (Omaha 8 + Stud 8), an event that was played in honor of “Miami” John Cernuto. Cernuto, who passed away earlier this month, won the first ever O/E event staged at the Mixed Game Festival approximately two years ago. He was a poker legend, especially in the mixed game circuits, so this was a very fitting way to honor his legacy.
Of course, just like yesterday, there was also some cash game action happening on the sidelines, running late into the night.
Gary Bolden Seizes the Day
The $300 O/E tournament saw 36 players take their seats at the tables, a field of true mixed game enthusiasts who came out to play and show their skills. The prize pool of $9,000 shared among the top six finishers certainly helped motivate the players to bring their best game, as it took over 10 hours of play for the winner to emerge.
When it was all said and done, it was Gary Bolden sitting pretty with all the chips in front of him, taking home the title and the first-place prize of $3,395. The bittersweet honor of being the runner-up went to Michael Moon, whose efforts translated into $2,098 in cash.
Congratulations to Gary Bolden for winning the Mixed Game Festival X $300 @MiamiJohnC Commemorative O/E event.
Gary takes home $3,395 for the win 💰 pic.twitter.com/2DEaQAyfzY
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) February 18, 2025
Four more players finished the tournament with a net positive:
- 3rd place – David Edgett – $1,427
- 4th place – Glenn Engelbert – $970
- 5th place – James Matz – $661
- 6th place – Bennett Koo – $449
Notably, fourth place finisher Engelbert also locked in another special prize for being the last player in the field still wearing a Pokercoaching.com patch…
Congratulations to @gjengelbert, winner of the “patch last longer” in our @PokerLifeMedia $300 O/E event!
Glenn wins a free 1-year subscription to @PokerCoaching_ 📈 pic.twitter.com/9mZWtqXcRz
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) February 18, 2025
Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day: Ryan Valentinsen
Cardplayer Lifestyle Mixed Game Festivals attract all sorts of players. There is a group of loyal fans who try to always be there, and then there are those like Ryan Valentinsen who learn about the event by accident and decide to stop by.
Hailing from Colorado, Ryan is on his vacation, and he was visiting a friend in Las Vegas when he learned about Mixed Game Festival X happening at Resorts World. So, on his way back home, he decided to check out the action and play some hands.
His game of choice is Big O, both online and live at Bally’s Black Hawk Casino in Colorado. After seeing the news about the festival on Twitter/X, he decided this was the perfect opportunity to expand his repertoire and try his hand at some different poker variations, at least for a few hours.
Like so many others, Ryan fell in love with mixed games primarily because players tend to be much more friendly, and there is often that “spirit of the home game atmosphere in the air. It all brings back what poker used to be about,” he added.
To those thinking about dipping their toes in the water and trying mixed games, Ryan’s message is “to start at low stakes and just give it a go. Stay patient and observant, and, of course, enjoy the moment.”
Ryan’s Player of the Day selection comes with a free 1-month Pokercoaching.com Premium membership.
RunGoodGear.com Dealer of the Day: Sunny Garten
While there are many professional poker dealers out there who make their living exclusively dealing cards and distributing chips, many more use their card-dealing skills to supplement their income and use the extra money to pursue their dreams.
Sunny Garten belongs to the latter category. These days, she spends her time working as a coordinator for a surrogacy agency and her dealer career was on hold for a while. But she recently decided to return to the profession, and we spoke with her on her second day of employment at Resorts World during the Mixed Game Festival about her plans moving forward.
The main reason Sunny decided to get back into dealing is that she wants to earn some extra money that will allow her to travel, see different places, and experience different cultures. Her list of places to visit is quite comprehensive, so having extra income will definitely help a lot.
As far as her experience on the job goes, Sunny says that her favorite part of it all is dealing with the players when they’re in a good mode. On that note, she made it a point to emphasize that the crowd she came across at the Resorts World is really nice and much friendlier than at some other places she used to deal at in the past.
She has experience dealing mixed games, so despite being away from the felt for a while, it didn’t take Sunny long to get back in the swing of things. However, she admits that PLO is her least favorite game to deal, just because the game requires her to constantly keep track of all the bets that go into the pot.
Sunny took home one of our newly-designed RunGoodGear.com T-shirts, which comes in a variety of sizes and in blue, black, and gray.
Who’s in the Mood for Some Drawmaha?
Day 3 of the Mixed Game Festival offers a unique opportunity for everyone to learn how to play Drawmaha and its many fun variations like Drawmaha-Dugi, Drawmaha Zero, and A-5 Drawmaha.
A free educational seminar will take place at the Resorts World (including light refreshments), so if you feel like learning the basics of a few more games, this is a great opportunity to do so.
Tomorrow (Tuesday) is “Drawmaha Day” at Mixed Game Festival X.
Join us at 11am at @PokerRoomRWLV to learn how to play all the different variants of this wonderful mixed game. 😁
Dealer’s Choice cash games begin at 12pm
(Get on the list: 702-676-7680) pic.twitter.com/t5GsUzkFLA
— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) February 18, 2025
Of course, the cash game action will continue throughout the day. Regular Dealer’s Choice tables will open at noon and last for as long as there are enough players to fill the seats. From what we’ve seen so far, you can likely count on at least 12 hours of play, so if you feel in the mood for some low-stakes mixed-game action, you know where to go!
*Our coverage of Mixed Game Festival X is brought to you, with much appreciation, courtesy of our presenting sponsor, the PokerGO Tour.
