As any mixed game player will tell you, making a full house isn’t always a good thing – it really depends on what game variation happens to be active on that particular round. That said, having a house full of poker players eager to join the action is always a positive, and Day 5 of Mixed Game Festival XI was the busiest one so far, with four tables running simultaneously pretty much non-stop until the wee hours of the morning.
We can speculate as to the reasons why the event saw this sharp spike in traffic, but the fact that another $3,500 seat to the 2025 BetMGM Poker Championship was set to be given out yesterday certainly had something to do with it. It’s just such a great value that it’s worth joining the action, even if you have a very limited knowledge of mixed games.
But that’s not the only reason, of course. Many of those who came for the giveaway stuck around after, and the action went on across four tables even after the tournament seat was gone. Positive news tends to travel far, and as more people are hearing about what’s happening at Bellagio, they are eager to see it with their own two eyes.
Now up to 4 tables of $4/8 mix at @BellagioPoker for Day 5 of Mixed Game Festival XI 🎉 pic.twitter.com/uUKNytTAe1
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 12, 2025
It is the mix (no pun intended) of fun atmosphere, non-stop action, and crazy poker variants that you’ll hardly see outside of the Mixed Game Festival that piques players’ curiosity. And once they’re there and locked in, they’re in no rush to leave. There may be many bigger games in town, but there are very few, if any, that are more entertaining.
Lucky $3,500 BetMGM Poker Championship Seat Winner: “It Was Meant to Be!”
The second $3,500 BetMGM Poker Championship Grand Prize seat found its rightful owner yesterday in Sean O’Hara. The giveaway happened just like it was announced, with four tables playing a bomb PLO pot, with four winners progressing to the final round.
It was certain that someone would walk away with a seat, but Sean can truly say that this particular ticket had his name on it.
Round 1 of our $3500 seat giveaway to the @BetMGMPoker Championship at @ARIAPoker Classic.
It’s “Blind PLO Flip” time at Mixed Game Festival XI 🎉 pic.twitter.com/IbHxv3v4n2
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 12, 2025
As we mentioned, it was a truly full house yesterday, so O’Hara didn’t get a seat at the table at first. So, Cardplayer Lifestyle owner and Mixed Game Festival host Robbie Strazynski, the man responsible for all the madness happening at the Bellagio Poker Room these days, gave up his seat.
Round 2 of our $3500 Grand Prize giveaway to the @BetMGMPoker Championship at @ARIAPoker Classic.
Who will win this big “Blind PLO Flip” at Mixed Game Festival XI for the seat?
Watch the negotiations… 😁 pic.twitter.com/oJutoe4yl1
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 13, 2025
It turned out it was a very lucky seat, as Sean got queens full of aces to win the first round, and then he caught a lucky runout in the second round against the other three winners. Sometimes it’s just your day.
Massive congratulations to Sean O’Hara, winner of Mixed Game Festival XI’s second $3500 seat giveaway to the 2025 @BetMGMPoker Championship 🏆🥳
Kind of a crazy story! pic.twitter.com/HZHNSsWER0
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 13, 2025
Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day: Michael Clemente
The Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day for Day 5, Michael Clemente, comes to us from South Florida. Although he refuses to call himself a professional poker player, he says that poker is what he does for the most part and where he makes his money.
Like so many others, Michael journeyed to Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker with the intention to try his hand at a few mixed game tournaments and maybe snag a bracelet. But he also realizes that ring games are where money is at, so he spends the majority of his time in the Sin City grinding cash tables.
He walked across the street to Bellagio from the Horseshoe after his friend told him about the Mixed Game Festival and all the different games that were being played. This was enough of a motivator to get him to leave his usual $20/$40 game and join the $4/$8 Dealer’s Choice action.
While the stakes may be lower than what he usually plays, Michael did not regret his decision. Like most others who give the Festival a chance, he was delighted by the level of friendly banter and general chilled and fun atmosphere at the tables.
This is one of the main things that attracted Michael to mixed game poker. As he explains, while players tend to just be quiet at Texas Hold’em tables, there is much more interaction going on in mixed games.
He also believes that there is more money to be made in this format as long as you learn different variations. Plus, you’ll get to meet more people, have more fun interactions, and there is much more action happening.
Outside of poker, Michael likes to spend time boating and fishing, which is certainly a nice way to recharge one’s batteries after long hours of grinding inside various poker rooms, which, for all their good sides, definitely leave something to be desired in the sunlight department.
RunGoodGear.com Dealer of the Day: Kyree Lawrence
Kyree Lawrence, the Day 5 RunGoodGear.com Dealer of the Day, is originally from New York City. He came to Las Vegas in 2016, looking for a city similar to the Big Apple but with nicer weather.
Kyree had an interesting career path, having spent nearly a decade in the military (in interrogations) and then working various customer service jobs in Las Vegas. Eventually, he got into a dealing school, which led to his position at Bellagio, where he started dealing poker and other table games.
He echoes the sentiment of other dealers, saying that the most exciting thing about the job is the opportunity to see and meet so many different types of people. Trying to define what makes a successful poker dealer, Kyree says that “it’s when people remember you. If someone remembers your name, mentions you to his friends back home, and then says hi when he’s back in town, it means you probably did something right. Maybe you just did a great job dealing cards, or you were able to make their overall experience better – whatever it is, if they remember you months later, it’s something to be proud of.”
What Kyree loves most about mixed games as a dealer is that they break the monotony of Hold’em and PLO. As for the players, he believes playing mixed game poker is much more challenging, as you have to constantly stay alert and need a good poker sense to not just play the hand you’re dealt but also the player sitting across the table.
Two-Day Break Begins, Day 6 on Sunday June 15
The first half of Mixed Game Festival XI is officially in the books. What follows now is a short two-day break before the action resumes on Sunday for five more days.
🚫 Bad News: There’s no Mixed Game Festival Today! 👎
👍 Good News: @cardplayerlife‘s Mixed Game Festival XI at the @Bellagio, sponsored by @BetMGMPoker, starts again on Sunday! 🥳
📰https://t.co/ovsu6WNnGr
📽️https://t.co/XBjEsyAcMb
♠️♥️♣️♦️#PokerLifeMedia #MGFVXI pic.twitter.com/5WsOll8Vu0— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) June 13, 2025
While the first half was exciting, we expect “part 2” to be even more thrilling, with a lot more fun stuff to come. There are still two $3,500 Grand Prize seats waiting to find their owners plus the Pokercoaching.com Meet-Up Game on Monday, June 16, featuring a $800 H.O.R.S.E. tournament entry and many more valuable prizes.
Ready to play? Call 702-693-7291 early in the morning of Sunday June 15 to secure your seat and be there for the restart!
