Following the jam-packed Day 7, which saw players turn out in force to join the Pokercoaching.com Meet-Up Game, Day 8 of Mixed Game Festival XI was bound to be somewhat calmer in nature. But, as we’ve learned already, calmer doesn’t mean boring – quite the contrary!
While action was limited to two tables running throughout the day, dozens of players cycled through the seats throughout and the atmosphere in the Bellagio Poker Room was just as raucous as days prior. Things kicked off with another pizza party, and unlike at the tables, where only one or two players get a slice of the pot, there were plenty of slices up for grabs.
It’s pizza time once again here on Day 8 of @PokerLifeMedia Mixed Game Festival XI at @BellagioPoker
We take care of our players! 🍕🍕🎉 pic.twitter.com/n6LiQIkDPx
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 17, 2025
Once more, we had a couple of appearances from poker notables as well. Chad Holloway, a PokerNews Media Manager and WSOP bracelet winner, decided to throw his hat into the mix. BetMGM Poker Ambassador Jon ‘Slow Poker’ Rand decided to try his hand at mixed games for the first time as well.
Although he has no experience with mixed game poker whatsoever, Jon enjoyed his time at the table and even booked a small win, proving once more that the Mixed Game Festival is absolutely the best place to learn mixed games with no pressure.
It’s official: I’m a mixed game professional.
Special thanks to @cardplayerlife for the gracious hospitality and to the players for their patience as I slowly grasped the concept of a badugi. pic.twitter.com/Zy4IrO5UhG
— Slow Poker (@SlowPokerTime) June 18, 2025
Mixed Game Festival Poker Variant: Omajack
While Mixed Game Festivals are great for learning and having a great time at the felt, one thing you must do before deciding to attend is clear your head of any ideas about what games you may witness at the table and simply accept that you will likely encounter the unexpected.
There are so many different poker variants out there, and our tables are one place where anything goes, as there are barely any restrictions as to what game you get to call when it’s your turn. One game that really caught players’ attention on Day 8 was Omajack, a cross between Omaha High and Blackjack.
The game is played with five hole cards and five community cards (flop, turn, and river). Players must use exactly two of their hole cards to make the best possible Omaha hand and the remaining three hole cards to make the best possible blackjack hand. The pot is then split between these two hands, which you can see illustrated in the picture below.
Having never played this game myself but having dabbled in both PLO and blackjack, my immediate thought was that A-A-7-7-7 double-suited must be the best starting hand – and it looks pretty cool!
For those who haven’t had the pleasure of joining the action at one of the Mixed Game Festivals, the important thing to know is that you’re not forced to play any of these variations. You can always sit out or skip on a particular game that you’re unfamiliar with, but if you do that, I have to ask: where is your sense of adventure?
Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day: Daniel Brodie
It’s not just the variety of games that makes Mixed Game Festivals such a unique experience; it’s also the colorful lineup of players who make their way to the tables, coming from many different parts of the world and all types of professional and personal backgrounds.
One shining example of this is Daniel Brodie, our Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day. The son of Starla Brodie, one of the most legendary women poker players, Daniel comes from a family of professional card players. Both of his parents made their way through life playing poker across the country, existing in what used to be a much smaller and tighter-knit community.
Daniel spent a lot of his childhood moving from one place to another. “You may call it moving or fleeing; it really depends on your attitude,” he says jokingly. They spent time living in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and even Arizona, following the path of the game.
Even so, Daniel feels that he had a pretty normal childhood. The Brodies did a good job raising Daniel and his older sister; they just took a very unusual career path. He grew up in a loving family, always having a roof over his head, three meals a day, and taking fun trips together.
As you might imagine, Daniel had the chance to meet many of the poker legends of the time. His mother was good friends with Doyle Brunson himself, and the duo even went on to win a WSOP bracelet in a mixed doubles event in 1979.
Although he grew up surrounded by poker players and home games, Daniel started developing a proper passion of his own when he was 16 or 17. Up to that point, he was more interested in Magic: The Gathering, where he had his own competitive streak going.
His first experiences outside of home games came from playing at reservation casinos, where the legal age limit was 18. He admits that he wasn’t exactly over that limit when he first started playing back in 1998.
Despite all these surrounding factors, Daniel doesn’t see himself as or aspires to be a pro player. He plays for fun, sticking primarily to small stakes and even running his own low-limit home game in New York.
As for his mixed game poker endeavors, they are mostly focused on a $2/$4 mix that he gets to play with a bunch of 70- and 80-year-old “Broadway theater types.” On occasion, he’ll step up and jump into Terry’s game in Queens, which usually spreads $20/$40 and $30/$60 mix.
Despite being a part of the modern poker world, Daniel was largely shaped by influences from his childhood, and when your role models are the likes of Doyle Brunson, Mike Caro, and David Sklansky, it’s not hard to understand why this is the case. He says that even many expressions he uses at the tables come from days long gone, like “made an ace going down.”
Daniel’s mother, Starla, was inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame posthumously as one of the pioneers of the game, and Daniel was one to accept the award on her behalf. Starla’s legacy will continue to live on for many years to come as her son proudly dons a card protector with her photo, not only as a loving memory of his mother but as a reminder of times long gone that helped shape the poker world as we know it today.
RunGoodGear.com Dealer of the Day: Jack Maleeh
Originally from California, Jack Maleeh, today’s pick for the RunGoodGear.com Dealer of the Day, has been living in Vegas for almost two years now. Jack spent a lot of time in California playing poker, so his friend suggested that he might as well move to where the best action is. He took that advice to heart, and that’s how he ended up in Sin City.
Although primarily a player, Jack was no stranger to dealing cards, either, and he eventually picked up a job as a dealer. Bellagio isn’t his home base, as he’s officially a seasonal dealer, but he does hope to stick around even after the summer madness is over.
Jack finds the opportunity to deal mixed games particularly enjoyable as he gets to learn many different variations on the go while also making money in the process. “It’s the best of both worlds,” he says.
Asked about his experiences dealing high stakes games at Bellagio, he explains that players at those tables tend to be very particular about how they like things done. For example, they don’t want the dealer to announce a “2-bet” and “3-bet.” It is assumed everyone knows what’s going on, and there is no need to spell it out.
As for his poker-playing goals, now that he has a steady job, Jack says his primary focus is just having fun at the tables. He would, of course, love to win a WSOP bracelet in a mixed event, but in the meantime, he plans to continue enjoying his job, poker, golf, video games, and life in Las Vegas in general.
Only Two More Days Left of Mixed Game Festival XI
Mixed Game Festival XI is headed into its penultimate day, which means time is running out to get your dealer’s choice fix on. But instead of looking back, we’re looking forward to another fun day of action at the felt which is bound to bring some surprises. Plus, of course, the festival’s final day (Thursday, June 19) will feature the giveaway of a fourth $3,500 seat into the 2025 BetMGM Poker Championship.
📣 Why should you attend @cardplayerlife‘s Mixed Game Festival XI at the @Bellagio, sponsored by @BetMGMPoker, which is running NOW! 🥳
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♠️♥️♣️♦️#PokerLifeMedia #MGFVXI pic.twitter.com/lqFtxeXLUN— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) June 18, 2025
To secure your spot, you can call in at 702-693-7291 and join the wait-list. Games will continue to commence around noon, as per usual, but reservations will be open from early morning.
