Poor weather can’t stop people from having fun in Las Vegas, and Day 4 of Mixed Game Festival XII made that very clear. Players started to trickle into the Resorts World during early morning hours (for Vegas standards at least), as Women’s Wednesday officially kicked off at 10 o’clock.
First came the ladies, joining a quick crash-course on A-5 Triple Draw and 2-7 Triple Draw, presented by three Women in Poker Hall of Famers, followed by the usual crowd coming in for some cash game action. At one point, with two “practice” tables filled with students and three regular games going, there were five mixed game cash tables playing simultaneously.
The educational part of the day lasted until noon, after which the action kept on going at Resorts World, with three tables (two $4/$8 and one $8/$16) running until the wee hours of the morning. Once more, the room was filled with laughs, good vibes, and a few nice surprises to keep things exciting.
Everyone in this picture is here at @PokerRoomRWLV because of Mixed Game Festival XII ❤️
Two “beginners” $1/2 ladies A-5/2-7 tables going plus two $4/8 mixes and one $8/16 mix.
And we haven’t even started today’s giveaways yet 😉
Come join us for all the fun! 🎉 pic.twitter.com/JJeQH478u1
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) November 19, 2025
Free Mixed Game Lessons for the Ladies
As mentioned, Day 4 was dubbed Women’s Wednesdays, and, just like last time, it was an opportunity for all the ladies interested in learning more about mixed games to get some free introductory lessons in a very friendly and relaxed environment.
There were two games on the proverbial menu: 2-7 Triple Draw and A-5 Triple Draw, with Linda Johnson, Jan Fisher, and Lupe Soto teaching about game basics, sharing some tips, and answering all questions from the participants.
Mixed games can be a bit scary, with all the different rules and variations, and workshops like these are a great way to dispel some myths, bring some clarity, and, eventually, create a bigger player pool.
Following the lesson, ladies had a chance to put their newly acquired knowledge to the test, playing some $1/$2 fixed limit cash game poker among themselves, and a majority stuck around to play for at least an hour. How many will catch the mixed game bug remains to be seen, but it was a great start to the day.
Legendary Poker Commentator Norman Chad in the Mix
Shortly after 12 pm, there were three cash game tables going, and all three stuck around through the day and well into the next day. Of course, there was a natural rotation of players coming in and heading out, but the action quite literally did not stop for well over 15 hours on Day 4. At one point, Norman Chad walked into the room and took one of those empty seats, jumping straight into the action. The popular poker commentator has always been a great friend and supporter of the festival, and all players present thoroughly enjoyed interacting with and playing with him.
And this is the AFTER photo 🤩 https://t.co/2w5iIVU333 pic.twitter.com/iqIGEVCot1
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) November 20, 2025
There were also some free items up for grabs, as is always the case during Mixed Game Festivals. One of the players caught a lucky streak, making three wheels in a row, and his stroke of good fortune, in addition to piles of chips, was rewarded with a free copy of Dylan Linde’s Mastering Mixed Games book from the D&B Poker publishing house.
Tony P hit three “wheels” in a row… So he wins a copy of @DylanLinde‘s Mastering Mixed Games from @DBPoker1
Lots of great prizes and merch here at Mixed Game Festival XII pic.twitter.com/HiGL4Jq29p
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) November 20, 2025
All in all, it was another great day on and off the felt, with quite a few familiar faces in the crowd and the kind of friendly and chill atmosphere that you don’t find at many poker events. The Mixed Game Festival is just a creature of its own that way.
PokerCoaching.com Player of the Day: Joe Casino
When you have a player whose actual surname is Casino, you can’t help but be at least a little bit curious to find out more about them. So, we give you Joe Casino, our today’s pick for PokerCoaching.com Player of the Day.
Originally from New York and now living in Nashville, Tennessee, Joe came to Las Vegas for a hockey game and extended his stay for an extra day to watch the F1 training up close. Scrolling on his phone, he came across an article about the Mixed Game Festival being in town, and with some time to spare, he decided to come to the Resorts World for some poker.
Joe has been interested in mixed games for a while, but he doesn’t get to play too much where he lives, so his experience is mostly limited to online play. He loves the fact that these games are more relaxed and less figured out than No Limit Texas Hold’em, creating more space for creativity.
Having spent a few hours at the tables, he says that it was a “fun way to lose a couple hundred bucks”. Like most others who discover the Mixed Game Festival, Joe was pleasantly surprised at just how welcoming and helpful everyone is, especially when it comes to explaining rules for new games.
For him, poker is a fun hobby, first and foremost, although he does spend some time studying the game, and would love to reach the point where he’s also making a bit of extra money on the side from it. With some social-style poker clubs starting to open in neighboring Kentucky, Joe hopes he’ll get more opportunities to play.
His advice to people thinking about jumping into mixed games is to “start with one new variation, maybe Omaha 8, and take it from there. Once you understand the nuances between high and low-style variants, you can expand to Stud 8, etc. The key is to find one or two games that you really like and learn as much as you can about them.”
RunnGoodGear Dealer of the Day: Dylan Fugazzotto
Dylan Fugazzotto has been working as the dealer and the floorman at Resorts World for four and a half years, so he’s been with the poker room from the very start.
Born in Las Vegas, he spent 20 years in Los Angeles, where he went to college on a baseball scholarship. After that, he played Triple-A and Double-A ball for the Milwaukee Brewers and Seattle Mariners.
So, how did he end up dealing cards, you wonder? As it turns out, his family has had a dealer school since 1983. Dylan’s father was a poker player, his mother was a dealer, so poker (and poker dealing) has been a part of his life since he was a little kid.
Eventually, he ended up returning to his roots and picked up poker. He played for a while, but then moved strictly into dealing, and, as he tells us, he hasn’t played in years.
Asked about his job, Fugazzotto is quite honest. He says he “likes the flexibility and freedom that come with it, as well as good money from the tips.” He says it’s an easy way to make a good life. Although he’s had a lot of experience working at other properties, Dylan really loves it here at the Resorts World, as he gets to work in a modern room with great staff and well-trained dealers who rarely make mistakes.
One aspect of his job that he finds a bit challenging is actually dealing mixed games. It’s just the sheer number of cards that need to go out and keeping track of it all that makes it a bit more difficult than more straightforward games like Hold’em.
As someone who’s been involved with dealing cards since his early childhood in one way or another, we had to ask if he had any tips for those thinking about picking up this particular career. His advice: “spend some time playing the game first.” Dylan says that you don’t have to spend a lot of money doing it, but that experience from the other side of the felt will be invaluable and will help you keep up with the action and read hands once you’re in the dealer’s box.
The Stage Is Set for Mixed Game Festival XII’s Grand Finale
All good things must come to an end, and Mixed Game Festival XII is no exception. However, there is one more day of action left, and it comes with quite a bit of promise.
On the docket for the final day, we have a $300 T.O.R.S.E. event, with the action kicking off at 12pm and the late registration running for four hours. Interestingly enough, this is the very first time the Resorts World will be hosting a T.O.R.S.E. tournament, and players have been quite keen on this new mix, so we expect a solid turnout.
📢 👉 Join @cardplayerlife at @PokerRoomRWLV for Mixed Game Festival XII TOURNAMENTS! 🍕🥳
📅 Our T.O.R.S.E. Final Event KICKS OFF TOMORROW! 🎉
📽️https://t.co/5jKUhO3Ewq
🔗https://t.co/3dnOepigw7
♠️♥️♣️♦️#PokerLifeMedia #MGFXII pic.twitter.com/yZqtwWT8WP— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) November 20, 2025
Of course, cash game action will be running simultaneously as well, also kicking off at noon. As always, you can reserve your spot at the table by calling in to the room ahead of time at (702) 676-7680.
If you haven’t yet had a chance to play at the Mixed Game Festival this time around, this will be your last opportunity, so don’t miss out. We expect a full house and for the action to continue into the wee hours of the night!
