The final day of Mixed Game Festival XIV once again saw four full tables in action, with $4/8 and $6/12 (the latter at least for about half the day) dealer’s choice mixes running in the Bellagio poker room.
The main order of the day was, of course, the final $3,500 BetMGM Poker Championship seat giveaway. As explained in the Day 9 recap, to win the seat, players were tasked with a challenge of trying to guess the exact tournament chip value contained in a transparent box.
As you could imagine, this generated a rather jovial atmosphere in the room, with those in attendance attempting creative methodologies to figure it out.
In the end, it was Patrick Ang, our recent Player of the Day pick, who submitted the closest guess, securing a seat in the $4,000,000 guaranteed event. The others who came close, in a true festival fashion, picked up some consolation prizes.
Are You Good at Counting?
Basic math skills are mandatory for any poker player, so to conclude Mixed Game Festival XIV in style, those skills were put to the test. The task was simple enough (in theory): look at a transparent box containing a bunch of chips, figure out what the total is, and submit your best guess.
📣 It’s the FINAL DAY of @cardplayerlife‘s Mixed Game Festival XIV at @BellagioPoker and we’re giving away a @BetMGMPoker Championship Seat! 🥳
📽️ https://t.co/W28YFUIucy
🔗 https://t.co/K0u0CjbrMX
♠️♥️♣️♦️#PokerLifeMedia #MGFXIV #FindTheFountains #JoinTheFestival pic.twitter.com/W0JHq5cSs6— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) June 11, 2026
The prize for this “simple” match challenge was a hefty one, as the closest guess would bag a seat in the upcoming $3,500 BetMGM Poker Championship, a massive poker tournament with a $4,000,000 prize pool.
To be eligible, players had to be seated at one of the tables. At any point during the five-hour window, they could walk up to the box, use whatever strategy they thought best (without actually opening the box), and submit their guess. But there were no second shots – once you submit your number, it’s locked in.
📣👉 How well do you count? Come down to @BellagioPoker and join in the fun of @cardplayerlife‘s Mixed Game Festival XIV! Then put your arithmetic skills to good use as you could win a @BetMGMPoker Championship seat! 🧮🥳
♠️♥️♣️♦️#PokerLifeMedia #MGFXIV pic.twitter.com/GW41h4aoDh— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) June 11, 2026
The box was shaken, stirred, and took some abuse over the course of those few hours. Some players even attempted to utilize AI technology alongside photo imagery! Eventually, all players settled on their numbers. With that part of the competition out of the way, it was time for Robbie and Bellagio Poker Director Craig Larson to withdraw to a backroom, check all the guesses, and compare them to the actual number.
Even with AI tools, no player managed to correctly guesstimate the exact chip value contained in the box, which came out to 688,500. The closest guess, however, came from Patrick Ang of Ottawa, Canada. Patrick was over the moon to win the ticket, stating that, with that prize in the bag, “he was now even for the trip!”
Massive congrats to Pat Ang, winner of our final Grand Prize here at Mixed Game Festival XIV at @BellagioPoker!
He’s now got a $3500 seat to the 2026 @BetMGMPoker Championship! pic.twitter.com/rCtTnOhdHN
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 12, 2026
As mentioned, other close guesses received nice prizes in the form of poker books, clothing and card decks, courtesy of D&B Poker, RunGoodGear and Faded Spade. In a lighthearted moment, the player who made the worst guess (i.e., the one that was actually furthest away from the correct number) was also given a candy bar, to the amusement of the assembled mass of players.
PokerCoaching.com Player of the Day: Doug Murphy
Spending his time between Las Vegas and South and Central America is Doug Murphy, our final pick for the PokerCoaching.com Player of the Day.
After retiring from his job as a deputy sheriff in 2019, Doug discovered a really cheap and cool way to travel by house and pet sitting, and he’s been doing it since 2021. This gave him an opportunity to visit places like Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, and more.
His poker beginnings go much further back. Originally from Idaho, he started playing in Montana as soon as he turned 18. While he can’t recall exactly what attracted him to try the game, as this was before the poker boom, he stuck around because he enjoyed the company at the tables.
He tells us that being the youngest guy in the room, surrounded by players in their 60s and 70s, many of whom were veterans, was really interesting, and he got to hear some amazing stories.
In terms of preferences, mixed games, especially of the Omaha variety, are his go-to. He “missed” the first week of the Mixed Game Festival because he didn’t know about it, but when he heard the news from one of his fellow non-Hold’em poker aficionados, he rushed over to Bellagio.
As far as his experience over the course of the couple of days, Doug admits that not paying attention to the placard at the table can humble you very quickly, and that paying attention is very important in mixed games.
When he’s not in Vegas, he prefers to stay at places that offer good poker action, and he shared with us that Bogota, Colombia, has a great poker room that spreads NLHE and PLO! In addition to helping him quench his thirst for the game, he sees it as a great place and opportunity to practice his Spanish.
RunGood Gear Dealer of the Day: Stephanie Shen
We are concluding our RunGood Gear Dealer of the Day series of Mixed Game Festival XIV with Stephanie Shen. Unlike many we’ve talked to over the span of the Festival, she’s only been in Las Vegas since last year, having immigrated from Guangzhou, China.
Stephanie has waited a long time to move to the US, as she and her husband submitted the request 15 years ago. Her mother-in-law has been living in Las Vegas for 20 years, and she has now finally been reunited with her only son.
Stephanie has kids of her own, two 16-year-old twin boys, and she feels very fortunate with all the opportunities this city has to offer. She tells us she ended up working in a casino, as many people in her circle work in this industry, so it felt like a natural path to take.
She started by dealing table games, but now Stephanie is getting her bearings as a poker dealer, too. Poker is her preference, especially mixed games, with all the different styles and dynamics, and she wants to gain more experience in order to move from being part-time to full-time at Bellagio. We’re certain that her positive attitude will, no doubt, help a lot in achieving that goal!
When not working, Stephanie enjoys traveling and seeing new places. Although she’s only been in the US for a short time, she’s already had a chance to visit Los Angeles, and San Francisco is next on her list.
Until Next Time…
All things considered, Mixed Game Festival XIV was an unabashed success! Once again, the event accomplished its primary mission, which is to bring together true fans of the game in a chill and relaxed environment.
From generous giveaways to big-name appearances that included past Main Event winners, Poker Hall of Famers, and beloved broadcasters, to not two pizza parties to non-stop action at Bellagio, it was certainly an event to remember.
As games at the last couple of tables petered out and this Mixed Game Festival drawing to its conclusion, the question on everyone’s mind is when the next one will come around.
We don’t have any solid dates or venues to share as of yet, but we’ll be targeting sometime in the fall in Las Vegas.
The best way to make sure you get the information about the next event as soon as it is officially available is by signing up for the Cardplayer Lifestyle newsletter. It’s completely free, and, as a bonus, you’ll get a monthly roundup of some cool and unique poker stories, interviews, tips, and reviews that you won’t find anywhere else.
Until next time, keep that love for mixed games burning bright!
Time flies when you’re having fun and anyone who frequented the Bellagio over the past couple of weeks will attest to that. Incredibly, Mixed Game Festival XIV has now been going for nine full days!
Those who joined the action for Day 8 had the pleasure to share table space and play some pots with a couple of Poker Hall of Famers, but the penultimate day of the Festival had even more celebrity appearances in store.
After Mori Eskandani and Huck Seed, it was Eli Elezra’s turn to get in the mix, metaphorically and factually, as the poker legend spent an hour or so playing $4/$8 and $6/$12 dealer’s choice cash games, switching between the tables to give all players in attendance a chance to play some hands against him.
It wasn’t a particularly busy day at the Bellagio, but we had three tables running constantly, and this was somewhat expected, as the final day of Mixed Game Festival XIV on Thursday is bound to attract a big crowd. It’s not just the last opportunity to play the “best home game in Vegas,” as some of the regulars describe it, but we’ll also be giving out the last free seat into the $3,500 BetMGM Poker Championship. But more on that in a moment.
Fun With Eli, and More Free Stuff for the Players
We’ve had a great number of celebrity appearances at Mixed Game Festival XIV, including the aforementioned Poker Hall of Famers, Women in Poker Hall of Famers Jan Fisher and Linda Johnson, and poker’s legendary commentating duo, Norman Chad and Lon McEachern. Having these poker celebs at the table adds a lot to the overall atmosphere, so you can never have too many.
In keeping with that idea, we had Eli Elezra, another member of the Poker Hall of Fame, a five-time WSOP bracelet winner, and a mixed game specialist, joining the action for a little while.
Those familiar with Eli’s career know that he is a regular fixture in some of the biggest mixed games in the world, where a single blind could probably cover the full scope of buy-ins spread across a single MGF table.
But, he is also a great ambassador for the game and a big friend of the Festival, and he almost always manages to find some time to pop over and play some hands with the proverbial masses.
As always, Eli was more than happy to take some selfies with the players, give away signed copies of his autobiography Pulling the Trigger, offer some advice about the games, and enjoy the action for an hour or so.
📣 Day Nine of @cardplayerlife‘s Mixed Game Festival XIV, sponsored by @BetMGMPoker, includes a visit from @elielezra1 at @BellagioPoker! 🥳
📽️ https://t.co/kZITXkdCuS
🔗 https://t.co/K0u0CjbrMX
♠️♥️♣️♦️#PokerLifeMedia #MGFXIV #FindTheFountains #JoinTheFestival pic.twitter.com/B34VIoeQIu— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) June 10, 2026
Additionally, as the Festival is coming to its inevitable conclusion, there is some free merch that needs to find its new owners, so players at the tables had a fair few opportunities to pick up some cool stuff!
Dylan, who is a Mixed Game Festival first-timer, got lucky to scoop a splash pot, and, in addition to a bunch of chips, this also earned him a set of high-quality playing cards, courtesy of Faded Spade.
Dylan lives in Las Vegas but this is his first Mixed Game Festival.
New player lucky – he just scooped a splash pit and won himself a sweet @FadedSpadeBrand setup! pic.twitter.com/BV3dZIdcrD
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 10, 2026
Logan will have an opportunity to take his game to the next level thanks to a free copy of Jonathan Little’s Complete Poker Workout, a very useful and highly interactive poker book.
Logan just scooped a 2-7 triple draw pot here at Mixed Game Festival XIV at @BellagioPoker to win the latest @DBPoker1 book by @JonathanLittle.
He also spontaneousoy made a $20 donation to @PokerGives.
Good people with good hearts get good luck 😍 pic.twitter.com/iPiam3mf5S
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 10, 2026
And, of course, a shoutout goes to RunGoodGear, which has been supplying an endless stream of T-shirts for the dealers and players.
Among our most popular merch items at the Mixed Game Festival are our custom-designed @RunGoodGear T-Shirts.
We give ’em to every “Dealer of the Day” and profile said dealer in our daily recaps. Some great stories in there.
Check ’em out!https://t.co/DJqpRfUl49 pic.twitter.com/0SzRIEJ7gM
— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) June 10, 2026
Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day: Tom Watson
Some players plan things ahead of time, while others, like Tom Watson, make a decision to join the action at the spur of the moment.
Our today’s pick of PokerCoaching.com Player of the Day comes from the Detroit area, and this is his third Mixed Game Festival. He tells us that he honestly didn’t plan to come out this time around, but after seeing all the social media posts ahead of the event, he got a severe case of FOMO, booked his flight last week Tuesday and arrived in Vegas ca couple days later.
Tom is a big fan of mixed games, although he doesn’t think he is a very good player, especially not compared to some of the regulars. However, he enjoys the experience, and he’s not afraid to battle it out, and so far, it’s worked out for him, as he’s about $100 up for the trip.
He says that at home, they call him “Mr. Poker,” a nickname that he doesn’t think he actually deserves considering his skill level, but he always tries to get people excited about the game and the MGF.
Tom works for Ford Motor Company and, at 55, he says he could comfortably retire right now, but he’ll be sticking around for a little while longer. Once he’s done, he says he’d like to be able to come out to Vegas every summer and play some mixed games for a couple of months, even when the festival is not in town.
RunGood Gear Dealer of the Day: Jo Eusebio
We have yet another interesting story coming from Jo Eusebio, our latest pick for the RunGoodGear Dealer of the Day.
Jo came to the US from Hong Kong, spending time in Los Angeles, then moving to New Jersey, and finally arriving in Las Vegas. He’s been working since he was 18, and spent a few years as a car mechanic before being pulled into the casino industry.
His first dealing gig was at Hollywood Park in LA, fresh out of the dealer school. When his sister landed a job with Caesars in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the entire family moved, and Jo landed a job at the famous Taj Mahal.
He tells us that over the few years he dealt at the Taj, he crossed paths with many celebrities, but even today, nearly three decades later, he doesn’t feel 100% comfortable naming any names. “What happens in Jersey stays in Jersey” we suppose… 🙂
As for his job at the Bellagio, Jo has been here since the opening in 1998. One thing that remained constant over the course of his time here is the friendly relationship he has with the players and his fellow dealers. The job itself became more challenging over the years with the introduction of new games and poker variants, but it’s something Jo takes in strides and embraces.
Despite being here from day one, he has preferred to retain his position as a dealer instead of “moving up”. Jo admits that he tried dual rate for a few years, but realized that “being in the box” was what he enjoys most.
Although he might be retiring soon, he honestly tells us that he doesn’t see himself playing much poker, as he is a bit of a “degenerate gambler.” Since his son was born, Jo has put his gambling on a tight leash, though, and focuses on doing his job and spending time with the family.
His message to new dealers looking to break into the industry is simple: “pay attention to what you are doing, develop your own pace, and be patient – always wait for players to complete their action before you move on to the next seat.”
Everything Is Set for the Big Finale!
There is just one final day left before Mixed Game Festival XIV wraps up. But, make no mistake, we’ll wrap things up with a bang.
Thursday, June 11, will see the last grand prize giveaway, where one more player will pick up a ticket to the $3,500 BetMGM Poker Championship.
The first two were awarded via PLO flips and poker trivia. For the third one, you’ll need to try and guess the total value of tournament chips contained in a transparent box.
To submit your entry, you’ll need to be seated at one of the active tables. We need to underline this – you can’t just walk over and put in a guess, as this competition is open to our Mixed Game Festival players only. Of course, everyone is welcome to grab a seat and play some hands, as long as there are available seats.
Before submitting your guess, you’re free to do a deep analysis of the chip box. Here’s a video from last year that you can use as a mini tutorial. 🙂
🤔👉 Here’s a flash back to last summer and the chip count @BetMGMPoker Giveaway! We will be doing the same contest on Thursday at @BellagioPoker! 👍🥳
🔗 https://t.co/K0u0CjaTXp
♠️♥️♣️♦️#PokerLifeMedia #MGFXIV #FindTheFountains #JoinTheFestival pic.twitter.com/KSBeNwEFmA— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) June 10, 2026
Once again, you need to guess the total value of chips, and NOT the number of individual physical poker chips. It doesn’t matter if you guess over or under the exact number – the guess that is closest to the actual total wins the $3,500 seat.
It’s going to be a fun day, and we expect a bumper crowd, so if you want to be absolutely sure you have your seat, call ahead at (702) 693-7291 to put your name on the list. See you at the Bellagio for the big finale of Cardplayer Lifestyle Mixed Game Festival XIV!
It’s sometimes really hard to say what the best thing about the Mixed Game Festival is. Is it the sheer number of poker variations that we don’t see anywhere else? Is it the sense of camaraderie that we witnessed once more on Day 7 as players gathered around to have a few slices of pizza in between hands?
Or is it all the well-known players and poker industry insiders who frequent the event?
We knew ahead of time that Day 8 of the Mixed Game Festival XIV would be “Tuesday with Mori,” featuring Mori Eskandani, one of the people who can take the most credit for the growth of televised poker. An absolute industry legend and a Poker Hall of Famer, Mori is also a huge fan of mixed games plus he has previously graced the festival with his presence (last summer), so to have him at the tables is a great honor.
But there was another surprise in the cards for those who found themselves inside the Bellagio poker room on Tuesday. Huck Seed, the 1996 WSOP Main Event champion and a fellow Poker Hall of Fame member, decided to hop over for a few hours. Where else do you get to play against such poker legends at super-low stakes?
Another Day Buzzing With Excitement
Players started gathering at Bellagio ahead of the official kickoff, and, at noon, there were already three tables going. Shortly after, the fourth one opened up, so everything was lined up for another great day of mixed game action.
Mori Eskandani came in, as promised, and sat down for some $4/$8 action. With everything he has going on, it’s really kind and generous of him to devote some of his time to the festival, showing his true passion for and giving back to the game that helped him achieve so much over the course of his career.
📣👉 Poker Hall of Famer Mori Eskandani has joined the 4/8 streets here at @BellagioPoker! You never know who you will sit beside at @cardplayerlife‘s Mixed Game Festival XIV! 👍🥳
♠️♥️♣️♦️#PokerLifeMedia #MGFXIV pic.twitter.com/JK7wySGWRL— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) June 9, 2026
It goes without saying that players were delighted to have a chance not only to play with Mori but also to chat with him and enjoy some of his many amazing stories. There are very few people who have been in the industry longer, and even fewer who have accomplished so much and had a chance to meet pretty much all the poker legends. A man like that never runs out of interesting stories!
On the topic of Poker Hall of Famers with stories to tell, the 1996 WSOP Main Event champ Huckleberry Seed certainly qualifies as well. One of the more colorful characters who was a big part of the game even before the game got big decided to relive his early grinding days by visiting the Mixed Game Festival.
Playing Micros Against the World Champ
Stakes during Mixed Game Festivals are pretty much as low as you’ll find anywhere in Vegas. That’s not a secret. It is, in fact, one of the main “selling points” of an event that primarily seeks to promote the game and a friendly atmosphere around the felt.
And yet, there are so many big-name players who have joined the action over the years to show their support for the idea and possibly relive some of those earliest moments of their careers.
The latest player to show his support in this fashion was Huck Seed. He came to the Bellagio a few hours into the action and had no hesitation about sitting down and splashing around in some $4/$8 and $6/$12 pots. He spent a couple of hours going from table to table, so that everyone got a chance to play with him.
📣👉 Poker Hall of Famer and 1996 @WSOP Main Event Champion Huck Seed joined our Mixed Game Festival XIV at @BellagioPoker yesterday. @cardplayerlife was able to chat with him about his experience! 🎙️🥳
📽️ https://t.co/IKlXabDTOl
♠️♥️♣️♦️#PokerLifeMedia #MGFXIV pic.twitter.com/2v2l3C5nX2— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) June 10, 2026
Of course, the action slowed down a bit, as players wanted to take selfies with the champ and many had questions and wanted to hear stories. Winning a pot or two off a Main Event winner is cool and all, but, for many, this was a unique opportunity to pick his brain and ask him about many interesting stories that circulate the poker space to this day, as well as some specific poker strategy questions.
To have both of these legends at the tables on the same day was something that’s hard to put into words. It’s an experience that only those who frequent Mixed Game Festivals are privy to.
Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day
While we all love seeing big names at the tables and are grateful for their support, it is the official policy of the festival that we treat all of the players who join the action as stars and try to give as many of them as possible their time in the spotlight.
Today, the honor of the PokerCoaching.com Player of the Day goes to Patrick Ang, hailing from Ottawa, Canada. He came to Las Vegas specifically for the Mixed Game Festival, and this isn’t his first time not by a longshot!
He’s been coming regularly and was actually there for the very first Mixed Game Festival at Westgate!
Patrick keeps coming back because he feels “this is the greatest home game in Vegas.” The main thing he loves about poker is that it helps keep him sharp.
Ever since he started playing poker, mixed games have fascinated him because there is an intellectual aspect to it, looking for a strategic aspect for every different variation, while keeping in mind that it’s still poker. On the social side of things, he loves the atmosphere and the fact that everyone is so happy and relaxed.
On top of all that, the Festival “provides unique opportunities to pick the brains of some of the great players like Eli Elezra and Dylan Linde.”
This time around, Patrick got an opportunity to sit next to Huck Seed and asked him his opinion on how the Main Event field has changed since the time he won the tournament back in 1996. Huck shared his thoughts, saying that “30 years ago, players had a much better feel for the game, while these days, they are much more analytical, but they have less of a feel.”
1996 WSOP Main Event Champion and Poker Hall of Famer Huck Seed paid us a surprise visit today at Mixed Game Festival XIV.
Splashing around at all four of our $4/8 and $6/12 tables at @BellagioPoker, taking selfies with our players, and more.
A true champ of the game. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/IrMJja75vX
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 10, 2026
When not playing poker, Patrick is busy with his day job as an online educator and developer for an online private school. His message to everyone out there thinking about expanding their horizons beyond Hold’em is simple (but true) – mixed game players have more fun!
RunGoodGear Dealer of the Day: Jason Gabriel
Not all the dealers we come across share the same passion for mixed games. Some simply focus on doing a good job dealing cards and pushing pots, while others take a much deeper interest and look for ways to improve things. Jason Gabriel, our pick for Day 8’s RunGoodGear Dealer of the Day, is certainly in the latter category.
Jason moved to Las Vegas from Fresno, California, back in 1998. He was working a completely unrelated job but took an interest in poker, playing at The Orleans during evenings. His interest led him to learn how to deal poker all on his own, and later pass the audition at the Orleans to pick up a part-time role.
When his company asked him to move to LA, he decided he’d rather stay right here, leaving his physically demanding job and taking on a full-time dealer position. In 2000, he landed a job with the Bellagio, and he’s been here ever since.
There were many reasons behind his decision. He fell in love with poker, especially mixed games, where analytical thinking, math, and strategy all came together. Plus, working as a dealer, he got to enjoy a much more flexible schedule that allowed him to also play.
But it’s not just his passion that makes Jason stand out. You can’t miss a rather unique tool that he uses to handle the action. It’s a rake-like tool that can deal with chips and cards, and makes things go smoother.
This tool is actually his own invention. Jason came up with the idea when one of his fellow dealers was pregnant and struggling to reach chips. He says there was no real product out there to help with the struggle, so he took it upon himself to make one.
Although you might not be able to tell at a glance, the tool has a unique shape and special features, allowing it to manipulate chips and cards, keeping stacks neat and tidy, and pushing puts more efficiently.
While he makes these tools for friends, he also does it as a business, where people can buy custom rakes (14 different colors, custom text) on his website snaprake.com.
Jason is currently working on another idea, looking to make mixed game plaques easier to handle and also more helpful for the dealers.
While he is aware that these ideas won’t make him rich, Jason tells us he has “an innate ability to analyze situations and make things better, and he is determined to use that ability to make things better for the industry.”
With all these extracurricular activities and working two jobs, Jason doesn’t have much free time. He used to play golf but gave up on that, and he is now mostly focused on poker and taking care of his family – his wife Marcela and his three daughters.
More Hall of Famers in the Pipeline
After another exciting day at Mixed Game Festival XIV, the action is winding down with two tables going into the night. Those who were in attendance will certainly take some interesting stories home.
If you missed today’s action, the good news is that there is another Hall of Famer lined up for Day 9, as Eli Elezra will be joining us. A long-time friend of the Festival and an absolute mixed game wizard, Eli is a very welcome guest. So, call in at (702) 693-7291 and put your name on the list, as we could have another packed day.
📣 Day Nine of @cardplayerlife‘s Mixed Game Festival XIV, sponsored by @BetMGMPoker, includes a visit from @elielezra1 at @BellagioPoker! 🥳
📽️ https://t.co/kZITXkdCuS
🔗 https://t.co/K0u0CjbrMX
♠️♥️♣️♦️#PokerLifeMedia #MGFXIV #FindTheFountains #JoinTheFestival pic.twitter.com/B34VIoeQIu— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) June 10, 2026
Thursday, June 11, will be the final day of MGF XIV, and it’s when we’ll give away our final seat to the $3,500 BetMGM Poker Championship, so just a gentle reminder that, even though the time is running out, there are still some exciting things to look forward to. How will we give it away? Check out the video below 🙂
🤔👉 Here’s a flash back to last summer and the chip count @BetMGMPoker Giveaway! We will be doing the same contest on Thursday at @BellagioPoker! 👍🥳
🔗 https://t.co/K0u0CjaTXp
♠️♥️♣️♦️#PokerLifeMedia #MGFXIV #FindTheFountains #JoinTheFestival pic.twitter.com/KSBeNwEFmA— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) June 10, 2026
With Mixed Game Festival XIV stretching over two whole weeks, one pizza party simply isn’t enough. In that spirit, Day 7 of the festival featured our second pizza party at Bellagio, with hungry players eager to wolf down some cheese and pepperoni slices. Between that and our first pizza party on Day 2, we made sure our players were plenty well fed, but that’ll be all the pies on the menu until next time; while there’s still some really cool stuff coming up, it won’t be delivered inside square boxes.
It’s clear, though, that our mixed game crowd knows value when they see it, so once again the Bellagio poker room was buzzing with action. We had three tables (two $4/$8 and one $6/$12) going from the start, with a fourth one opening a bit later/ All told, Day 7’s poker action lasted until the final table broke at just after 3am. If you want to know the exact time, you can ask festival founder Robbie Strazynski, who may or may not have been one of the last five players to rack up his chips for the night… 🙂
There was also a special appearance from Alex Livingston, who was unable to attend Day 5’s Pokercoaching.com Meet-Up Game, but who graced us with his presence as soon as he rolled into Las Vegas, throwing more free stuff into the mix for our players.
Alex Livingston’s Mixed Game Course, I Presume?
There is a reason why poker and pizza go so well together – it’s the kind of food that doesn’t require you to abandon the grind entirely. You can keep on mixing it up, and that’s one thing that the regular crowd at these Mixed Game Festivals knows quite a bit about.
Adding to the excitement in the room, Pokercoaching.com’s Alex Livingston came to splash around a bit with the players and give away free lifetime access to his recently-released mixed game course to one lucky player. That player ended up being James Garica who won just for being in the right place, at the right time. No loops or hoops to go through.
With the pizza gone and the main giveaway of the day done, you’d think the action would wind down, but the opposite happened, as a fourth table formed.
📣👉 Our fourth table is opening now! Come join in the excitement at @BellagioPoker as Day Seven of @cardplayerlife‘s Mixed Game Festival XIV rolls on! 👍🥳
♠️♥️♣️♦️#PokerLifeMedia #MGFXIV pic.twitter.com/RygyTI97WQ— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) June 8, 2026
In addition to scooping (or halving, or quartering) the pots, players got to pick up some smaller prizes along the way. Chuck Martin managed to win his second Faded Spade set of cards for this trip, so whatever home game he plays in should be set for a while.
In an astonishing series of events, @chuckspoker somehow won ANOTHER set of @FadedSpadeBrand cards here at Mixed Game Festival XIV. 😲
Ian is not amused 😂 pic.twitter.com/kMNYXJi2zK
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 9, 2026
Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day: Linda Rand
Day 7’s PokerCoaching.com Player of the Day comes from Tampa, Florida. This is Linda Rand’s eighth visit to the World Series of Poker, and since mixed games are her forte, she decided to check out what the festival has to offer.
Linda is here with her boyfriend, Donnie, who is also a poker player, so they can share the ups, the downs, and everything in between. She tells us that Archie is her favorite poker variant because you can go for high, for low, and change your mind midway through the hand.
Before moving to Florida, Linda worked as a poker dealer at the Seminole Hard Rock in Tampa for a full 10 years, and she loves everything about the game: the people, the excitement, the fact that its different every day, and, of course, winning.
While she wouldn’t share with us what exactly she enjoys doing away from the tables (this remark brought lots of laughter while the player interview was being conducted), Linda’s message to all the ladies out there is to give poker a try and not be afraid to come out, play, and have fun. “Ladies, we are smarter than they (men) are,” she announces with conviction.
As for her poker goals, she’d like to win a big tournament, and she doesn’t care too much about what the game variation is, as long as the guarantee is at least $100k. Playing three to four tournaments a month lately, Linda is certainly putting some work toward that goal.
RunGoodGear Dealer of the Day: Constantine Garcia Woodward
Constantine Garcia Woodward, originally from California, has been in Las Vegas for about 10 years. He decided to make the move for better work opportunities. Before discovering poker, he worked different jobs, including being a security guard and a ramp agent at the airport in Anchorage, Alaska.
When he moved to Vegas, Constantine picked up a job as a cab driver. He then enrolled in a dealer school and, upon completing his education, he picked up a different career once more, along with a deck of cards.
It was his family (his older brother and his mother) who pushed him toward poker. “I didn’t really know anything about poker, but my brother wanted to be a dealer, and my mother thought I’d be very good at it, say Constantine.” She turned out to be right!
At this point, he’s been dealing cards for nine years, and he has dealt at almost every poker room on The Strip.
As for his hobbies, he likes to exercise, spend time at the park, and play some poker when he can. His dream is fairly down-to-earth, as he primarily wants to be a successful, winning poker player.
While Constantine enjoys the Mixed Game Festival and dealing all the different games, in his efforts on the felt, he prefers to stick to trusted No Limit Hold’em and Omaha High.
For a man who had such a colorful career, it’s no surprise that in addition to sticking with Bellagio for a while to come, he does have some additional aspirations, including working on his truck driving license.
Come Hang Out With Mori
It feels like the longer the festival goes on, the stronger the grasp of its magic becomes, not only to pull the people in, but to keep them in their seats for hours on end as cards fly through the air.
👀👉 Still three tables going strong on a Monday night! Come join in the fun at @cardplayerlife‘s Mixed Game Festival XIV, sponsored by @BetMGMPoker, which runs until Thursday at @BellagioPoker! 👍🥳
♠️♥️♣️♦️#PokerLifeMedia #MGFXIV pic.twitter.com/FXtaj9r4q3— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) June 9, 2026
There are some cool things lined up for Day 8 as well, with Poker Hall of Famer Mori Eskandani joining the crowd to play some hands and, undoubtedly, share some interesting stories. Plus, Mori is always full of ideas for new games, so we expect the action at his table to be fun and chaotic.
Today’s Day 8 of Mixed Game Festival XIV at @BellagioPoker will include an appearance by Poker Hall of Famer Mori Eskandani…
…and ANOTHER Poker Hall of Famer, too!😃
Wanna know who?
Come join us for “Tuesday with Mori”, and call 702-693-7291 to get your name on the list. pic.twitter.com/LyXengkgbv
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 9, 2026
Plus, there is also a surprise in the cards for Tuesday, but we won’t reveal who it is. What we can say is that it’s going to be special, and you should be there for it!
Be sure to call in ahead of time at (702) 693-7291 to put your name on the list or be at the Bellagio at noon, sharp, to secure your seat.
We are entering the final stretch, with our third and final $3500 2026 BetMGM Poker Championship seat up for grabs on Thursday, so you don’t want to miss out!
We predicted that the somewhat slower Day 4 of the Mixed Game Festival XIV would be the calm before the storm, and that prediction was spot on, as Day 5 turned out to be one of the most eventful so far, wrapping up the first week of the festival on a high note.
There was a lot happening at the Bellagio. The Pokercoaching.com Meet-Up Game kicked off at noon, and there were four tables going right from the start. Players poured into the room for an opportunity to play some low-stakes poker against Jonathan Little and Justin Saliba, two highly regarded and successful pros who spend most of their time playing $10,000+ tournaments, so this was a truly unique occasion.
Little and Saliba also gave away an $800 seat to the ARIA Poker Classic HORSE event, scheduled for June 16, among some other cool prizes. As if having two poker crushers in the room wasn’t enough, there were another couple big-name appearances to get the players excited, too.
There’s a lot to unpack, so let’s dig into it and try to bring you at least some of the atmosphere from Day 5 of Mixed Game Festival XIV.
Pokercoaching.com MUG: Little and Saliba in the House
The main event to wrap up the first half of the festival was the Meet-Up game co-hosted by the Pokercoaching.com crew, long-time friends and sponsors of the MGF.
Jonathan Little, the founder of the popular poker training site, and Justin Saliba, one of the main coaches (who incidentally got his start in mixed games at the festival), joined the mixed game crowd to play some $4/$8 dealer’s choice. Many players wanted to try their luck against the two, which led to four full tables going strong right from the start.
The atmosphere in the room was electric, and the excitement only grew bigger as the time for the tournament seat giveaway came around. Once more, players on all four tables played a PLO flip, with winners progressing to the second round.
The four finalists played another PLO flip, and it was Ben Ward who found the favor of the poker gods to come out on top and win himself a seat to the $800 ARIA Poker Classic HORSE event on June 16.
Congratulations to Ben Ward, who won himself an $800 seat into the @ARIAPoker Classic HORSE 🐎 event on June 16, courtesy of @PokerCoaching_ here at Mixed Game Festival XIV.
Lesson: win your blind PLO flips, and good things will happen! 😂 pic.twitter.com/hPbgOTWv1Z
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 4, 2026
The remaining three players who progressed to the final round each got a nice prize as well. Stephen Brogan, Tony Messing, and Garrett Browning won lifetime access to Alex Livingston’s Master Mixed Games course, which should certainly help them progress with their mixed game prowess.
READ MORE: Check out our Master Mixed Games course review
Of course, there was also a lot of merch up for grabs, and Jonathan Little was signing copies of his books, so players got quite an experience and, once again, heaps of value just for being part of the action. You just don’t get anything like it with other poker festivals.
We’ve got @JonathanLittle here for the @PokerCoaching_ meet up game at Mixed Game Festival XIV at @BellagioPoker.
He’s also signing copies of all his @DBPoker1 books, to the delight of the assembled masses 🤩📚✍️ pic.twitter.com/aUdE3iAksy
— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) June 4, 2026
Poker Media Stars Come Out in Force
Day 5 saw a few more very familiar faces in the crowd. Longtime festival supporter Norman Chad popped in for a couple hours. While Norm is an MGF regular, this time around he was joined by his on-screen partner Lon McEachern, who was happily making his first festival appearance. The only way it could have gotten better is if we had a booth set up for them to do live commentary of the action.
So thankful to poker’s legendary broadcasters @lonmceachern and @NormanChad for taking time out of their schedule to visit Mixed Game Festival XIV at @BellagioPoker. ♥️
Exceptionally grateful to have them supporting the growth of our game. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/2FZuKJATG6
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 5, 2026
And let’s not forget about WSOP bracelet winner Chad Holloway of PokerNews, who decided to spend his lunch break playing mixed games. Plus PokerGO’s Tim Duckworth made his second festival appearance this summer, while veteran poker media stalwart Jesse Fullen turned up to splash around, too.
Had a long lunch break so made my way across the street to @BellagioPoker for @PokerLifeMedia’s Mixed Game Festival XIV!
Got destroyed in Super Stud but recouped some in a big A-5 Badacey. Lots of fun games.
We also filmed with @ThePokerBoss the other day for Saturday’s episode… pic.twitter.com/gy3VFr1NuI
— Chad Holloway (@ChadAHolloway) June 4, 2026
Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day: Daryl Kermmoade
Keeping in line with the festive theme, our Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day is one Daryl Kermmoade. Originally from Kentucky and now living in Lincoln, Nebraska, Daryl came out to Las Vegas for his birthday trip to celebrate turning 63.
Like many who come out to Sin City during the summer, he is focusing on playing some WSOP events. However, he also likes playing at Bellagio during the downtime. When he got here, he noticed the Mixed Game Festival was happening, and it piqued his interest.
He already has some experience playing HORSE, and this seemed like a great opportunity to expand his horizons and try some completely new variations. Having played for a fair few hours, sitting next to festival host and Cardplayer Lifestyle founder Robbie Strazynski, Daryl shared that he was pleasantly surprised at how much fun everyone was having and just how eager other players were to help and make him feel welcome.
He first got into poker around 2003, and Council Bluffs, Iowa is his primary poker stomping grounds. However, he doesn’t get to play much mixed games there, as the choice is mostly down to No Limit Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha.
As for his poker dreams, Daryl says he’d like to eventually make a final table and win a tournament, as he’s experienced a fair share of bubbles over the years. Hopefully, a free month of Pokercoaching.com will help bring him closer to that goal.
RunGoodGear Dealer of the Day: Larry Williams
Larry Williams, originally from Indiana, has been with the Bellagio for two decades. His adventure started back in 2005 when he decided to change things up, leaving his automobile repair business and packing up with the goal to travel the country for a while.
The path led him to Las Vegas, and he discovered that dealing cards was something he enjoyed. Being a people person, he tells us he enjoys the opportunity to mingle with the players.
When asked why he prefers “the other side of the table”, dealing and not playing, Larry was honest and admited that he “sucks at poker,” so a professional career as a player just wasn’t in the cards.
Like many other dealers we’ve talked to, Larry admits that there is a certain different vibe around the Mixed Game Festival crowd, where it’s obvious that people are here primarily to have fun, so there is no tension, and nobody’s playing with their life savings on the table.
He stuck with the Bellagio because he believes it is a great place to work, allowing for a lot of freedom, and, among other things, having a great cafeteria! As far as his professional goals, he says he’s pretty much seen it all and done it all, including pushing a million-dollar pot. “Chips are chips at the end of the day,” Larry tells us.
For fresh dealers who find themselves in the midst of the mixed game mayhem, his advice is to ask for help from the players. “Admit that you don’t know what you’re doing,” he says, “and just ask players to help you untangle the web.”
When not dealing cards, he likes to spend time playing some video poker, taking shorter hikes with his wife, and taking longer trips around the country when the opportunities present themselves.
Take Five, Everyone!
With Day 5 wrapping up in style, with three tables going strong late into the night, it’s time for the Mixed Game Festival to take a short break. But don’t worry, we’ll be back before you know it!
The action will pause over the next couple of days and resume in earnest on Sunday, June 7. Things will kick off at noon once more, and we’ll be giving away the second $3,500 BetMGM Poker Championship ticket.
As always, you can secure your seat on the waiting list by calling the Bellagio Poker Room (702) 693-7291 ahead of the start, or simply make sure you’re there before the cards are in the air, and there will definitely be a chair for you to pull up.
Day 3 of Mixed Game Festival XIV was pretty crazy (in the best possible way). There was a seat scramble, as players were trying to get in the mix ahead of the first $3,500 BetMGM Poker Championship seat giveaway, and then it was a PLO mayhem that decided the lucky winner.
By contrast, Day 4 was much calmer, as we shifted into a bit of a lower gear with two tables of $4/$8 mix kicking off to start the festivities. For the first time since the festival started, there wasn’t a $6/$12 game going. But the ebb and flow of the festival is pretty typical, and it’s impossible for things to always be pedal to the metal for two straight weeks. What’s certain though is that there’s quite a lot lined up for Day 5, so the energy in the room is guaranteed to pick up once more.
Plus, the action will be moving from the overflow tables in the sportsbook directly into the Bellagio poker room. The lighting will be better, we’ll have automatic card shufflers at every table, and foot traffic will be higher. But more on that in a moment. Let’s get back to Day 4 highlights for now.
Rick Gleason Book Signing
While the Mixed Game Festival can’t quite give out thousands of dollars worth of tournament seats every day, there is always a little something extra happening alongside the table action. Wednesday saw Rick Gleason, a poker author and fellow Cardplayer Lifestyle contributor, join the crowd and do some book signings.
Gleason is the author of 101+ Poker Tips That Actually Work, an interesting book that, although it’s not specific to mixed games, brings some very useful general advice for poker players.
We’ve got Rick Gleason here at Mixed Game Festival XIV signing his new book.
It’s not mixed game specific, but there are some great general poker tips in there. Over 101 of ’em 😁
Review here on @PokerLifeMedia, by @santijota8 👇
https://t.co/eyq0gzfxjd pic.twitter.com/OwZSBMBTOb— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 3, 2026
The book is aimed primarily at recreational, low-stakes players, who play for the love of the game, so it’s a perfect match for the Mixed Game Festival crowd.
As always, a few players won free signed copies by accomplishing certain feats at the tables, like Mike Tyson (yes, we know that there are other Mike Tysons out there), who managed to scoop an Archie pot.
For those not as involved in the mixed game world, Archie is a triple draw split game, where the pot is split between the best high and the best low hand (using standard rankings), but there is also the minimum qualifying requirement for the high hand (usually a pair of nines or better) and for the low hand (an 8 or lower). If nobody qualifies, the pot gets split among every player remaining at showdown.
Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day: Brian Dowd
Often, in our Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day section, we highlight some of the newcomers who stumbled upon the festival by chance or were invited by a friend. Today, however, we have the complete opposite of that.
Hailing from St. Augustine, Florida, Brian Dowd has been a regular at Mixed Game Festivals, and this is his sixth time attending. His first time was a few years back, at Resorts World, and, like many other regulars, he just fell in love with the atmosphere.
Brian describes himself as a very competitive person, and that’s one aspect he enjoys the most about the game. At the same time, he prefers mixed games over Texas Hold’em and PLO, because mixed games lend themselves to much more fun, interaction, and camaraderie at the tables.
Living in Florida, when he’s not busy with his day job in wood manufacturing, Brian enjoys shooting some pool or spending time on the beach and soaking in the sun. Way before, he also used to be a chef, and he found quite a bit of success with that career before moving on to other things.
As for poker, Brian believes playing the skills the game hones can be of great use in day-to-day life, helping one see the big picture, realize all the different angles, put things in perspective, and decide which way to go – just like you do in a poker hand.
Although he says he likes to think of himself as a decent player, Brian doesn’t have any major poker goals. He just enjoys the competition, spending time with friends, and having a good time at the tables.
RunGoodGear Dealer of the Day: Lemlem Woldu
There are some people we’ve had a chance to talk to at the Mixed Game Festival who have been with the Bellagio for a long time, but none of them have been with the company longer than Lemlem Woldu, today’s pick for the Dealer of the Day.
Lemlem came to Las Vegas from Ethiopia in 1997. She got married here and got a job with the Bellagio the following year, as a bus runner, right as the legendary casino opened its doors. She has been here quite literally from the very first day.
After a while, an opportunity arose for employees who wanted to become poker dealers to get the necessary training, and Lemlem jumped on that opportunity. She learned how to deal the cards and never looked back.
There is an important reason she’s stayed with the Bellagio for nearly three decades. She loves the team she works with, the way the management handles things, and all the players who frequent the venue.
Of course, dealing at the Mixed Game Festival is a bit of a different experience, which she describes as both enjoyable and challenging. What she enjoys is that players are relaxed, having fun, and there is a friendly vibe. The challenge, on the other hand, is dealing all the different games, some of which she’s never dealt before – but it’s also fun for her.
When asked about her bucket list item as a poker dealer, she tells us she pretty much achieved all she set out to do. Her work allowed her to raise her two sons and send them to private schools. In her own heartfelt words, “It was this community that made it all possible, and I’m so very grateful for it.”
Day 5 Preview: Pokercoaching Meet-Up Game Time!
Looking ahead to what comes next, Day 5 promises to be a stellar one by all accounts.
Starting at noon, we’ll have a Pokercoaching Meet-Up Game, featuring top veteran pros Jonathan Little and Justin Saliba. The duo will join the action at the tables, so you’ll have a chance to win some chips off of them as well as also ask them some poker strategy questions while splashing around together at the felt.
We’re hosting a @PokerCoaching_ Meet-Up Game tomorrow at 12pm at Bellagio for the Mixed Game Festival!
I’m looking forward to splashing around in all sorts of odd games and we’re giving away an $800 Aria Tournament Seat. See you there!😊💥@cardplayerlife @PokerLifeMedia pic.twitter.com/zq91I47JmQ
— Jonathan Little (@JonathanLittle) June 4, 2026
But wait; there’s more! 🙂 One lucky randomly selected player will also receive a free entry into the $800 Aria Classic H.O.R.S.E event. You just need to be there to have a shot.
Also, a couple of players will receive lifetime passes to Alex Livingston’s Master Mixed Games course, which rates to be one of the best resources for mixed game players, whether you’re just starting or are an experienced player looking to enhance your strategy and find an extra edge.
The good folks at Pokercoaching.com have been longtime friends of ours here at Cardplayer Lifestyle and stalwart supporters of the Mixed Game Festival, regularly giving free 1-month subscriptions to all of our Players of the Day as well as a bunch of other free stuff, so it’ll be a pleasure to co-host the MUG with them.
We’re expecting a full house, so if you have plans to be here, we suggest you call the Bellagio poker room (702) 693-7291 and put your name on the list. That way, you’ll lock in your seat and will be able to get in the action right from the get-go. As mentioned, the action is moving to the main poker room tomorrow, so that’s where you’ll find us!
As we noted in our Day 2 recap, Day 3 of Mixed Game Festival XIV was poised to bring a lot of excitement and heaps of value to the players as it featured the first $3,500 BetMGMPoker Championship seat giveaway.
For the third straight day, mixed game players filled four tables playing low stakes dealer’s choice poker for hours. The room was packed, as expected, and it wasn’t just the case that the day lived up to the expectations. Rather, it well exceeded them, as some lucky players were treated to four additional $300 seats to mixed game tournaments being held at the MGM Grand Summer Series a few blocks away on the Las Vegas Strip. This came as a total (and very pleasant) surprise, bringing with it smiles and exultation from the lucky foursome who secured their seats.
The Grand Prize, of course, went to Martin Mata, and he’ll be getting a free shot at the $3,500 BetMGM Poker Championship title and a slice of the massive $4,000,000 guaranteed prize pool. He’ll be joined by at least two more lucky seat winners from the MGF XIV giveaway and hundreds of other players early in July at ARIA Las Vegas.
Let the PLO Gods Decide
Make no mistake, poker players will never say no to free stuff, but the manner in which you give that free stuff away matters as well. At the Mixed Game Festival, the focus is always on the fun, so the first tournament seat was awarded using a tried and tested system of PLO flips.
Looks like we have 32 players with over $100 in equity, each of whom is very excited to potentially win a $3500 seat into the 2026 @BetMGMPoker Championship.
The giveaway will happen within the next 90 minutes here at Mixed Game Festival XIV at @BellagioPoker. 🎉 pic.twitter.com/rPi3Hs59Uw
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 2, 2026
Sean McCormack, the Executive Director of Poker Strategy and Development for MGM Resorts, was on hand for the proceedings, and was also the one to deliver the pleasantly surprising news about the additional $300 tickets.
There were four tables going at the time, and each table ran out a blind Pot Limit Omaha flip. Then, hand winners proceeded to the second round to play for yet another PLO flip, with the winner of that flip winning the $3,500 ticket.
As you’d expect, it was a bit of mayhem (in the best possible way!), and our friends from PokerNews were kind enough to pay a visit to Bellagio and capture it in the video below.
(Video courtesy of PokerNews / Adam Peiken)
When the dust settled, it was Martin Mata from Denver, Colorado, emerging victorious and claiming the main prize. The other four hand winners to receive $300 seats were Nadi Medlege, Christina Black, Matt Bryant, and Scott Leader.
And if you’re wondering how there were four second-place finishers from just four tables, it’s because we had a chop in one of the round one hands, so five players actually progressed to the final round.
The extra prizes came as a courtesy from “the Poker Boss” Sean McCormack, and we can neither confirm nor deny whether there will be extra prizes awarded for upcoming draws. You’ll just have to be there for it and see for yourself if you might be one of the luck ones!
With the main highlight of the day out of the way, most players went back to their tables, and although we lost one table down the line, the action continued across three tables well past midnight.
Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day: Ben Kabatznik
It’s not only the tournament seat winners who got some free stuff yesterday. Not a day goes by at the Mixed Game Festival XIV without a bunch of prizes being distributed, and that includes one monthly PokerCoaching.com subscription given out every single day to the Player of the Day.
This time around, that honor goes to Ben Kabatznik from San Francisco, California. Ben is in the software-selling business, and he is in Las Vegas for a conference. His original plan was to play some $1/$3 No Limit Hold’em during his downtime, but when he discovered that a Mixed Game Festival was running, he changed his mind.
Ben’s experience with mixed games isn’t super extensive, but he enjoys Omaha Hi-Lo. As for the festival, he appreciates the opportunity to try his hand at some of the lesser-known variants, like Oma-Jack, which you’ll never come across in major tournaments or more formal events.
With a full-time job, he doesn’t have too much time to play poker, so when he gets an opportunity, he prefers to gamble and have fun. Mixed games offer that a lot more than Hold’em, which he says requires much more patience and a very analytical approach. Unfortunately, Ben doesn’t get a chance to play low stakes mix in Cali, so the festival came just at the right time for him.
His poker dream is to play in the WSOP Main Event. He says that at this point in his life, he can afford it financially, but now it’s more about organizing everything and finding the right time to do it and turning it into a fun trip for him and his wife.
While Ben doesn’t have much time to study poker, he greatly enjoys Jonathan Little’s free content on YouTube, so he’ll probably put his one-month subscription to PokerCoaching.com to good use.
RunGoodGear Dealer of the Day: Michael Godfrey
In the spotlight for this edition of the Dealer of the Day is Michael Godfrey. Originally from California, Michael has been living in Vegas for 21 years, and his role at the Bellagio is actually that of a shift manager.
Having spent over two decades in the casino business, he’s held many roles in places like Golden Nugget and South Point, and he’s been a member of the Bellagio team since August 2025.
He says that one of the main things he’s been focusing on since coming on board is to show people that playing poker at the Bellagio can be fun and light, even given the room’s elite reputation. In other words, while he’s got to suit up for work, he LOVES his new free Mixed Game Festival T-Shirt from RunGoodGear. 🙂
His experience notwithstanding, Michael tells us that he was nervous taking on his new role, explaining that working at Bellagio is just different. You can feel the energy of the place that he describes as “the mecca of all poker activities on the Strip.”
Back in the day, Michael arrived in Las Vegas during the Moneymaker boom, with the goal of becoming a professional poker player. A few years in, and having met his wife, he decided to opt for a more stable lifestyle, which is when he became a part of the industry, and he never looked back.
On a personal level, he enjoys the opportunity to learn from the likes of Bellagio Poker Room Director Craig Larson as well as Sean McCormack.
It’s a Wrap on Another Exciting Day
While Day 3 of Mixed Game Festival XIV has concluded, luckily there are seven more days left, so if you’ve missed out so far, there is plenty more to come. The action will kick off at 12pm sharp once more, and you can reserve your seat by calling the poker room at (702) 693-7291 – or just show up on time, and you’ll be guaranteed a seat.
Attention mixed game players:
Do you like the design of our @RunGoodGear shirts?
Come and get ’em at @BellagioPoker during our Mixed Game Festival 😁 pic.twitter.com/6BYEmMVqeL
— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) June 3, 2026
A reminder that there are some giveaways happening every day, with merch and poker books up for grabs. The next $3,500 BetMGM Poker Championship seat will be up for grabs on Sunday, so plan accordingly!
Mixed Game Festival XIV got off to a phenomenal start, with four action-packed tables going strong for most of Day 1, and one of them playing through the night and well into the morning. Add to that a few big names showing up, and it was the kind of kickoff that’s not easy to beat. Day 2 was supposed to get underway with a traditional Mixed Game Festival pizza party, but players were so eager to get into the action that three tables formed before the pies could reach the Bellagio sportsbook. Once more, we had two $4/$8 games and one $6/$12 table.
An early start meant that by the time pizzas were delivered, everyone in the room was ready for a short break and a quick snack, so that worked out pretty well. As any poker player will tell you, there is nothing like a nice slice of pizza to help bring your energy levels up, even if you aren’t having particularly good times at the table.
Not that there are such issues at Mixed Game Festival XIV, as having a good time is what these events are all about. You won’t see {m}any grumpy faces in the room as the atmosphere is such that it will quickly bring your spirits up, even if cards haven’t been falling your way.
Day 2 of Mixed Game Festival XIV at @BellagioPoker kicking off with two $4/8 and one $6/12 dealer’s choice mixes.
And the FREE pizza hasn’t even gotten here yet 😜
Come join us for all the fun! pic.twitter.com/jwmYve5Yr9
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 1, 2026
About five hours into the day, even more players arrived, so another $4/$8 table formed, bringing the total number up to four, which is just more than you could possibly ask for on a Monday afternoon/evening.
Never a Dull Moment
Day 2 of Mixed Game Festival XIV didn’t feature any big-name poker celeb appearances, but that did not stop players from having a great time. Poker stars popping up for a while is always great, of course, but it’s not essential for this particular crowd. The games and the camaraderie are more than enough!
As is always the case, the room featured a mix of mixed game veterans, players who dabble with non-Hold’em games here and there, and a fair few of those who have come across the Festival and decided this would be a great opportunity to try their hand at mixed games for the very first time.
And, once more, there are people from all over the world, including a couple of players who flew in all the way from Japan to join the fun.
Shinsuke, @ya_soshi_, and Itsko having a blast here at Mixed Game Festival XIV at @BellagioPoker!
They flew in to play all the way from Tokyo, Japan 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/yjkXZqw83O
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 2, 2026
As for the action on the tables, it was the usual mayhem. With stakes set low, players can afford to just have fun with it, and you can rest assured they do. I’ve been covering the Mixed Game Festival for a hot minute now, and I’m still surprised and confused to see some of the variations being spread on the tables.
At some point, you have to stop and ask, “come on, guys, are you just making up games as you go?” And, surprisingly (or not), quite often the answer to that question is – yes!
PokerCoaching.com Player of the Day: Tim Linderman
In the hot seat today as the PokerCoaching.com Player of the Day is Tim Linderman, a player hailing from California. Tim started playing poker during the Moneymaker boom and, like most, fell in love with Texas Hold’em.
After a while, though, two hole cards became insufficient, so he transitioned to PLO, and that’s what he’s been playing almost exclusively for the past decade, outside of an occasional home game with friends.
Beyond these two variations, though, Tim has very little experience, and when he came upon the Mixed Game Festival at the Bellagio, he figured it would be a great opportunity to expand his horizons – something his friend who loves playing mixed games has been trying to get him to do for a while.
Although Tim played in some mixed game tournaments, featuring variations like HORSE and Triple Draw, he’s not familiar with some of the games present in Dealer’s Choice and 8-Game Mix, and certainly not with many of the ones found at the Mixed Game Festival.
One such variation that caught Tim off guard is Action Razz, a game played like a traditional Razz for the most part, but for your hand to qualify, you also need to have a face card. So, it’s not enough to just have a good low hand – you also need to have a face card to go with it, or your hand doesn’t count.
The reason that particular variation caught Tim’s attention is that Robbie tried an unsuccessful bluff against another player at the table, where he was showing a good Razz hand, but, as it turned out, he did not have that face card in a hole.
Overall, though, Tim feels that this is the perfect opportunity to dip your toes into the mixed game waters, try some fun new variants without getting hurt financially, and get some preparation for some tournaments.
Of course, as the Player of the Day, Tim will also receive a one month free premium membership to PokerCoaching.com, so, in addition to the hands-on experience he’s getting at Bellagio, he’ll have the opportunity to learn from some of the best poker players around.
All this should help him with reaching his poker dream, which is to win a WSOP bracelet, as he sees it as the ultimate poker achievement.
RunGoodGear Dealer of the Day: Emma Stevenson
Three years ago, Emma Stevenson moved from Boston, Massachusetts, to Las Vegas, leaving her job as an accountant to pursue her poker dreams.
Although she is our RunGoodGear Dealer of the Day, Emma is also a poker player. She enjoys dealing cards when not playing herself because it gives her opportunities to see more hands, learn new strategies, and understand just how diverse the game can be.
Two things she likes the most about her job are the opportunities to meet new people and, of course, making money. She loves working at Bellagio as she finds that the property takes good care of its dealers and players alike and feels that they maintain a higher standard than most other places on the Strip.
Emma was attracted to the Vegas nightlife and the overall lifestyle, and these things inspired her to take the leap. Her advice to others who might be thinking about doing the same is to take the risk. “You can always go back to your old life if things don’t work out.”
This is her first time dealing at the Mixed Game Festival, and, like most other dealers we’ve talked to over the years, her conclusion is that the crowd coming in enjoys the game more and has much more fun than most players.
As for her personal goals and aspirations, Emma is very honest. She wants to make a lot of money playing poker, and she wouldn’t mind marrying a rich poker player, she tells us half-jokingly.
First $3,500 BetMGM Poker Championship Seat Giveaway
If you’ve missed out on the first couple of days of the Mixed Game Festival XIV and still need convincing to head over to Bellagio, how does an opportunity to get a free $3,500 tournament ticket sound?
That’s right, everyone showing up for the action tomorrow will have a shot at winning the first (of three) tickets to the 2026 BetMGM Poker Championship. The winner will be determined by a blind PLO flip.
Each active table will play one blind hand of PLO. No betting is involved. Everyone’s dealt four cards, the board runs out, and the best hand wins. All winners proceed to the final, where they’ll play another PLO flip, and whoever wins that one gets the ticket.
It’s a lot of extra value up for grabs, so it could be a packed room. To secure your seat ahead of time, call (702) 693-7291 and put your name on the list. The action kicks off at noon, sharp!
Things don’t always go as planned in life, but those who can find their way around the obstacles and persevere through the hardships are the ones who make their dreams come true. The Cardplayer Lifestyle Mixed Game Festival was supposed to return to Las Vegas for its 13th iteration back in March, but due to various geopolitical reasons well beyond the control of us mere mortals, it had to be canceled.
It was a sad decision, both for the MGF founder Robbie Strazynski and all the mixed game fans in Vegas and beyond, but in retrospect it turned out to just be a bump along the road. A few months later, the festival is BACK, and if Day 1 of MGF XIV is anything to go by, it’s going to be a great one!
Mixed Game Festival XIV kicked off to much fanfare on May 31, and if numbers are anything to go by, they’ll be even stronger for Day 2 when some delicious free pizza lunch is thrown into the mix for the players.
Strong Action, Merch Giveaways, and Surprise Appearances
Day 1 of MGF XIV started at noon at Bellagio, and it wasn’t long before there were four full tables going. In addition to three $4/$8 tables, this was the first time in Mixed Game Festival history that a $6/$12 game was spread. The festival is nothing if not flexible when it comes to these requests, aiming to cater to all players.
As long as there is enough interest, “You can just… do things,” as Robbie puts it ever so eloquently.
Every time the festival rolls in, it brings with it a bunch of free stuff, courtesy of the sponsors, some of which have been strong supporters of the event for years now.
Chuck Martin got his hands on Jonathan Little’s Complete Poker Workout as a special reward for showing down a “Zero” in Drawmaha Zero. And if the second part of this sentence confuses you, it’s hard to explain. You just need to come over to Bellagio and see it for yourself.
Congratulations to @chuckspoker, who just won a free copy of @JonathanLittle‘s The Complete Poker Workout (published by @DBPoker1) for tabling a “Zero” in Drawmaha Zero. 👏 pic.twitter.com/Bje39cFovm
— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) May 31, 2026
Another lucky player got himself a nice setup of playing cards from Faded Spade, which will surely come in handy for any future home games, which the mixed game community is known for.
Congratulations to Brad from South Dakota!
He just won himself a setup of @FadedSpadeBrand playing cards for scooping Double Board Omaha “Best Best” pot.
Some great added value to be had here at @BellagioPoker during Mixed Game Festival XIV 😊 pic.twitter.com/Y4y9FNMPv6
— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) June 1, 2026
One of the great things about the Mixed Game Festival is that, although it caters primarily to recreational players rather than hardcore grinders, it never fails to attract some big names, be it Hold’em specialists looking to expand their horizons or mixed game beasts who simply love the game and don’t mind spending a few hours playing at the stakes that could be 100 times lower than what they usually play.
David Bach is certainly in the latter category. The 2009 $50k WSOP Poker Players Championship winner and a man with close to $5,000,000 in live tournament earnings decided to pay his first visit to the festival and splash around playing some $4/$8 mix. You just love to see it!
Surprise guest at @BellagioPoker, welcome to Mixed Game Festival XIV past $50K WSOP Poker Players Champion @gunslingerbach!
Man of the people, splashing around with us in the $4/8 streets. 👏😊 pic.twitter.com/wXm2zBIayL
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 1, 2026
The First Lady of Poker, Linda Johnson, was there to support the festival, as she’s been known to do, alongside Jan Fisher. These two have been some of the greatest ambassadors for mixed games, and we’re fortunate to call them festival regulars.
Poker Hall of Famer sighting 👀
Welcome to Mixed Game Festival XIV, @FirstLadyPoker and @WIPHOF-er @Jan_Fisher
Two of our game’s finest, legendary ambassadors ❤️ pic.twitter.com/gs8UxRmsRz
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) May 31, 2026
To round up the day’s poker glitterati appearances, Tim Duckworth, Director of Live Events and Content at PokerGO, pulled up a chair. You just never know who you’ll run into at the MGF; we’ll see who else comes out of the woodwork over the next two weeks.
The world’s most famous aspiring recreational player @Tim__Duckworth has decided to make an appearance here on Day 1 of Mixed Game Festival XIV.
We welcome ALL types of poker players here at @BellagioPoker 😊 pic.twitter.com/QfxOUMa6gM
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 1, 2026
PokerCoaching.com Player of the Day: Christian Feng
We continue the tradition of putting the spotlight on one player every day of the festival, giving them a chance to share their thoughts, and also allowing everyone to see just how versatile the mixed game community truly is.
The honor of being the very first PokerCoaching.com Player of the Day for MGF XIV goes to Christian Feng from San Francisco, California.
Unlike many who have been coming out for the festival for a while, this is Christian’s first time, and he doesn’t even play mixed games. He’s in town for the World Series of Poker, but having heard about the Mixed Game Festival, he figured it was a great opportunity to learn about new games in a low-pressure environment and without risking too much money.
He is a recreational player with a 9-5 job working in HR for the State Government of California who plays small stakes Hold’em back at home and comes out to Vegas once a year to try his luck in some tournaments. Lately, though, with mixed games getting more exposure, he became interested in expanding his horizons, and when he saw the news about the festival on X, he decided to give it a try.
For Feng, one of the best things about poker (other than a chance to make money and achieve tournament glory) is the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life and different parts of the world. He says that, so far, he’s probably met people from every single US state and over 100 countries worldwide, all that just playing low stakes No Limit Texas Hold’em.
After playing mixed games for about eight hours and coming into it with pretty much zero experience, he says the whole experience exceeded his expectations. He found other players to be very friendly and encouraging, willing to help and offer guidance at the tables, which is something you just won’t find anywhere else.
The way he sees it, this is the best way to dip your toes into the world of mixed games, and he was actually surprised at how cheap it is to play, even if you’re a complete beginner.
And that right there is truly what the festival is all about!
RunGoodGear Dealer of the Day: Jeremy Fornachon
There are two main facets of every poker event. Players are there to create the action, but nothing happens without the dealers who work tirelessly to deal the cards, push the pots the right way, and make sure every chip ends up exactly where it belongs.
It takes a special kind of skill and focus to be able to switch between all the different game formats, some of which you’ll hardly see anywhere outside of the Mixed Game Festival, and keep everything running smooth. That’s why the dealers also deserve their place in the spotlight, and why we proudly bring to you the RunGoodGear Dealer of the Day section of each daily festival recap.
Jeremy Fornachon has been dealing at Bellagio for two years, and he says that the best part about his job is that it feels like a family, and coming to work actually feels like coming home.
Jeremy has been dealing cards for 21 years now, having started his career at Peppermill in Reno, and worked at a few card rooms over the years before moving out to Vegas five years ago.
Jeremy says that the main difference he sees between everyday players and those coming out for the Mixed Game Festival is that the mixed game crowd is “really focused on having a good time and enjoying the game above everything else.”
When he’s not dealing cards, Jeremy likes to spend his time kayaking on the Colorado River and going to baseball games. As for his professional aspirations, he is actually in the process of taking the next step and exchanging his dealer nametag for that of a supervisor/floorman. We wish him the best of luck!
It’s Go Time!
As is usually the case, action continued deep into the night at a couple of tables, with the most dedicated of players looking to get the maximum amount of hours and enjoy the opportunity to play mixed cash games as much as humanly possible.
Day 2 action kicks off with the traditional pizza party, and if you also want to secure your seat at the tables, you can call in ahead of time at (702) 693-7291 to put your name on the list. Showing up on time by 12pm guarantees that you’ll have a spot.
📣 @cardplayerlife‘s Mixed Game Festival XIV, sponsored by @BetMGMPoker, has a PIZZA PARTY tomorrow at the @Bellagio starting at NOON! 🥳
📽️ https://t.co/qZn3UshWcR
🔗 https://t.co/K0u0CjaTXp
♠️♥️♣️♦️#PokerLifeMedia #MGFXIV #FindTheFountains #JoinTheFestival pic.twitter.com/QcjQj7h3Pv— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) June 1, 2026
On Day 3 of the festival — Tuesday, June 2 — we’ll be staging the event’s first big giveaway, with a $3,500 seat to the 2026 BetMGM Poker Championship awarded to the winner of a blind PLO flip.
Mixed games are back in town, everyone’s welcome to join, the action is fun and affordable, and there’s heaps of extra value up for grabs, so what’s your excuse for not showing up? 
After four days of play, excitement, and good vibes, players gathered at Resorts World once more for the final day of Mixed Game Festival XII. Stealing the spotlight was the $300 T.O.R.S.E. tournament, which ended up attracting a decent number of 26 entries and awarding $2,485 to Ronald Schiffman, the eventual winner, but there was plenty more action on the sidelines.
It was a slightly quieter day on the cash game front, with two $4/$8 tables running since noon… but not breaking until well after midnight, just like every other day of the festival. If past festivals are anything to go by, at least one table would likely have been going until the sun rises over Las Vegas.
There are always mixed feelings heading into the final day, for players and yours truly alike, because, on one hand, there are some great memories to take back home, but, on the other, there is the knowledge that the magic is over and it’s back to the usual routine. Just the cycle of life – and poker.
????????️ A MGFXII attendee talks about his experience of playing with @NormanChad! ????????
???? Come join that fun at @PokerRoomRWLV as you never know who will be at the table! ????
????️https://t.co/UZgaiZBK8Z
♠️♥️♣️♦️#PokerLifeMedia #MGFXII #NotAnAdForNormanChad pic.twitter.com/ZTgWDrf9It— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) November 20, 2025
First-Ever T.O.R.S.E. Event at the Resorts World
Wrapping up the official MGF XII activities was $300 T.O.R.S.E. tournament, the first event featuring this particular mix to ever take place at Resorts World. That was a bit of an accomplishment on its own and another nice first for the festival.
The event ended up attracting 26 entries, a decent increase compared to the O/E tournament earlier this week, generating a prize pool of $6,500 to be divided among the top four finishers. With four hours of late registration and accounting for the breaks, it took just over 12 hours for the event to reach its conclusion.
When it was all said and done, it was Ron Schiffman claiming the title and the accompanying prize of $2,485. Ron and his last remaining opponent, Jacob Nepom, actually made a heads-up deal, which saw Nepom lock up a very solid $2,000.
Congratulations to Ron Schiffman, winner of the first ever ($300) TORSE event at @PokerRoomRWLV for $2,485 (after a heads-up deal).
Thanks to all who came out to play with us at Mixed Game Festival XII ❤️
Until next time ???? pic.twitter.com/BbABfO5eaP
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) November 21, 2025
Also getting some return on their $300 investment were the third-place finisher, Darren Johnson ($1,124), and Yifan Tang in fourth ($891).
Adding some spice to the battle at the tables was PokerCoaching.com last-longer competition, open to all players wearing the patch. Though he missed the final table, Mike Miller was able to outlast all other qualified participants to ensure he didn’t go home empty-handed, earning himself a 1-year PokerCoaching.com Premium membership.
Congrats to @profmikeimo, winner of the patch last-longer competition as part of our $300 TORSE tournament.
He wins a 1-year membership to @PokerCoaching_ Premium ???? pic.twitter.com/TmEXLRtlSl
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) November 21, 2025
Mixing It Up Again With “Omaha Second Best”
While players in the tournament were chasing accolades, those at the two cash game tables were looking for ways to get the most fun out of the last day of the festival. And what’s a better way to do it than adding yet another new poker variant to the mix?
Earlier during Mixed Game Festival XII, we saw the introduction of Razz 49, an interesting split-pot variation that combines standard Razz rules and card point totals. Last night, the game called “Omaha Second Best” made an appearance.
The game is played like a regular Omaha High in all of its aspects, i.e., dealing, betting, and hand rankings. However, at the showdown, the second-best hand scoops the pot.
It’s certainly an interesting variation that involves a lot of thinking, because you don’t want to have the best hand, but you also need to ensure you don’t end up with the third-best if there’s a multi-way showdown when cards are turned face-up.
Just trying to think about the best poker strategy for this game makes my head hurt a little bit, because I’m coming up with all sorts of scenarios with paired boards containing flushes that would be hell to navigate, so I’ll leave it at that. Maybe give it a try at your next home game and see how you like it?
PokerCoaching.com Player of the Day: Eric Wu
Our final pick for the PokerCoaching.com player of the day, at least for this particular festival, is Eric Wu from South California. Like a few others, Eric came over to Sin City for the F1 spectacle, but the “Mixed Game Poker in Las Vegas” Facebook group alerted him that the festival was happening, and he simply had to come over and play for at least a few hours.
A big poker fan, Eric says that it’s the strategic aspect of the game that attracts him the most, knowing that, although there is some gambling added to the mix, skill will always prevail in the long run.
Eric got into mixed games a few years back as he started to feel Texas Hold’em became a bit stale and boring, so he wanted to broaden his perspective. As our player of the day, he receives one month free of the PokerCoaching.com Premium membership, which he intends to use to brush up on his Hold’em skills, but is also looking forward to mixed game content from Alex Livingston.
Describing his experience at the Mixed Game Festival, Eric tells us he had a lot of fun, even though he admits that it was a bit tricky navigating his way through a bunch of games he’s never seen before.
As for his poker dreams, having picked up mixed games, Eric is hoping to eventually win a WSOP bracelet. He explains that he never really thought about it when he used to only play Hold’em, as fields are too big, but he feels that he has a much better chance in mixed game events.
If he could pick one tournament to win, it would be the $1,500 8-Game Mix. As someone who made a transition from Hold’em to mixed games, Eric’s advice to new players is to start with a game that has some similarities to Hold’em, like PLO, and take it from there. His own journey saw him pick up PLO first, dabble with double board bomb pots next, and then journey into the world of split pot games like Stud 8 and Omaha 8.
RunGoodGear Dealer of the Day: Stella Bray
The honor of closing out our Dealer of the Day section for MGF XII goes to Stella Bray, a full-time poker dealer and a licensed real estate agent.
Stella moved to Las Vegas from California back in 2002. She used to visit the city a few times a month, and when she saw the real estate market in Vegas moving in the right direction, she decided to move permanently.
In 2008, however, the market crashed, and Stella also had a lot going on in her personal life. Given that she’s always loved poker and played the game as a hobby, she decided to pick up a job as a dealer.
Over nearly two decades, she had jobs as a dealer, supervisor, and shift manager, gathering a lot of experience. She took all that experience to Resorts World, where she’s been working since the casino’s opening, four and a half years ago.
What she enjoys the most about the job is the fact that, despite it being a large casino, the poker room at Resorts World has that feeling of a small, local cardroom. And, as a true fan of poker, Stella says that dealing cards has never really felt like work.
Over the years, she has gotten to meet many people and hear many interesting stories. She’s also dealt at a number of Mixed Game Festivals, and what she particularly enjoys about that aspect is just seeing people get in the mix and trying to learn new games on the fly, making an effort and having fun in the process.
Farewell, but not a Goodbye
As the most “degen” players are still grinding away at the tables, squeezing every last bit out of the time left, we say farewell to yet another successful Mixed Game Festival.
No millionaires were made, and you won’t see any big headlines about it, but those who keep coming back know that the festival isn’t about all that. It’s about spending a few days playing some different poker, getting together with old friends, meeting some new ones, and taking home awesome memories.
That’s a wrap for now, but don’t you worry, the Mixed Game Festival will be back for its lucky thirteenth iteration before you know it. We don’t yet know when or where exactly, but, Cardplayer Lifestyle founder Robbie Strazynski told us that he’s “literally working on the next THREE festivals… and as soon as I have dates and locations locked in, I’ll be letting everyone know.” Be sure to follow Cardplayer Lifestyle on X and subscribe to the newsletter to be the first to know!
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!
In recent years, Malta has become one of the go-to destinations for poker lovers in Europe and beyond, with the island country playing host to numerous fun and affordable festivals. The Malta Poker Festival has certainly helped create this environment, establishing Malta’s position on the world’s poker map.
“The refurbishment of Portomaso Casino marks a new chapter in our commitment to excellence. We’ve embraced a more modern look and feel, creating a streamlined experience that blends style, comfort, and efficiency. This upgrade ensures that Portomaso continues to set the standard for premium gaming and entertainment in Malta.”
— Jesmond Galea, Chief Operations Officer, Tumas Gaming Group
Just last week, the Malta Poker Festival Autumn did it all over again, attracting thousands of players from all over the place to the beautiful Portomaso Casino for an entire week of fun and diverse tournament action.
The festival schedule truly featured something for everyone, from your classic No Limit Hold’em events, over mystery bounties, to mixed game tournaments, and all of them featuring buy-ins of just a few hundred euros, making them extremely bankroll-friendly.
The star of the show, as always, was the €550 Malta Poker Festival Grand Event, offering a hefty guarantee of €500,000. As it turned out, that guarantee was on the conservative side, as players turned up in droves to nearly double that total!
Joris Ruijs Triumphs in a Massive Field
The MPF Grand Event featured eight starting flights, giving players plenty of opportunities to build up a stack to take through to Day 2. It came as no surprise that many have jumped at this opportunity, bringing the total number of entries to 1,987. This meant that the original guarantee was blown out of the water, bringing the tournament’s final prize pool to just over €900,000.
For a €500 tournament to pay out nearly a cool million in prizes is always an accomplishment, showing once again just how popular the Malta Poker Festival has become with players.
Naturally, a lion’s share of that massive prize pool was reserved for the winner, who would take home €141,000 for their efforts. As the mix of skill and luck would have it, the honor went to Joris Ruijs, a player from the Netherlands, who managed to outlast the entire field and claim the victory.
This wasn’t Ruijs’s first rodeo by any means. With almost $4.5 million in live earnings, the man sitting in the sixth spot on the Netherlands’ All Time Money List has had his fair share of success at the tables. However, the MPF Grand Event triumph stands out as the biggest-field tournament he was able to take down, and it’s also his best score in terms of the number of buy-ins won.
What’s also interesting is that Joris is a regular in big buy-in events, having played in numerous €/$10,000+ plus tournaments, but he also likes to mix it up in cheaper tournaments, especially when they take place in nice locations.
It is also worth noting that the Grand Event was a rather international affair. The final table alone featured players from seven different countries (out of eight players). The runner-up Vincent Schueler hails from Germany, the third-place finisher Thomas Grahs is from Sweden, while Italy, Serbia, France, and Denmark were all represented as well.
Tournament Action Around the Clock
Although the Grand Event was the biggest draw of the 2025 Malta Poker Festival Autumn series, there was plenty more action to be had. The festival featured a truly colorful schedule that included quite a few niche options for those looking to mix things up.
For example, the €280 Sviten Special event attracted 69 entries. For those not familiar, Sviten is a unique variation of Drawmaha, mixing elements of Pot Limit Omaha and Five Card Draw. The game is quite popular in Scandinavian countries, and the number of entrants showed that it certainly has its place at festivals like this.
In a similar vein, the €230 H.O.R.S.E. event attracted a respectable field of 57 players, generating the prize pool of just over €10,000.
In terms of player numbers, the €250 Scandinavian Poker Championship exceeded expectations, attracting 740 entries and generating a prize pool of just under €155k. The winner, Mark Cornwell of the UK, pocketed €17,042.
Following the trends, the MPF schedule also featured a Mystery Bounty event, and that one generated a lot of interest as well. A total of 654 entries in the field resulted in a prize pool of €58,848 and plenty of action at the tables as players were looking for opportunities to get a shot at one of the envelopes.
From Malta With Love
The autumn edition of the Malta Poker Festival is in the books, and players are now back home or already chasing glory at a different venue halfway across Europe.
Some of them, like Ruijs and Cornwell, were lucky enough to pad their bankrolls during the festival. Many more had significant scores that will help them pursue their poker dreams.
However, regardless of the results, most of those who had an opportunity to visit Malta and play some poker during the festival will have some great memories to ensure they’ll be back for the next one. While big prize pools are what attract people to tournaments, it’s the memories of good times that keep them coming back.
“At Portomaso Casino, we’re proud to host over ten international poker events each year, with the Malta Poker Festival standing as a flagship among them. Our recent refurbishment — especially the redesigned poker room — reflects our commitment to delivering the most professional and enjoyable poker experience on the island. We believe this upgraded setup provides the perfect environment for players from around the world to enjoy the game at its finest.”
— Jonathan Micallef, General Manager, Portomaso Casino
Per Malta Poker Festival Founder and Event Director Ivonne Montealegre, “I’m always moving forward with my projects and not looking back; that’s part of my mindset. I choose to stay creative and fully immersed in what I’m doing now. My philosophy is deeply rooted in the power of the present moment.”
Ivonne continued, “It’s been an intense and beautiful season for all poker players. Together with my Portomaso team, we gave it everything — bringing integrity to the game while nurturing the sense of community that defines the Malta Poker Festival. We also raised funds for meaningful causes like YMCA Malta, keeping both the spirit of poker and compassion at the heart of what we do.”
Malta Poker Festival Spring 2026 Dates Announced
It’s safe to say that the Malta Poker Festival has found a way to deliver for players for years, now. The great tradition is set to continue into 2026, with the festival having just announced it’s Spring dates, for April 19-27 along with a €500,000 guaranteed Main Event.
It’s never to early to begin booking your travel and accommodation. While full details of what to expect at the festival will be released in the coming months, interested players can rest assured that the 2026 Malta Poker Festival Spring edition will be another stellar series of events!
