Well, this is awkward.
I was hired by this website’s fine owner and my good friend Robbie Strazynski to report on Mixed Game Festival VII and write these daily recaps for the site. Great guy that he is, he has encouraged me to play as well, which I of course happily will!
So, yesterday was the $300 O.E. tournament, the first of two tournaments to be staged this week at Resorts World Las Vegas, and I, along with 26 others, hopped in with their eyes on the $2,695 first prize.
Welp, guess who won?
This man can do it all!
Our daily Mixed Game Festival recaps, instant coverage for @pokerorg AND he just won our $300 O/E tournament $2,695 🔥
Congratulations to the great and wonderful @MikePatrick98! 🎉 pic.twitter.com/ettkiEYkSv
— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) February 27, 2024
At this point of the recap, I’d be telling the winner’s story and dropping in quotes from my interview.
So, do I interview myself?!
Nope…but only because the other fine company I’m simultaneously working for at the festival, Poker.org asked me to do just that when I made the final table! Yah, it’d be weird doing that twice.
Hell, it was weird the first time, see…
👀 This poker player disrespected FOUR-time @WSOP bracelet winner @KevinGerhart on the final table of the @PokerLifeMedia $300 O/E tournament!
The player? Zero-time bracelet winner @MikePatrick98 🥴 pic.twitter.com/GZVOPZHiUB
— Poker Org (@pokerorg) February 27, 2024
Now as you can see, I made the most of this opportunity to interview my favorite poker player (come on, we’re all our own favorite player, right?) but man, what an arrogant jerk, eh? I mean he hadn’t even made the money at that point!
In all seriousness, character aside, this has been one of the coolest and strangest days I’ve ever had either playing or working. First, just getting to do both, and then actually winning the tournament!
Having the support of my friends and colleagues along the way was awesome, especially because I was worried that I wasn’t doing enough work today whilst at the table. I mean I didn’t want to get Portnoy-ed for spending the day playing this thing!
Correction:
That probably exceeds his recaps/@pokerorg salary, so Mr. Patrick probably owes @PokerLifeMedia and PokerOrg money.
— Norman Chad (@NormanChad) February 27, 2024
PokerCoaching.com Player of the Day
Let’s keep this train to Weirdsville chugging along now, shall we?
When was the last time you saw the winner of a poker tournament interview the runner-up?
Yup, I had to do that!
Las Vegas teacher John Rozance made a great run, finishing second in the tournament for $1,665. He also earned a one-year Premium Membership to PokerCoaching.com (valued at over $1,700), for being the last player remaining in the tournament still wearing a Cardplayer Lifestyle patch (I was ineligible, and — come on — I wasn’t taking that, too!)
John Rozance and @MikePatrick98 heads up for the big prize money in @PokerLifeMedia‘ $300 O/E
$2,695 to the winner
$1,665 to the runner upJohn has already won a @PokerCoaching_ Premium 1-year membership.
Good luck, gentlemen 🙌 pic.twitter.com/rWgKmJcr9g
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) February 27, 2024
As much a test of focus and stamina as the 11-hour tournament was to complete, Rozance was on another level, telling me that his day of poker started well before the noon start time of the tournament.
“I was playing No-Limit Hold ‘em since 1 a.m., so straight through, almost 24 hours.”
Rozance is a regular on the Las Vegas poker scene and has been playing mixed games for about 10 years.
“I play here (Resorts World) mostly…anywhere there’s a tournament in town. O.E. is my favorite tournament.”
That was apparent, as he played well all day despite his lack of sleep.It was only because of a lucky runout in a huge Stud 8 against 3rd place finisher David Levi was I able to enter heads-up play with a 5:1 advantage on Rozance and win from there.
Rozance was still pleased with the outcome of his day, but he definitely knew what he wanted to do next.
“It was fabulous. I’m ready to go to bed.”
Mixed Game Festival VII Day 3 Preview
Mixed Games Festival VII hits its midway point today, on Tuesday, and will start at 11:30 a.m. with a trivia competition awarding some great prizes to not just the winner, but multiple competitors. Another day of exciting and fun $4/8 Dealer’s Choice cash games will start up right after trivia.
As for star power on the guest list? Poker Hall of Famer Eli Elezra is scheduled to come by to splash around in the low-stakes streets. He’ll join an impressive list of players who’ve already hopped into the MGF streets. Those include fellow Poker Hall of Famer Linda Johnson, Women in Poker Hall of Fame founder and member Lupe Soto, and WSOP bracelet winners Kevin Gerhart, Nathan Gamble, and Andrew Yeh.
As for me?
I promise to work more.
Editor’s note: After taking Mike’s winner’s photo, I surreptitiously snapped the picture below when I saw him open up his laptop a couple minutes later, to begin writing up this recap… I mean seriously; who wins a tournament then immediately goes back to the work grind?! Bravo, Mike. So impressed and proud of you, my friend! Oh, and thanks for offering me the chance to buy 10% of your action before you registered; woohoo! 🙂 — Robbie
*Our daily coverage of mixed Game Festival VII is brought to you, with much appreciation, courtesy of PokerStars.
