Following a short break, Mixed Game Festival XI continued into uncharted waters — the first ever Day 6 — at Bellagio Las Vegas. Although the play was on pause for just two days, players were clearly eager to get back in the mix as the action started with three tables, with a fourth table added shortly thereafter.
It was a mix of familiar faces and some first-timers who were drawn to the Festival by word of mouth or simply stumbled upon it and decided they liked what they saw.
It wasn’t just the allure of mixed games that attracted players yesterday, though. With another seat to the $3,500 2025 BetMGM Poker Championship up for grabs, people wanted to have a shot at it – and who can blame them? To have a chance of winning such a valuable tournament entry for just being seated at one of the tables is one of the most +EV propositions you’ll come across.
Once the giveaway was over, the action slowed down a bit, but two tables kept going strong late into the night, with many of those leaving early, promising to come back tomorrow.
Fourth Time the Charm for the Lucky Giveaway Winner
The Day 6 $3,500 seat giveaway was structured a bit differently than the previous two, as there was a certain skill factor involved, namely poker trivia knowledge.
There was a random draw for the table and seat number, and the player in that seat would have to answer three consecutive poker trivia multiple-choice questions to win the seat. Adding to the fun (but perhaps to the pressure as well) was Eli Elezra. The Poker Hall of Famer turned up when it was the draw time to pick the winner, and he even asked the first question: “How many bracelets do I have; 3, 4, 5, or 6?”
The first two players out of the proverbial hat couldn’t answer all the questions thrown at them, so the search continued. The third time wasn’t the charm, either, as the drawn seat was vacant at the time! Talk about missing out on value!
Finally, on the fourth go, Chuck Martin got his shot, and managed to answer all three questions correctly to secure his $3,500 seat in the BetMGM Poker Championship. His reactions were priceless!
Congratulations to @chuckspoker, winner of our third $3500 @BetMGMPoker Championship seat giveaway! 🎊
Chuck was in the right place at the right time, and answered 3 multiple choice poker trivia questions in a row.
Thanks to @elielezra1 for assisting with the drawing. 😁🙏 pic.twitter.com/X0wy2awSOI
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 16, 2025
As mentioned, once the giveaway wrapped up, the action slowed down a bit, but those remaining continued to have a blast. In the midst of it all, we saw a pretty crazy Archie hand (a high-low five-card triple draw variant, with qualifiers for both), where one player was dealt four aces and the other kings full of tens, naturally leading to quite a few bets going into the middle.
Yoshi’s four aces dealt just beat Steve’s dealt Kings full in Archie 😲
We see all sorts of crazy things at Mixed Game Festival XI at @BellagioPoker pic.twitter.com/njnfNLUa4w
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 16, 2025
Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day: Tamika Robinson
Joining the Mixed Game Festival XI action during three of six total days we’ve had so far was Tamika Robinson, today’s pick for Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day. Originally from Georgia, Tamika has been living in Las Vegas for about a year and a half, primarily enjoying the opportunity to play all the different card games around the city.
Robinson was first introduced to poker as a teen, and she liked the competitive nature of the game as well as the excitement of all the different variations poker has to offer.
Although she heard about the Festival by accident, she was intrigued enough to stick around and keep coming back for more. Being present at the dealer’s choice tables represents a new challenge for her as well as an opportunity to learn about some games she’s never had a chance to play before.
Tamika realizes that she is an underdog in a room filled with many experienced mixed game players, but she is willing to pay the small price — “tuition” — for the learning opportunity. What’s much more important to her is that everyone’s friendly and willing to help with tips and advice, making it much easier to find her way around new games.
Her message to people who are just into No Limit Hold’em and PLO is simply to give mixed game poker a chance and see how it helps them deepen their overall understanding of the game (and have a better experience in the process). Seven Card Stud is her game of choice, but since coming to the festival Tamika has started developing affinities for the likes of Badugi, Badeucey, and other similar variants.
A mother of a three-year-old boy and working two jobs, Robinson doesn’t have too much free time on her hands, but judging by her extremely fun and positive demeanor, she’s found a formula to make it all work.
RunGoodGear.com Dealer of the Day: Patrick Day
For today’s edition of the RunGoodGear.com Dealer of the Day, we have something a bit different. Patrick Day’s role at Bellagio is that of a floor and supervisor, although his previous dealing experience allows him to take a seat “in the box” as well if there is a need for it.
Patrick has been a part of the poker industry for a long time, learning the trade primarily in St. Louis, Missouri. Originally a teacher, he picked up dealing poker as a second job when his friend opened a poker room in St. Louis. From there, he realized that he was able to make more money with poker, eventually transitioning to the industry side of things full-time.
He’s been with Bellagio for three years now, and he wears many different hats performing his role: greeting guests, seating players, grabbing chips, handling floor calls, dealing with issues at and away from the tables, and more.
To Patrick, the most enjoyable part of the job is being able to help people every day. He says that he sees many of them as his family (and some of them, he sees more than his family). He takes pleasure in ensuring they have a great time, get into some good games, and have an enjoyable experience.
He tries to bring some elements from his teaching job to his role at Bellagio, working to create curriculums and processes to help with teaching new floors and dealers.
Despite his last name, Patrick mostly works nightshifts at Bellagio, and he admits he prefers it that way. One of the things he enjoys is seeing people off for the night, thanking them for their hard work, and sending them off for a well-deserved rest.
As for the Mixed Game Festival, he enjoys good company, a change of pace, and good organization, which makes his job a lot easier.
Mixed Game Festival XI Day 7 Preview: Pokercoaching.com MUG
The second week of Mixed Game Festival XI is off to a great start, and while Day 6 was a great day in every sense, we expect just as much excitement on Day 7.
In case you missed the announcement, June 16, is reserved for the Pokercoaching.com Meet-Up Game, which kicks off at 12 pm. Alex Livingston and Justin Saliba will be in the mix, while players can look forward to more valuable prizes along the way, including an $800 seat into a H.O.R.S.E. event at the Aria Poker Classic, a 1-on-1 coaching session with Alex Livingston, free access to high-quality training materials, and, of course, some Pokercoaching.com swag.
The wait-list will be available from early morning, so make sure to call 702-693-7291 and reserve your seat at the Bellagio Poker Room for the Pokercoaching.com MUG. We expect quite a bit of interest, so call in early and join the fun!
