The penultimate day of Mixed Game Festival XI at Bellagio Las Vegas kicked off at noon with two tables right off the bat and the third one forming shortly thereafter. It was a nice mix of returning players and those who were just hearing about the Festival, some of whom decided to come over despite very limited experience with mixed games.
It seems that positive news travels quickly and far, as more and more people are starting to recognize the Mixed Game Festival as the go-to place for dipping their toes into the colorful world of poker mix.
Despite it officially being a “calmer” day without any big events on the docket, Day 9 shaped into a quite eventful one. A couple hours after kickoff, the 2004 WSOP Main Event winner Greg “Fossilman” Raymer made an appearance as the surprise guest, instantly elevating the mood in the room.
Our special surprise guest for Day 9 of Mixed Game Festival XI at @BellagioPoker has arrived.
Welcome 2004 WSOP Main Event champion @FossilMan 🏆 pic.twitter.com/6r2SIbHT30
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 18, 2025
Many of those at the tables also got to pick up special prizes from the sponsors of the Mixed Game Festival, like D&B Poker Books and PokerGO. And naturally, we saw some more interesting poker variants make an appearance on the felt.
Mixed Game Festival XI: More Than Just Chips Up for Grabs
In most poker games, the focus is on winning what’s in the middle. Mixed Game Festival tables aren’t much different in that regard, but there are always some extra prizes up for grabs, adding a bit of excitement to the whole thing.
For example, Barry managed to pull an achievement by making zero points in Drawmaha Zero, and for that accomplishment, he got a nice PokerGO card protector.
Barry from Manhattan just got zero points in Drawmaha Zero. We gave him this lovely @PokerGO card protector to commemorate the occasion.
If you’re at @PokerLifeMedia Mixed Game Festival XI here at @BellagioPoker, don’t mess with Barry 😉 pic.twitter.com/QYvZvQJSNO
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 18, 2025
For his part, Jeff was lucky enough to scoop a “squid game” hand, and in addition to stacks of chips, he also received a collection of three poker books, courtesy of D&B Books.
Congratulations to Jeff Eberhard from Salt Lake City, Utah!
Jeff managed to scoop a hand of “squid game” here on Day 9 of Mixed Game Festival XI at @BellagioPoker.
He won not only the pot, but a collection of 3 @DBPoker1 books, by @JonathanLittle and Ashley Adams! pic.twitter.com/MVtoMbZZXZ
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 18, 2025
Out of many fun and quirky variations called by the players during the day, we are highlighting 3-2-1, a hi-lo game with an eight qualifier. Everyone gets five cards to begin with, and there are three flops, two turns, and one river.
To make your best high and low hands, you can use two cards from your card to connect them with any of the turn or river cards. However, you’re only allowed to use one flop. The strategy for this one is a bit complex, but what’s certain is that it puts your board reading abilities to the ultimate test!
For his part, Greg “Fossilman” Raymer made an hours-long appearance, delighting the players at his table with stories from his decades-long poker playing career.
Also showing up were a pair of BetMGM Poker ambassadors, Abby Merk and Jaman Burton, each of whom spent a good chunk of time delving into the mixed game streets, learning strategy for various variants, and creating some unique content.
The @BetMGMPoker ambassador appearances continue here in Day 9 of Mixed Game Festival XI.
Welcome back, @abbypoker_!
So, permanently switching over to mixed games? 😉🤣 pic.twitter.com/dBmPsGAwD8
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 19, 2025
Welcome to one of @BetMGMPoker‘s newest ambassadors @killogram to Mixed Game Festival XI.
Don’t forget folks, we’re giving away a $3500 seat to the 2025 BetMGM Poker Championship tomorrow, here at @BellagioPoker 😁 pic.twitter.com/9zOf4A076E
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 18, 2025
RunGoodGear.com Dealer of the Day: Al Bautista
Originally from Los Angeles, Al Bautista moved to Las Vegas back in 2002, so he’s been around the block a few times. Unlike most of our previous RunGoodGear.com Dealer of the Day picks, he did not move to the city for poker or for work. Laughing, he admitted that “he did it for a girl.”
While the relationship eventually ended, he doesn’t regret the decision, as it gave him a son whom he enjoys spending time with, going to the movies, the Pinball Hall of Fame, the lake, and other fun places around Las Vegas.
Al started dealing a few years after arriving in Vegas, and he’s been all over the place. He dealt cards at Caesars Palace, Flamingo, and even the old O’Sheas property. He jokingly added that he closed Mirage and Golden Nugget, and that he’s just started working at Bellagio.
He loves to play poker whenever he gets a chance, although mostly Texas Hold’em, as that’s easiest to find around town. When it comes to mixed games, Al finds them more fun and social overall and more interesting to deal compared to your standard PLO and NLHE.
Summarizing his tenure at Bellagio thus far, Al describes it as “privilege and responsibility,” as you get to deal to some of the highest of high rollers out there. It can be a bit of a nerve-wracking experience at times, but at the end of the day, poker is poker, regardless of the stakes being played.
When it comes to the Mixed Game Festival, he recommends it to players and dealers alike as a perfect opportunity to learn new games without pressure. For dealers in particular, Al says this is a great training ground since players are really chill. Once you get to higher stakes, he explains, you can’t make (m)any mistakes.
Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day: Marie Thirlwell
The Mixed Game Festival truly attracts people from all over the world, many of them willing to give it a chance even when they have close to zero experience outside of PLO and No Limit Hold’em. A case in point: Marie Thirlwell, our Day 9 pick for the Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day.
Hailing all the way from Kenai, Alaska, Marie — who describes herself as a “bit of a workaholic” — is a state employee working for the Division of Public Assistance Office full-time and also handling books for a local gas station.
With her busy professional schedule and poker, she doesn’t have much time for other hobbies. Besides doing some theater, she enjoys reading (and listening to) books and spending time with her three sons, Maximilian, Justinian, and Sebastian.
Despite her busy schedule and the fact gambling is illegal in Alaska, she’s been playing poker for about two decades now, since her early 20s. She started playing at free tournaments organized by local pubs where sponsors provided prizes like WSOP tournament entries and her passion for the game developed from there. These days, she hosts a regular home poker game that takes place twice a week.
All this being said, Marie’s poker experience is almost 100% in Texas Hold’em and Omaha. Yet, when her friend Brian Raymer (that’s right, Greg’s brother!) suggested they jump into the action at the Festival, she went for it without hesitation.
After having spent a couple of hours at the table, Marie had tons of fun, although she “had no idea what’s happening a lot of the time.” She knew she was “paying to learn,” but with games being limit and very low stakes, the tuition fee was more than acceptable.
Other players have been helping her find her way around all these new games, and to anyone thinking about giving mixed games a try, Marie’s message is that “the Festival is an excellent place to start and have a blast while doing it.”
Mixed Game Festival XI Day 10 Is Looming
There is just one more day left before the Mixed Game Festival XI wraps up. It’s safe to assume it will be back before you know it, but for the time being, this is your last chance to enjoy some super-fun, very cheap, and extremely colorful mixed game action.
On top of all this, there will also be the final 2025 BetMGM Poker Championship $3,500 seat giveaway taking place via a chip count competition, so Day 10 is the time to throw caution to the wind and try to pick up some racks of chips!
As always, you can secure your seat well ahead of the noon kickoff by calling the Bellagio Poker Room at 702-693-7291 and putting your name on the wait-list. We’re expecting a full house for Day 10, so reserving your spot is the smart play!
