One of the most unique and fun events on the poker schedule is about to land for its latest iteration at Resorts World Las Vegas at the end of the month: The Cardplayer Lifestyle Mixed Game Festival VII.
For those yet to discover this incredibly player-friendly, low-stakes, high-excitement event; the Mixed Game Festival (MGF) was built by Cardplayer Lifestyle founder Robbie Strazynski as an effort to grow mixed games in its grassroots form with low-stakes games.
Players new to the likes of non-hold ‘em poker variants like Stud, Draw, and their many offshoots (Super Razzdugi anyone?) are given a place to learn these games in a fun and welcoming environment where their bankroll won’t get wrecked.
What the Cardplayer Lifestyle Mixed Game Festival is all about
From the beginning of the MGF, the staple of the event has been around-the-clock $4-8 limit (and some $8-16) Dealer’s Choice mixed games with a low buy-in marquee tournament at its conclusion with big added value in the form of a grand prize to the winner.
MGF VII will be no different with any and everything available in the $4-8 cash game streets. If they can deal it, you can call it. From the standards of a traditional HORSE mix to more exotic games like Omajack, Squid Game, Fun Under the Gun, 3-2-1, and anything else you can come up with.
No questions asked, except maybe ‘OK, how does that go?’ at which point it will be explained, played, learned, and most likely (I’m personally anti-Omajack) enjoyed.
Giveaways galore are also a big part of the Cardplayer Lifestyle Mixed Game Festival and Strazynski has lined up another huge list of sponsors.
PokerCoaching.com will award a pair of premium memberships valued at $1,750 to patched-up players in a last-longer during the series' two tournaments. Longtime MGF sponsor D&B Publishing is providing a ton of books, and additional prizes from RunGood gear, PokerGO, BBO Poker Tables, and Faded Spade playing cards will also be in the mix.
But, the biggest bonus prize of all comes thanks to PokerStars in the series-ending $300 H.E.R.O.S. tournament. Along with the tournament prize pool, PokerStars has provided the grand prize of an NAPT prize package to the winner, which includes:
- Flight to the NAPT event from any North American airport
- A $550 buy-in to a non-Hold‘em tournament during the series
- Four nights accommodation at the host venue
"This will be the Mixed Game Festival's fifth collaboration with Resorts World Las Vegas and sixth with PokerStars,” said Strazynski. “All of our other sponsors have been with us for at least four festivals, now -- all seven in the case of D&B Poker! Mixed Games are a limited niche within poker, and I firmly believe it takes sustained grassroots efforts like these to help grow the game. I'm so grateful to have so many wonderful companies that operate in our space lining up to help support our vision."
Play with the best of the best
Previous winners of MGF series-ending tournaments include 2004 WSOP Main Event champion Greg Raymer and all-time WSOP Circuit ring leader Ari Engel.
This leads to one of the other incredibly cool aspects of the MGF, the ability to play with and learn from some of the world’s best and biggest names in mixed games and all of poker in a low-stakes environment! Wanna take a pot off a Hall of Famer? MGF VII is your chance.
Among the esteemed guests over the years of the Mixed Game Festival are Poker Hall of Famers Eli Elezra and Linda Johnson, popular commentators and mixed-game lovers Ali Nejad and Norman Chad, Women in Poker Hall of Famer Jan Fisher, WSOP bracelet and Circuit ring winner Dylan Linde, and recent WPT Omaha 8 or Better World Champion Nathan Gamble.
There will be plenty more big names hopping into the $4-8 cash games throughout the series, as along with Elezra, Johnson, and Fisher a litany of mixed game crushers from Resorts World’s $80-160 mixed game will be joining the fun.
Gamble, fellow WSOP bracelet winners Kevin Gerhart, Scott Abrams, and Andrew Yeh will all take some time away from their regular game to splash around, donate, and teach.
More than just poker; what's new for MGF VII
As fun as the games and giveaways are, there are always a ton of added attractions at a Cardplayer Lifestyle Mixed Game Festival. MGF VII will see some old favorites returning, along with exciting new reasons to come by.
This one will be headlined by Women’s Wednesday powered by LIPS (Ladies International Poker Series). On Wednesday, February 28th, Linda Johnson and Jan Fisher will host this special program that starts the day with tutorials on the ins and outs of Omaha 8 or Better and Razz.
It’s an initiative that Strazynski is especially proud of.
"I'm so happy to be partnering with LIPS for a one-of-a-kind Women's Wednesday on the 28th. Linda Johnson and Jan Fisher remain two of poker's greatest ambassadors, so it's a real treat for them to support what we're doing and kindly devote time to teaching non-Hold 'em variants to new players."
Following the instructional session, micro stakes practice games of $1-2 will be open for new players to try out the games they’ve just learned from two of the most accomplished women in poker history. The regularly scheduled MGF cash games will open immediately following this special event.
Also on the schedule is a pizza party to open the festival at noon on Sunday, February 25th, a second tournament, $300 Omaha 8 / Stud 8 on Monday the 26th, and a poker trivia contest to kick off Tuesday the 27th.
You won't want to miss this
Whether you’re a mixed-game veteran or a Hold ‘em player curious about learning a new game (or 20), the Cardplayer Lifestyle Mixed Game Festival is an outstanding way to break away from two-card poker in unquestionably the most player-friendly environment you could ask for.
If you’re in Las Vegas between February 25-29th, there’s no reason to miss out on this seventh of many more MGF go-arounds. And if you’re not in Vegas but looking for a reason to travel to a poker festival full of fun and added value, MGF VII is your destination.
“Resorts World Poker Room is very happy to welcome back Cardplayer Lifestyle’s Mixed Game Festival once again," Said Director of Poker Operations Leon Wheeler. "Our first-class dealers are excited for mixed game players to fill our room for an engaging fun-filled week of exhilarating dealer’s choice play. Beyond the cash games, we have no doubt that players will enjoy our O/E and H.E.R.O.S. tournaments on the schedule."
Personally, I’m now a veteran of several Cardplayer Mixed Game Festivals as a player, writer, and apparently olympic-caliber hurdler, and I can attest to having seen many a player turned onto the joy of mixed games because of this event.
It’s going to be awesome to cover MGF VII for Poker.Org this time around. Now if someone could just help me with my Omajack ranges.
