In recent years, we’ve seen a clear increase in interest for mixed games across the board. While Texas Hold’em remains firmly the most popular variation out there, followed by PLO, more and more players are looking to expand their horizons beyond these two.
Even the early 2025 WSOP numbers are showing that the number of players interested in different lesser-known poker variants is growing.
For example, the $1,500 Mixed PLO event saw 1,239 entries, a big increase compared to 853 in 2024; the $1,500 Dealer’s Choice attracted a few dozen more players than last year, as did the $1,5 NL 2-7 Lowball Draw and $10,000 Omaha 8 Championship.
Looking at these numbers, it’s not hard to understand why the Cardplayer Lifestyle Mixed Game Festival has been such a success over the years. It is even less of a surprise to see it come back to Las Vegas for its 11th iteration as the WSOP rages on.
That’s right; if you missed the news, the Cardplayer Lifestyle Mixed Games Festival XI is back in town, playing out at the Bellagio June 8 – 12 and June 15 – 19. Once more, the event is set to bring a lot of good vibes, affordable action, and valuable special prizes for those in attendance.
All About Cash Games
There are many constants that you can count on during Mixed Games Festivals, but the event’s organizer and Cardplayer Lifestyle founder, Robbie Strazynski, likes to keep things flexible, adjusting them to the time and place.
So, the upcoming Festival will be all about cash game action with no tournaments on the docket. Players will get to enjoy some $4/$8 and $8/$16 tables at the Bellagio, with higher stakes games available at request.
Bellagio is the perfect summer poker destination for the Mixed Game Festival as they exclusively run cash games throughout and expand into the sportsbook with additional tables that can handle increased capacity. Our players are looking forward to filling all those extra table seats for hours on end from June 8-19! – shared Strazynski
All players who join the action for at least three hours will get complimentary parking. Just make sure to be logged in with your BetMGM Rewards card while playing to claim this benefit.
Free Entries to the $3,500 BetMGM Championship up for Grabs
While there are no tournaments on the Mixed Games Festival XI schedule, tournament players will have plenty of reason to get in the mix and put in some hours.
Namely, BetMGM Casino will be giving away four seats to its $3,500 BetMGM Championship to lucky winners over the course of the festival. To be eligible, you just need to be there and playing at one of the tables.
Seats will be given away in some fun ways, with the excitement building up:
- June 8 – Mystery giveaway during Game 2 of the NBA Finals halftime. To qualify, you’ll need to be seated at one of the active Mixed Game Festival Tables.
- June 12 – A blind PLO flip will take place at each of the active tables at one point during the day. Winners from each table will move on to the second flip, the winner of which will receive their tournament seat.
- June 15 – There will be a random draw for a table and seat number. The lucky player will then have to answer three multiple-choice poker trivia questions in a row to claim the seat. The draw will continue until there is a winner.
- June 19 – A special chip count competition will take place at a random point during the day, awarding the final seat.
The $3,500 BetMGM Championship kicks off on June 30 and features a massive guarantee of $3,000,000, so these prizes are certainly worth a few hours of play, even if you’re not into mixed games. If you are, which is the case for most Festival regulars, it makes the whole experience that much better.
To me, the most important thing is that they all have a good time and head back home with wonderful memories and experiences, says Strazynski. We call it a “festival” because the entire point is for it to be a festive occasion. It’s kind of like the world’s largest home game. If the players are happy, then I can be happy.
This is our longest, biggest Mixed Game Festival ever, with a total of 10 days of action — quite literally double anything we’ve ever done before. Hopefully that means we can show twice as many people an enjoyable time!
More Fun Activities & Cool Prizes
In addition to the cash game action, which is likely to run pretty much around the clock at the Bellagio, there are other fun activities and giveaways on the table.
The Festival will officially kick off with a now-traditional pizza party on June 9. The next day, the poker legend Mori Eskandani will make his first-ever appearance at the Mixed Game Festival to join the action and share some stories – and he certainly has many to share.
On June 16, there will be a special PokerCoaching Meet-Up Game featuring the likes of Alex Livingston, Jonathan Little, and Justin Saliba. Those attending the game can look forward to an assortment of special prizes, including free poker training, merch, and a seat in the $800 HORSE event at the Aria Poker Classic on June 17.
As is usually the case, a few other familiar faces are likely to make an appearance, including Eli Elezra, Matt Savage, and even the popular content creator and newly-signed BetMGM Poker ambassador Abby Merk.
All in all, Mixed Games Festival XI is a great opportunity for all those looking to take a break from a tournament grind, as well as players wanting to have some fun in a chilled, low-pressure environment. There will be no millionaires made at the Festival, but there will certainly be some great memories and new friendships forged at the Bellagio this June!
