Mixed Games

Many players think that the concept of mixed games is something new to poker. However, while they are relatively new to online poker, historically poker has mostly been an assortment of mixed games, and it’s actually only recently that the most popular forms such as Texas Holdem and Omaha have come to dominate the poker scene.

Back when I first started playing poker, in the 1970s, we never even heard of Texas Holdem. Poker games of the day were mostly dealer’s choice, where the dealer could call whatever variation of poker he or she wished to, including some that the other players at the table may have never heard of. The dealer would just explain the rules to those unfamiliar with them and then just deal the cards.

So dealer’s choice is probably the ultimate form of mixed game poker and there were literally dozens of variations that you would run into. The principles were pretty much the same though, with at least two rounds or betting or more depending on how the cards were dealt.

A lot of players found the variety that mixed game poker offered to be welcome and helped keep people on their toes, as well as make the game of poker a more interesting experience than just sticking to one single game.

In the last few years, mixed game poker is starting to make a comeback, and while the overwhelming majority of games laid out both online and in brick and mortar card rooms continues to be Holdem and Omaha, with some 7 Card Stud mixed in, you are seeing more and more mixed games being rolled out, to the delight of those who prefer the added variety and more rounded skill set that they require.

Mixed Games Are Now A Lot Easier To Find Online

The first mixed poker game to gain a fair bit of popularity was the H.O.R.S.E. variation. H.O.R.S.E. is a game which includes five different variations of poker, which are Holdem, Omaha, Razz, Stud, and Eight or better 7 card stud. So the play goes back and forth between all of these games, and in order to do well at H.O.R.S.E., you must be proficient in all of these forms of poker.

The popularity of H.O.R.S.E. started taking off as it was added to the World Series of Poker, starting back in 2002. This eventually became named the Players Championship, with a $50,000 buy in and featuring a lineup of the world’s top poker professionals. Unlike the main event, the Players Championship tends to be won by top players, as a testimony to their overall skill at poker, which this mixed championship requires.

As we know, while all forms of poker are similar in a lot of respects, mastering a form of poker is quite another thing. So if you are willing to put the time in with these other games and get really good at all of them, mixed games can offer you not only more variety and entertainment, but more success at the poker table as well.

Players Find More Game Types Equals More Fun

Lately, in addition to H.O.R.S.E., several other mixed games have made their way onto the online poker scene. For instance, there is H.O.S.E. which is H.O.R.S.E. without Razz in it. There are other variations that involve even more games than these two. 7 game poker in particular is really catching on, with fixed limit Holdem, fixed limit 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo, fixed limit Razz, fixed limit Omaha Hi/Lo, fixed limit 7 Card Stud, no limit Holdem, and pot limit Omaha.

So this mix of games requires players to not only be skilled at these other games, but to be skilled in the three main betting forms, which are fixed limit, pot limit, and no limit. Fixed limit poker used to be the dominant form of betting, and although it has almost died off these days and given way to no limit Holdem and pot limit Omaha, fixed limit is very alive and well in the mix known as 7 Game Poker, as you can see. So this not only adds some more nostalgia to the game, these different betting forms definitely require different skill sets, especially at the higher levels of competition.

Mixed Game Poker Offers All The Variation You Could Want

These two popular forms of mixed game poker, H.O.R.S.E. and 7 Game Poker, are just a start as far as the mixed games that are being offered right now at online poker sites, and more variations are being added all the time. Poker used to be pretty homogenous not that long ago, with mostly no limit Holdem being offered, but online poker sites have opened their minds more lately and figured out that if there is something that people want to play, it’s not hard at all to let them play it.

So for instance if you want to go back and forth between a couple of your favorite games, like pot limit Omaha and pot limit Holdem, you can do that. If you like stud and want to go back and forth between the three types, you can do that. If you just want to play the three most popular games, which are Holdem, Omaha, and 7 Card Stud, you can do that.

The list of mixed games out there goes on and on. If you already play and enjoy mixed games, there are probably a bunch of them that you have never tried and probably want to. If you are new to mixed games, they are definitely worth checking out of you really want to enhance your poker experience and your profit potential as well.

A lot of players feel that the run of the mill poker games that people play can be a little monotonous, and so if you’re looking to escape the grind at least a little and in particular, show how well rounded your poker game is, mixed games may indeed be for you. So check out our recommended poker sites offering mixed games and see what all the fuss is about for yourself.

Mixed Game Strategy