A beginner’s guide to mixed games

Mixed games have become increasingly popular in recent years.

They’re interesting, challenging and a great way to experiment with various types of poker that you might not usually play. Best of all, their growing popularity means that you can find them both live and online.

Here’s everything you need to know to get started.

What are mixed games?

Mixed games combine several different poker variants into one game. Mixed games can be played as tournaments or cash games, with the poker variant changing every orbit or after a set number of hands.

You’ll find yourself playing Hold’em one minute and Omaha the next, as well as less well known types of poker like Stud and Draw.

A mixed game can technically include any poker variants, but certain acronyms have stuck and that’s usually what you’ll be able to find. They include HOSE and HORSE, which are covered in more detail below.

Where to find mixed games?

If you’re looking for mixed games, it’s unlikely you’ll find a mixed game tournament at your local casino on a weeknight, although many major live poker festivals now include mixed game events on their schedules.

However, online poker is the easiest place to find regular mixed games. PokerStars have the traffic to offer more unusual formats to a global player pool.

Types of mixed games

Mixed games can come in all shapes and sizes, but there are a few that are more common than others. In each of these mixed games, the game changes at regular intervals, most commonly every orbit.

The main mixed games on offer are:

• HOSE – This mixed game starts with Hold’em, before moving on to Omaha (Hi/Lo), Seven-Card Stud, and Seven-Card Stud Eight-or-Better (Hi/Lo). It can also be called SHOE, which features the same games in a slightly different order.

• HORSE – One of the most popular mixed games, HORSE includes the same games as HOSE, with the inclusion of Razz.

• 8-Game – This mixed game adds yet more poker variants to the equation. It usually includes 2-7 Triple Draw, Limit Hold’em, Omaha Hi Lo, Razz, 7-Card Stud, Stud Hi-Lo, NLHE and Pot Limit Omaha (PLO).

• 10-Game – Stepping it up yet another notch is 10-Game poker, which has the same variants as 8-Game with the addition of 2-7 Single Draw and Badugi.

What is Dealer’s Choice?

You may have heard about a type of poker called Dealer’s Choice. This is an even wilder type of mixed game that can result in a mash-up of up to 20 types of poker.

Players take it in turns to select a poker game, which is played for a full orbit or set number of hands. If the event is organised, there will be a list of games to choose from. At home games, anything goes!

You’re likely to see all the variants from 10-Game in Dealer’s Choice, along with even more quirky formats such as Big O and lowball Draw games. The strategy is to pick games that you’re good at, as well as those that opponents at the table are weak at.

Mixed game variants explained

There are a lot of poker variants out there, dozens, maybe more. But they tend to fall into one of a few categories. It’s fairly easy to break down the types of poker that you’re likely to encounter when playing mixed games.

Here’s a brief explanation of the main types of poker:

• Hold’em – In Hold’em games, players are dealt two hole cards and can use a combination of their hole cards and the five community cards to make the best possible hand. No-limit Hold’em is the most popular type of poker. You’re also likely to see Limit Hold’em when playing mixed games.

• Omaha – In Omaha, the main difference is that you’re dealt four hole cards instead of two. Players must use exactly two hole cards and three of the five board cards to make the best possible hand. Betting is very similar to Hold’em. Mixed games often include Pot Limit Omaha and Omaha Hi-Lo.

• Stud – In Stud games, there are no community cards. Players are dealt several cards face-up and several face-down during the course of the hand, with betting rounds in between. 7-Card Stud is the most popular, though you’ll also see Hi-Lo, Razz and lowball formats in mixed games.

• Draw – Draw games are very different because hole cards are usually not exposed at all and there are no community cards. Players are dealt a hand and can choose to discard any number of cards to make the best combination. Single Draw games have one redraw and Triple Draw has three redraws with more rounds of betting.

Whether you’re looking to improve your all-round poker skills or simply want a break from traditional Hold’em, mixed games offer one of the most enjoyable and challenging experiences in poker. Once you learn the basics of each variant, you’ll discover an entirely new side of the game.