Take poker to another level

As players learn more poker variants than just Texas Hold’em mixed games are becoming more popular and can being played more commonly. Learn the basics of how a mixed poker game works here

For years Poker professionals have been playing mixed games in places such as Bobby’s Room in the middle of the Bellagio poker room in Las Vegas.
A mixed poker game’s name is normally an acronym of all the poker variations used in the rotation. For instance, the most popular mixed game is known as H.O.R.S.E which stands for Hold’em, Omaha-Hi, Razz, Stud and Eight-or-better (Stud Hi-Lo).

Rules will change depending on the house, but there is a standard set of conventions that a mixed game will typically follow:
1. Before the game begins all players must agree on which games are to be played in the rotation.
2. If a player wishes to add or remove a game from the rotation all other players must agree first.
3. If playing in a tournament the games in a rotation are decided before the start of the first hand and if there are any changes they must be announced before the first hand is dealt.
4. Unless agreed in advance each variant is played for a complete rotation. Each player should have the opportunity to be dealer for the game being played.
5. If a game does not have a dealer button (such as Stud) a button should travel around the table as it would in Hold’em in order to keep track of the number of hands played.
6. There should be a sign to remind players which game is currently in play.
7. It is considered good etiquette for a player to play all variants, i.e. not to opt out of one because they feel weaker at it.
Occasionally a mixed game operates as a “Dealer’s choice”.

This works best if the following two rules are followed:

1. All variants played must be agreed upon by all players before the start of the game.
2. Each variant is played for one full rotation and one additional hand.
If the variant is changed with each hand the game tends to feel unconnected and have no flow. It is good to give players the chance to get into a game and play a hand of the variation before changing it.
As players will fold most hands that they’re dealt, if only one hand of a variant was dealt it is likely that players would become bored of the game.