The poker room at Resorts World Las Vegas once again transformed into a mixed game oasis this past week as Cardplayer Lifestyle hosted its seventh Mixed Game Festival from Feb. 25-29.
The Mixed Game Festival VII featured everything from a pizza party and trivia challenge to a Women’s Wednesday and a $300 H.E.R.O.S. tournament that awarded a $3,000 PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) package to the winner.
PokerNews’ own Chad Holloway, Matt Hansen and Connor Richards were in the mix over at Resorts World and got a glance of the popular poker festival that has drawn players from around the world. Here’s a look at some of the highlights.
Read About the Previous Mixed Game Festival!
Mike Patrick & John Rozance Win Mixed Game Tournaments
The first tournament at the Mixed Game Festival VII was a $300 buy-in Omaha 8/Stud 8 event that drew 27 runners including four-time bracelet winner Kevin Gerhart and veteran poker live reporter Mike Patrick, who ended up shipping the event for $2,695 after a heads-up battle with John Rozance.
Later in the festival, the $300 H.E.R.O.S. Main Event drew 35 players on the hunt for the NAPT package. After 12 hours of play, Las Vegas local Joe Santagata defeated heads-up opponent Debi Cheek for $3,345 and the NAPT package valued at $3,000.
In addition to the $2,048 runner-up prize, Cheek won a yearlong membership to PokerCoaching.com.
Bracelet Winners at the Cash Tables
As always, the Mixed Game Festival included $4/$8 cash game tables where players could enjoy a low-stakes mix of games including Big O, Drawmaha, Double Board Omaha, Badacey, Super Stud and just about every other poker variant you could think of.
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On Day 3, Poker Hall of Famer Eli Elezra made his way to the low-stakes table and played a few hands off the stack of Cardplayer Lifestyle’s Robbie Strazynski. It is not the five-time bracelet winner’s first stop at one of the Mixed Game festivals hosted at Resorts World, where he can frequently be found playing $300/$600 in the high-stakes room.
Elezra wasn’t the only bracelet winner at the mixed game tables as 2023 WSOP Big O champion Scott Abrams, two-time bracelet winner Nathan Gamble and 2013 Employees Event winner Holloway all found their seats throughout the week.
Those who attended Day 4 of the festival were treated to a Women’s Wednesday class hosted by fellow Women in Poker Hall of Famers Linda Johnson and Jan Fisher. The class, a partnership with the Ladies International Poker Series (LIPS), started with an overview of Razz and Omaha 8 and moved to break out tables before a micro cash game practice session.
*Photos courtesy CardPlayer Lifestyle
