Cardplayer Lifestyle https://cardplayerlifestyle.com Thu, 11 Jun 2026 17:10:49 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/favicon-2.png Cardplayer Lifestyle https://cardplayerlifestyle.com 32 32 Mixed Game Festival XIV Day 9 Recap: Eli Elezra in the Mix https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/editors-picks/mixed-game-festival-xiv-day-9-recap/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 17:10:49 +0000 https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/?p=72259 Time flies when you’re having fun and anyone who frequented the Bellagio over the past couple of weeks will attest to that. Incredibly, Mixed Game Festival XIV has now been going for nine full days!

Those who joined the action for Day 8 had the pleasure to share table space and play some pots with a couple of Poker Hall of Famers, but the penultimate day of the Festival had even more celebrity appearances in store.

After Mori Eskandani and Huck Seed, it was Eli Elezra’s turn to get in the mix, metaphorically and factually, as the poker legend spent an hour or so playing $4/$8 and $6/$12 dealer’s choice cash games, switching between the tables to give all players in attendance a chance to play some hands against him.

Eli Elezra Mixed Game Festival

It wasn’t a particularly busy day at the Bellagio, but we had three tables running constantly, and this was somewhat expected, as the final day of Mixed Game Festival XIV on Thursday is bound to attract a big crowd. It’s not just the last opportunity to play the “best home game in Vegas,” as some of the regulars describe it, but we’ll also be giving out the last free seat into the $3,500 BetMGM Poker Championship. But more on that in a moment.

Fun With Eli, and More Free Stuff for the Players

We’ve had a great number of celebrity appearances at Mixed Game Festival XIV, including the aforementioned Poker Hall of Famers, Women in Poker Hall of Famers Jan Fisher and Linda Johnson, and poker’s legendary commentating duo, Norman Chad and Lon McEachern. Having these poker celebs at the table adds a lot to the overall atmosphere, so you can never have too many.

In keeping with that idea, we had Eli Elezra, another member of the Poker Hall of Fame, a five-time WSOP bracelet winner, and a mixed game specialist, joining the action for a little while.

Those familiar with Eli’s career know that he is a regular fixture in some of the biggest mixed games in the world, where a single blind could probably cover the full scope of buy-ins spread across a single MGF table.

But, he is also a great ambassador for the game and a big friend of the Festival, and he almost always manages to find some time to pop over and play some hands with the proverbial masses.

As always, Eli was more than happy to take some selfies with the players, give away signed copies of his autobiography Pulling the Trigger, offer some advice about the games, and enjoy the action for an hour or so.

Additionally, as the Festival is coming to its inevitable conclusion, there is some free merch that needs to find its new owners, so players at the tables had a fair few opportunities to pick up some cool stuff!

Dylan, who is a Mixed Game Festival first-timer, got lucky to scoop a splash pot, and, in addition to a bunch of chips, this also earned him a set of high-quality playing cards, courtesy of Faded Spade.

Logan will have an opportunity to take his game to the next level thanks to a free copy of Jonathan Little’s Complete Poker Workout, a very useful and highly interactive poker book.

And, of course, a shoutout goes to RunGoodGear, which has been supplying an endless stream of T-shirts for the dealers and players.

Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day: Tom Watson

Some players plan things ahead of time, while others, like Tom Watson, make a decision to join the action at the spur of the moment.

Our today’s pick of PokerCoaching.com Player of the Day comes from the Detroit area, and this is his third Mixed Game Festival. He tells us that he honestly didn’t plan to come out this time around, but after seeing all the social media posts ahead of the event, he got a severe case of FOMO, booked his flight last week Tuesday and arrived in Vegas ca couple days later.

Tom Watson

Tom is a big fan of mixed games, although he doesn’t think he is a very good player, especially not compared to some of the regulars. However, he enjoys the experience, and he’s not afraid to battle it out, and so far, it’s worked out for him, as he’s about $100 up for the trip.

He says that at home, they call him “Mr. Poker,” a nickname that he doesn’t think he actually deserves considering his skill level, but he always tries to get people excited about the game and the MGF.

Tom works for Ford Motor Company and, at 55, he says he could comfortably retire right now, but he’ll be sticking around for a little while longer. Once he’s done, he says he’d like to be able to come out to Vegas every summer and play some mixed games for a couple of months, even when the festival is not in town.

RunGood Gear Dealer of the Day: Jo Eusebio

We have yet another interesting story coming from Jo Eusebio, our latest pick for the RunGoodGear Dealer of the Day.

Jo came to the US from Hong Kong, spending time in Los Angeles, then moving to New Jersey, and finally arriving in Las Vegas. He’s been working since he was 18, and spent a few years as a car mechanic before being pulled into the casino industry.

Jo Eusebio

His first dealing gig was at Hollywood Park in LA, fresh out of the dealer school. When his sister landed a job with Caesars in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the entire family moved, and Jo landed a job at the famous Taj Mahal.

He tells us that over the few years he dealt at the Taj, he crossed paths with many celebrities, but even today, nearly three decades later, he doesn’t feel 100% comfortable naming any names. “What happens in Jersey stays in Jersey” we suppose… 🙂

As for his job at the Bellagio, Jo has been here since the opening in 1998. One thing that remained constant over the course of his time here is the friendly relationship he has with the players and his fellow dealers. The job itself became more challenging over the years with the introduction of new games and poker variants, but it’s something Jo takes in strides and embraces.

Despite being here from day one, he has preferred to retain his position as a dealer instead of “moving up”. Jo admits that he tried dual rate for a few years, but realized that “being in the box” was what he enjoys most.

Although he might be retiring soon, he honestly tells us that he doesn’t see himself playing much poker, as he is a bit of a “degenerate gambler.” Since his son was born, Jo has put his gambling on a tight leash, though, and focuses on doing his job and spending time with the family.

His message to new dealers looking to break into the industry is simple: “pay attention to what you are doing, develop your own pace, and be patient – always wait for players to complete their action before you move on to the next seat.”

Everything Is Set for the Big Finale!

There is just one final day left before Mixed Game Festival XIV wraps up. But, make no mistake, we’ll wrap things up with a bang.

Thursday, June 11, will see the last grand prize giveaway, where one more player will pick up a ticket to the $3,500 BetMGM Poker Championship.

The first two were awarded via PLO flips and poker trivia. For the third one, you’ll need to try and guess the total value of tournament chips contained in a transparent box.

To submit your entry, you’ll need to be seated at one of the active tables. We need to underline this – you can’t just walk over and put in a guess, as this competition is open to our Mixed Game Festival players only. Of course, everyone is welcome to grab a seat and play some hands, as long as there are available seats.

Before submitting your guess, you’re free to do a deep analysis of the chip box. Here’s a video from last year that you can use as a mini tutorial. 🙂

Once again, you need to guess the total value of chips, and NOT the number of individual physical poker chips. It doesn’t matter if you guess over or under the exact number – the guess that is closest to the actual total wins the $3,500 seat.

It’s going to be a fun day, and we expect a bumper crowd, so if you want to be absolutely sure you have your seat, call ahead at (702) 693-7291 to put your name on the list. See you at the Bellagio for the big finale of Cardplayer Lifestyle Mixed Game Festival XIV!

]]> Cardplayer Lifestyle Named Exclusive WPA Media Partner for 2026 Women’s Poker Week https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/poker-news-2/2026-wpa-womens-poker-week-partner/ Wed, 10 Jun 2026 18:36:13 +0000 https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/?p=72111 I’m pleased to announce that Cardplayer Lifestyle has once again partnered with the Women’s Poker Association (WPA) to provide exclusive coverage of “Women’s Poker Week” events this summer. We’ll be covering a number of Ladies Events that will be taking place around Las Vegas.

2026 WPA Women's Week Schedule

WPA President AJ Rudolph said, “It’s time for Summer Camp! The Women’s Poker Association is delighted to partner with Cardplayer Lifestyle for the third year in a row to offer coverage for the women and events in our community that don’t always get the spotlight. Women who play live poker make up less than 5% of the field, but we are growing! There are some amazing players in our community and I love to see them shine. I want to thank our sponsors who continue to support The Women’s Poker Association and women in poker. I look forward to seeing all the friendly faces in this community when I arrive in Vegas at the end of June. It’s my favorite time of year!”

WPA partnership Ladies Poker Week

What to Expect from Our Women’s Poker Week Coverage

Even just a couple years ago, Women’s Poker Week, despite much promotion, had never properly been reported on in-depth. Our partnership with the Women’s Poker Association was forged in order to showcase each of the individual Ladies Events around Las Vegas as well as the wonderful players and venues that help to make Women’s Poker Week such a well-attended series of events each summer. Once again, this year’s coverage will be spearheaded by veteran poker reporter Roxanne Johnson.

Roxanne brings with her an incredible passion for the game. “I had a great time doing this last year and am excited to have this gig again in 2026! It’s a privilege to have a front row seat to watch them compete at the felt! I love covering Ladies events!”

Roxanne Johnson

Roxanne will be wearing the Cardplayer Lifestyle patch and reporting on multiple ladies event’s results, highlight final tables, winners, and some players and interesting stories from the felt. Be sure to follow us on X @PokerLifeMedia and @RoxanneLee321 to keep up-to-date during the tournaments themselves. During Women’s Poker Week, you’ll be able to read her recap of a variety of events on the calendar and share it with all your poker friends and family rooting you on from back home.

Which Women’s Poker Week Events Will We Be Covering?

Date Event + Venue Buy-in
June 19 Orleans Ladies Championship $600
June 20 MGM Grand Ladies Championship $250
June 21 Golden Nugget LIPS Ladies $300
June 22 Wynn Ladies Championship $600
June 23 ARIA Ladies Mystery Bounty $800
June 23 Horseshoe WSOP Ladies Warm-Up $150
June 24 Venetian Ladies Championship $800
June 27 South Point LIPS Nevada State Ladies Championship $360
June 28 South Point LIPS Omaha Championship $240
July 1 Venetian Ladies High Roller (Day 2) $2500

New Women’s Poker Week Sponsors

We’re thankful for the support of the wonderful sponsors who have stepped up to help ensure our Women’s Poker Week media coverage, namely: Texas Card House (Gold Sponsor) as well as Clayton Financial and Tax, Octopi Poker, and Epic Poker Training (Supporting Sponsors).

It’s great to connect with companies in the poker industry that demonstrably advocate for the advancement of women in the game, and share Cardplayer Lifestyle’s mission to grow the game and make it more inclusive for everyone!

Women’s Poker Week: Players of the Day Spotlight

At each Women’s Poker Week tournament, Roxanne will be highlighting the story of a designated Player of the Day. If you want to “see your name in lights”, this could be your chance — so keep an eye out for her and don’t be afraid to introduce yourself!

WPA Vice President Christina Black said, “Cardplayer Lifestyle and the Women’s Poker Association share a vision of creating meaningful visibility for women in poker by celebrating their accomplishments, stories, and impact on the game. Through this continued long-term partnership, we are committed to elevating ladies’ events this summer in Las Vegas, highlighting achievements both on and off the felt, and building a stronger platform where women in poker are recognized, supported, and inspired. I’m incredibly excited to meet, cheerlead, and connect with all the amazing women attending.”

Looking forward to seeing you all in Las Vegas for 2026 Women’s Poker Week!

]]> Mixed Game Festival XIV Day 8 Recap: Tuesday with Mori AND Huck Seed https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/editors-picks/mixed-game-festival-xiv-day-8-recap/ Wed, 10 Jun 2026 18:20:33 +0000 https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/?p=72235 It’s sometimes really hard to say what the best thing about the Mixed Game Festival is. Is it the sheer number of poker variations that we don’t see anywhere else? Is it the sense of camaraderie that we witnessed once more on Day 7 as players gathered around to have a few slices of pizza in between hands?

Or is it all the well-known players and poker industry insiders who frequent the event?

We knew ahead of time that Day 8 of the Mixed Game Festival XIV would be “Tuesday with Mori,” featuring Mori Eskandani, one of the people who can take the most credit for the growth of televised poker. An absolute industry legend and a Poker Hall of Famer, Mori is also a huge fan of mixed games plus he has previously graced the festival with his presence (last summer), so to have him at the tables is a great honor.

Mori Eskandani

But there was another surprise in the cards for those who found themselves inside the Bellagio poker room on Tuesday. Huck Seed, the 1996 WSOP Main Event champion and a fellow Poker Hall of Fame member, decided to hop over for a few hours. Where else do you get to play against such poker legends at super-low stakes?

Another Day Buzzing With Excitement

Players started gathering at Bellagio ahead of the official kickoff, and, at noon, there were already three tables going. Shortly after, the fourth one opened up, so everything was lined up for another great day of mixed game action.

Mori Eskandani came in, as promised, and sat down for some $4/$8 action. With everything he has going on, it’s really kind and generous of him to devote some of his time to the festival, showing his true passion for and giving back to the game that helped him achieve so much over the course of his career.

It goes without saying that players were delighted to have a chance not only to play with Mori but also to chat with him and enjoy some of his many amazing stories. There are very few people who have been in the industry longer, and even fewer who have accomplished so much and had a chance to meet pretty much all the poker legends. A man like that never runs out of interesting stories!

On the topic of Poker Hall of Famers with stories to tell, the 1996 WSOP Main Event champ Huckleberry Seed certainly qualifies as well. One of the more colorful characters who was a big part of the game even before the game got big decided to relive his early grinding days by visiting the Mixed Game Festival.

Playing Micros Against the World Champ

Stakes during Mixed Game Festivals are pretty much as low as you’ll find anywhere in Vegas. That’s not a secret. It is, in fact, one of the main “selling points” of an event that primarily seeks to promote the game and a friendly atmosphere around the felt.

Huck Seed

And yet, there are so many big-name players who have joined the action over the years to show their support for the idea and possibly relive some of those earliest moments of their careers.

The latest player to show his support in this fashion was Huck Seed. He came to the Bellagio a few hours into the action and had no hesitation about sitting down and splashing around in some $4/$8 and $6/$12 pots. He spent a couple of hours going from table to table, so that everyone got a chance to play with him.

Of course, the action slowed down a bit, as players wanted to take selfies with the champ and many had questions and wanted to hear stories. Winning a pot or two off a Main Event winner is cool and all, but, for many, this was a unique opportunity to pick his brain and ask him about many interesting stories that circulate the poker space to this day, as well as some specific poker strategy questions.

To have both of these legends at the tables on the same day was something that’s hard to put into words. It’s an experience that only those who frequent Mixed Game Festivals are privy to.

Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day

While we all love seeing big names at the tables and are grateful for their support, it is the official policy of the festival that we treat all of the players who join the action as stars and try to give as many of them as possible their time in the spotlight.

Today, the honor of the PokerCoaching.com Player of the Day goes to Patrick Ang, hailing from Ottawa, Canada. He came to Las Vegas specifically for the Mixed Game Festival, and this isn’t his first time not by a longshot!

Pat Ang

He’s been coming regularly and was actually there for the very first Mixed Game Festival at Westgate!

Patrick keeps coming back because he feels “this is the greatest home game in Vegas.” The main thing he loves about poker is that it helps keep him sharp.

Ever since he started playing poker, mixed games have fascinated him because there is an intellectual aspect to it, looking for a strategic aspect for every different variation, while keeping in mind that it’s still poker. On the social side of things, he loves the atmosphere and the fact that everyone is so happy and relaxed.

On top of all that, the Festival “provides unique opportunities to pick the brains of some of the great players like Eli Elezra and Dylan Linde.”

This time around, Patrick got an opportunity to sit next to Huck Seed and asked him his opinion on how the Main Event field has changed since the time he won the tournament back in 1996. Huck shared his thoughts, saying that “30 years ago, players had a much better feel for the game, while these days, they are much more analytical, but they have less of a feel.”

When not playing poker, Patrick is busy with his day job as an online educator and developer for an online private school. His message to everyone out there thinking about expanding their horizons beyond Hold’em is simple (but true) – mixed game players have more fun!

RunGoodGear Dealer of the Day: Jason Gabriel

Not all the dealers we come across share the same passion for mixed games. Some simply focus on doing a good job dealing cards and pushing pots, while others take a much deeper interest and look for ways to improve things. Jason Gabriel, our pick for Day 8’s RunGoodGear Dealer of the Day, is certainly in the latter category.

Jason moved to Las Vegas from Fresno, California, back in 1998. He was working a completely unrelated job but took an interest in poker, playing at The Orleans during evenings. His interest led him to learn how to deal poker all on his own, and later pass the audition at the Orleans to pick up a part-time role.

Jason Gabriel

When his company asked him to move to LA, he decided he’d rather stay right here, leaving his physically demanding job and taking on a full-time dealer position. In 2000, he landed a job with the Bellagio, and he’s been here ever since.

There were many reasons behind his decision. He fell in love with poker, especially mixed games, where analytical thinking, math, and strategy all came together. Plus, working as a dealer, he got to enjoy a much more flexible schedule that allowed him to also play.

But it’s not just his passion that makes Jason stand out. You can’t miss a rather unique tool that he uses to handle the action. It’s a rake-like tool that can deal with chips and cards, and makes things go smoother.

This tool is actually his own invention. Jason came up with the idea when one of his fellow dealers was pregnant and struggling to reach chips. He says there was no real product out there to help with the struggle, so he took it upon himself to make one.

Although you might not be able to tell at a glance, the tool has a unique shape and special features, allowing it to manipulate chips and cards, keeping stacks neat and tidy, and pushing puts more efficiently.

rake

While he makes these tools for friends, he also does it as a business, where people can buy custom rakes (14 different colors, custom text) on his website snaprake.com.

Jason is currently working on another idea, looking to make mixed game plaques easier to handle and also more helpful for the dealers.

mixed game plaques

While he is aware that these ideas won’t make him rich, Jason tells us he has “an innate ability to analyze situations and make things better, and he is determined to use that ability to make things better for the industry.”

With all these extracurricular activities and working two jobs, Jason doesn’t have much free time. He used to play golf but gave up on that, and he is now mostly focused on poker and taking care of his family – his wife Marcela and his three daughters.

More Hall of Famers in the Pipeline

After another exciting day at Mixed Game Festival XIV, the action is winding down with two tables going into the night. Those who were in attendance will certainly take some interesting stories home.

If you missed today’s action, the good news is that there is another Hall of Famer lined up for Day 9, as Eli Elezra will be joining us. A long-time friend of the Festival and an absolute mixed game wizard, Eli is a very welcome guest. So, call in at (702) 693-7291 and put your name on the list, as we could have another packed day.

Thursday, June 11, will be the final day of MGF XIV, and it’s when we’ll give away our final seat to the $3,500 BetMGM Poker Championship, so just a gentle reminder that, even though the time is running out, there are still some exciting things to look forward to. How will we give it away? Check out the video below 🙂

]]> 5 Poker Strategy Concepts Every Serious Player Should Master https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/poker-tips-strategy/5-concepts-serious-players-master/ Wed, 10 Jun 2026 16:42:02 +0000 https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/?p=72243 Poker has never been more competitive. Modern fields are larger, better-studied, and more tactically sophisticated than at any previous point in the game’s history. Whether you’re grinding online or sitting down in a live tournament, the recreational “feel” approach simply doesn’t cut it against opponents who have done their homework.

Bridging that gap requires a structured education in foundational strategy. Five core concepts — range thinking, position, pot odds, GTO fundamentals, and hand reading — form the backbone of any serious player’s skill set. Master all five and you have a genuine framework for making better decisions at every stage of a hand.

Poker Strategy Tips

Thinking in Ranges, Not Single Hands

The single biggest leap a developing player can make is moving from hand-versus-hand thinking to range-versus-range thinking. Assigning a specific holding to your opponent and playing against that assumption is exploitable and inaccurate. Skilled players think about the entire set of hands a villain could reasonably hold given their actions, and they respond to that full distribution.

This shift changes how you construct your own strategy too. Platforms like GTO Strategy give online poker players structured tools and frameworks for exploring range-based play in a disciplined, educational context. When you start thinking about what your own range looks like on any given board — and how it interacts with your opponent’s range — your bet-sizing, bluff frequency, and value selections all become far more coherent and defensible.

Position and Pot Odds: The Core Math

Position is the most persistently undervalued edge in poker. Acting last gives you information your opponents don’t have: you see their bets and their hesitations before committing chips. Over thousands of hands, positional advantage compounds into a massive win-rate differential. Defending too wide from out of position, or failing to leverage late position aggressively, are leaks that even intermediate players carry for years.

Pot odds sit alongside position as an essential mathematical tool. The calculation is straightforward — compare the cost of a call to the total pot after calling, then estimate your equity. According to official WSOP figures, the 2025 Main Event drew 9,735 entries and built a prize pool exceeding $90 million, a scale that rewards players who make mathematically sound decisions under pressure, hand after hand.

GTO Fundamentals and When They Apply

Game Theory Optimal strategy provides a baseline framework — a mixed strategy that cannot be exploited over a large sample. GTO doesn’t mean you should robotically play solver outputs in every situation. It means having a theoretically grounded default that you can intelligently deviate from when you have clear exploitative reads on an opponent.

Understanding GTO fundamentals is now table stakes at mid-to-high stakes play, both live and online. The 2025 WSOP series awarded $481 million across 100 bracelet events, according to Poker Industry Pro’s full wrap-up, which underlines just how much money is flowing through a game where theory-aware players increasingly dominate. Learning when to apply GTO defaults and when to exploit tendencies is the strategic tension every serious player must learn to navigate.

Hand Reading Reads Beyond Tells

Physical tells are real but overrated. The deeper form of hand reading is logical: reconstruct a player’s range at each decision point by asking what hands make sense given their preflop action, their flop bet size, and their turn behavior. Patterns in sizing and timing are more reliable than a trembling hand or a facial expression.

Effective hand reading also means tracking bet-sizing patterns across sessions. A player who always bets small with draws and large with made hands is broadcasting their range in a way that has nothing to do with their body language. Building the mental habit of note-taking — live or digital — transforms observations into exploitable data over time.

Putting All Five Concepts Together

None of these five concepts works in isolation. Range thinking gives you the map; position determines your leverage; pot odds keep your calls mathematically honest; GTO fundamentals protect your baseline; and hand reading allows you to deviate from that baseline with confidence. Together, they create a decision-making architecture that holds up under pressure.

The players consistently succeeding in today’s large-field tournaments and high-stakes online games are not relying on instinct alone. They study, they review, and they apply layered strategic thinking to every street. Start with whichever concept feels weakest in your own game, build it deliberately, and then integrate the others. That is how recreational players become serious competitors.

]]> Mixed Game Festival XIV Day 7 Recap: Pizza Party, Take Two https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/editors-picks/mixed-game-festival-xiv-day-7-recap/ Tue, 09 Jun 2026 17:59:26 +0000 https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/?p=72223 With Mixed Game Festival XIV stretching over two whole weeks, one pizza party simply isn’t enough. In that spirit, Day 7 of the festival featured our second pizza party at Bellagio, with hungry players eager to wolf down some cheese and pepperoni slices. Between that and our first pizza party on Day 2, we made sure our players were plenty well fed, but that’ll be all the pies on the menu until next time; while there’s still some really cool stuff coming up, it won’t be delivered inside square boxes.

It’s clear, though, that our mixed game crowd knows value when they see it, so once again the Bellagio poker room was buzzing with action. We had three tables (two $4/$8 and one $6/$12) going from the start, with a fourth one opening a bit later/ All told, Day 7’s poker action lasted until the final table broke at just after 3am. If you want to know the exact time, you can ask festival founder Robbie Strazynski, who may or may not have been one of the last five players to rack up his chips for the night… 🙂

mixed-game-festival-xiv-day-7

There was also a special appearance from Alex Livingston, who was unable to attend Day 5’s Pokercoaching.com Meet-Up Game, but who graced us with his presence as soon as he rolled into Las Vegas, throwing more free stuff into the mix for our players.

Alex Livingston’s Mixed Game Course, I Presume?

There is a reason why poker and pizza go so well together – it’s the kind of food that doesn’t require you to abandon the grind entirely. You can keep on mixing it up, and that’s one thing that the regular crowd at these Mixed Game Festivals knows quite a bit about.

Adding to the excitement in the room, Pokercoaching.com’s Alex Livingston came to splash around a bit with the players and give away free lifetime access to his recently-released mixed game course to one lucky player. That player ended up being James Garica who won just for being in the right place, at the right time. No loops or hoops to go through.

Alex Livingston Mixed Game Festival

With the pizza gone and the main giveaway of the day done, you’d think the action would wind down, but the opposite happened, as a fourth table formed.

In addition to scooping (or halving, or quartering) the pots, players got to pick up some smaller prizes along the way. Chuck Martin managed to win his second Faded Spade set of cards for this trip, so whatever home game he plays in should be set for a while.

Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day: Linda Rand

Day 7’s PokerCoaching.com Player of the Day comes from Tampa, Florida. This is Linda Rand’s eighth visit to the World Series of Poker, and since mixed games are her forte, she decided to check out what the festival has to offer.

Linda is here with her boyfriend, Donnie, who is also a poker player, so they can share the ups, the downs, and everything in between. She tells us that Archie is her favorite poker variant because you can go for high, for low, and change your mind midway through the hand.

Linda Rand

Before moving to Florida, Linda worked as a poker dealer at the Seminole Hard Rock in Tampa for a full 10 years, and she loves everything about the game: the people, the excitement, the fact that its different every day, and, of course, winning.

While she wouldn’t share with us what exactly she enjoys doing away from the tables (this remark brought lots of laughter while the player interview was being conducted), Linda’s message to all the ladies out there is to give poker a try and not be afraid to come out, play, and have fun. “Ladies, we are smarter than they (men) are,” she announces with conviction.

As for her poker goals, she’d like to win a big tournament, and she doesn’t care too much about what the game variation is, as long as the guarantee is at least $100k. Playing three to four tournaments a month lately, Linda is certainly putting some work toward that goal.

RunGoodGear Dealer of the Day: Constantine Garcia Woodward

Constantine Garcia Woodward, originally from California, has been in Las Vegas for about 10 years. He decided to make the move for better work opportunities. Before discovering poker, he worked different jobs, including being a security guard and a ramp agent at the airport in Anchorage, Alaska.

When he moved to Vegas, Constantine picked up a job as a cab driver. He then enrolled in a dealer school and, upon completing his education, he picked up a different career once more, along with a deck of cards.

Constantine Garcia

It was his family (his older brother and his mother) who pushed him toward poker. “I didn’t really know anything about poker, but my brother wanted to be a dealer, and my mother thought I’d be very good at it, say Constantine.” She turned out to be right!

At this point, he’s been dealing cards for nine years, and he has dealt at almost every poker room on The Strip.

As for his hobbies, he likes to exercise, spend time at the park, and play some poker when he can. His dream is fairly down-to-earth, as he primarily wants to be a successful, winning poker player.

While Constantine enjoys the Mixed Game Festival and dealing all the different games, in his efforts on the felt, he prefers to stick to trusted No Limit Hold’em and Omaha High.

For a man who had such a colorful career, it’s no surprise that in addition to sticking with Bellagio for a while to come, he does have some additional aspirations, including working on his truck driving license.

Come Hang Out With Mori

It feels like the longer the festival goes on, the stronger the grasp of its magic becomes, not only to pull the people in, but to keep them in their seats for hours on end as cards fly through the air.

There are some cool things lined up for Day 8 as well, with Poker Hall of Famer Mori Eskandani joining the crowd to play some hands and, undoubtedly, share some interesting stories. Plus, Mori is always full of ideas for new games, so we expect the action at his table to be fun and chaotic.

Plus, there is also a surprise in the cards for Tuesday, but we won’t reveal who it is. What we can say is that it’s going to be special, and you should be there for it!

Be sure to call in ahead of time at (702) 693-7291 to put your name on the list or be at the Bellagio at noon, sharp, to secure your seat.

We are entering the final stretch, with our third and final $3500 2026 BetMGM Poker Championship seat up for grabs on Thursday, so you don’t want to miss out!

]]> Mixed Game Festival XIV Day 6 Recap: Week Two Kicks Off With a Bang https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/poker-news-2/mixed-game-festival-xiv-day-6-recap/ Tue, 09 Jun 2026 10:40:45 +0000 https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/?p=72216 After all the excitement we saw on Day 5 of Mixed Game Festival XIV, including the Pokercoaching.com Meet-Up Game, appearances by Lon McEachern and Norman Chad, and an $800 HORSE tournament seat giveaway, there was a short break in action over the weekend.

By all accounts, that two-day break was perfectly timed, as players turned out en masse for the Day 6 action on Sunday, creating the busiest day of the festival so far. There were four tables going from the very start, with an unprecedented FIFTH(!) one opening within an hour.

There is no doubt that it was the allure of mixed games that attracted players to Bellagio, first and foremost, but the fact that there was another major giveaway in the cards certainly helped. One player would walk away with a $3,500 seat in the 2026 BetMGM Poker Championship, and that’s kind of added value you don’t find every day on The Strip.

Mixed Game Festival XIV Craig Larson Barry Hartheimer

By the time of the giveaway, there were three $4/$8 and two $6/$12 games going, and the atmosphere in the room was simply electrifying. But, unlike the first time, this time around, it wasn’t just luck that would determine the winner. Instead, the players’ knowledge of the game they so love was put to the test.

Poker Trivia Takes Center Stage at Bellagio

When the moment came, there was a random table and seat draw for the ticket giveaway. Whoever was occupying the seat drawn would have to answer three poker trivia questions correctly to claim the Championship ticket.

The first draw did not produce a winner, as the player who was picked unfortunately stumbled on the very first question and couldn’t produce the correct answer. He received a consolation prize in the form of a RunGoodGear Mixed Game Festival T-shirt, but the grand prize remained up for grabs.

Table and seat cards were then reshuffled, there was a new draw, and, this time around, it was Barry H. from Manhattan in the hot seat. Barry demonstrated a high level of poker and MGF trivia knowledge, as he correctly answered three multiple-choice questions in a row, bagging himself a $3,500 entry into the upcoming BetMGM Poker Championship. He’s pictured in the winner’s photo above, alongside festival host Robbie Strazynski and Bellagio Poker Director Craig Larson.

Even with the giveaway done and dusted, the action continued strong at the Bellagio, as everyone was having a lot of fun and was in no rush to leave the premises. The mixed games continued across five tables for a whopping 10 hours, and even as the clock struck midnight, there were still three games going.

Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day: Jeremy Privett

A math and US history teacher hailing from north Alabama, Jeremy Privett, is our today’s pick for the PokerCoaching.com Player of the Day.

Jeremy comes out to Las Vegas for the World Series every year, and he loves playing mixed games, but the usual $20/$40 stakes offered at most places are a bit too high for his bankroll. This is why he was excited to hear people talking about the Mixed Game Festival at the WSOP and had to come across the street and see it for himself.

Jeremy Privett

Poker has been a part of Jeremy’s life for a long time, as he learned how to play Omaha when he was just a boy, and practiced his general poker skills on one of those old-school entertainment system video poker games. He’s been familiar with the stud games as well, and after the Moneymaker boom, he also picked up Texas Hold’em.

He enjoys playing mixed games, but, unfortunately, there aren’t many casinos that spread them regularly these days, and there are no casinos whatsoever in Alabama. So, when he’s itching to play, he has to drive for at least three and a half hours to Tunica, Mississippi.

What he loves the most about the game is the camaraderie and having a good time at the tables, and that you get much more of that playing a mix. His message to everyone out there who might be hesitant is to come out and give it a try at low-stakes, and they just might be surprised at how much they’ll enjoy it!

Jeremy also loves his day job as a teacher, as it allows him to see people grow and reach their goals, and his math knowledge certainly comes in handy at the tables. In his spare time, in addition to playing poker, he loves watching football and playing fantasy football.

RunGoodGear Dealer of the Day: Vinicio Jurich

If there is one thing that Las Vegas is not short on, it’s interesting stories about people you’ll come across here. Vinicio Jurich, our RunGoodGear Dealer of the Day, has a story of his own, showing that this city often has a magical grasp on those who visit it.

Vinicio moved to Vegas about five years ago, at the height of the pandemic. He is originally from Buffalo, New York, where he had been working the same job since high school, hanging out with the same people all the time, and he was feeling a change was in order.

Vinicio Jurich Bellagio

So, when his friend, a YouTuber, told him he was going to Vegas for a while and he was looking for roommates, Vinicio jumped at the opportunity. Having played poker growing up, Vinicio was interested in what Sin City had to offer.

He spent a few months playing poker, mostly recreationally and with mixed results, and then, as fate would have it, he met his girlfriend. This incentivized him to extend his stay.

Then, one of the dealers at Planet Hollywood told him about the dealer school that could open new opportunities for him. As he was considering whether this was a worthwhile investment, he came across his friend from Buffalo, who arrived in Vegas and was attending that very school! He figured this was enough of a sign to give it a go.

Vinicio spent the next two months acquiring his dealer stripes. After he graduated, he went for a WSOP audition as the Series was happening at the time, and he got his first gig as a dealer. Not long after, the Bellagio was looking for new dealers, and he applied and got the job.

Vinicio says all the people he met along the way over the last few years, and all the experiences he had while in Las Vegas, were very transformative. Before coming here, he was mostly introverted, spending most of his time inside and playing computer games. He tells us that he took that initial trip to Vegas, driving on an expired learner’s permit.

Although a lot has changed, he still enjoys playing video games to unwind. Lately, Fall Guys has been his favorite choice, in part due to the fact that his girlfriend took a liking to the game, so they can enjoy it together.

As for his hidden talents, Vinicio shares that he can sing pretty well, but he has a pretty serious case of stage fright, so he is only able to perform for the people he knows well.

This is his second time dealing at the Mixed Game Festival, and he finds that players are very welcoming to the dealers and always ready to help when someone’s not familiar with a particular game variant. From a player’s point of view, this also represents a good opportunity to expand his horizons and explore options beyond the usual NLHE and PLO options.

Pizza Party, Take Two!

The Mixed Game Festival doesn’t have hard stop limits. There is no telling how long into the night (or morning) the action will continue, but we can officially say that Day 6 was the busiest one so far.

Mixed Game Festival Bellagio

For Monday, June 8, we have another pizza party coming up. Pop over to Bellagio around noon and have a slice or two to get some much-needed fuel before you get on the grind.

As always, seat reservations are open, so call (702) 693-7291 to put your name on the list for $4/$8 or $6/$12 and help us get Day 7 underway in style. We are now into the second half of Mixed Game Festival XIV, but there are still some exciting things coming up, so stay tuned!

]]> Poker Hall of Fame Miniseries: Part 1 – Who’s In, and Why It Matters? https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/poker-op-eds/poker-hall-of-fame-miniseries-part-1/ Sat, 06 Jun 2026 01:39:43 +0000 https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/?p=72212 Every summer during the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, while thousands of players are chasing bracelets and dreaming about six- and seven-figure scores, another conversation occasionally and quietly makes its rounds through the poker rooms. It happens in the hallways at the Horseshoe, over drinks at Bellagio, and at poker tables across America and the world where players have been grinding together for years. The topic isn’t that last big hand or their latest bad beat. It’s the Poker Hall of Fame where the following questions are often raised.

  • Who’s In the Poker Hall of Fame — and why does it matter?
  • Who are the Poker Hall of Fame inductees still raising eyebrows?
  • And finally: Who are the biggest Poker Hall of Fame snubs?

Poker Hall of Fame

The Poker Hall of Fame is supposed to represent the very best the game has produced — players who’ve stood the test of time, pioneers who helped build the game, and the personalities who carried poker from smoky backrooms to a worldwide stage. But like poker itself, the Poker Hall of Fame isn’t always as straightforward as it looks. Ask 10 poker players who deserves to be there and you might get 10 different answers. In fact, some of the most interesting discussions in poker begin the moment someone asks a simple question: “How did that guy get in before this guy?”

In this three-part miniseries, we’re going to take a closer look at the Poker Hall of Fame. We’ll start with who’s already in and why their place in poker history matters. Then we’ll explore some of the inductions that still raise a few eyebrows around the table. And finally, we’ll talk about the names many players believe belong in the Poker Hall of Fame but, for one reason or another, are still waiting outside the door.

Because if there’s one thing poker players love — almost as much as the game itself — it’s debating who really deserves to be remembered as one of the game’s legends.

Poker Hall of Fame: Who’s In and Why It Matters?

Visiting the Poker Hall of Fame at the Horseshoe Casino Poker Room in Las Vegas can feel a little like stepping into poker’s inner sanctum. It’s a place deeply connected to the game’s history and to the larger-than-life personalities who helped turn poker into the worldwide phenomenon it’s become. To the casual visitor, it may look like just another well-designed display along the Las Vegas Strip. In the background the chips are clicking, cards are in the air and players are staring each other down across tan felt. But to a true poker aficionado, there’s something more to be seen, more to be felt.

Along one wall near the entry is a display of gold-framed photographs of the men and women who make up the Poker Hall of Fame. These are the people — certainly some are legends — whose names echo through the history of the game. It’s poker’s attempt to define its own history — to decide who shaped the game, who elevated it, and who left a mark big enough that the game simply wouldn’t look the same without them.

The list reaches back to the earliest days of card playing from rule-maker Edmond Hoyle to folk hero Wild Bill Hickok. Then it moves on to the more modern era of poker and Las Vegas, when names like Johnny Moss and Nick Dandolos were helping turn the game from a backroom pastime into something much bigger. The timeline marches forward through the decades — past the road gamblers and cardroom legends, into the tournament pioneers, and eventually to the television-era stars who helped carry poker to a global audience… the ones we often hear mentioned today.

Looking at the display you begin to notice something interesting. Some names make you nod instantly. There’s no debate, no hesitation. Of course they belong there. Others make you pause for a moment. And then there are a few that cause seasoned poker players to quietly tilt their heads and think, “Well, wait a second.” Because whenever human beings are responsible for choosing who deserves immortality, the results are rarely perfect.

My First Poker Hall of Fame Experience

I remember the first time I stood in front of that wall at it’s old location at Binion’s Gambling Hall in downtown Las Vegas. It was 2015 and looking at those faces felt a little like staring at a living timeline of the game itself. Some of them represented legends I’d read about long before I ever moved to Las Vegas, or even played the game of poker. Others were players I had watched on television. A few were people whose names I’d heard discussed in poker rooms late at night — the kind of stories that get told between hands when the chips are stacked high and the coffee has gone cold. As I stood there looking at that wall, one thought kept coming back to me. Poker history isn’t just written in poker books. It’s written in stories, arguments, and sometimes even a little controversy.

Poker Hall of Fame wall

Over the years, the Poker Hall of Fame has produced not only legends, but debates, surprises, and a handful of decisions that still spark conversations in poker rooms around the world. Which brings us to the question at the heart of this series: Who’s in… and why does it matter?

History of the Poker Hall of Fame

Before we talk about the players themselves — the legends, the eyebrow-raisers, and the snubs — it helps to understand how the Poker Hall of Fame works in the first place. The Poker Hall of Fame, established in 1979 by Horseshoe Casino founder Benny Binion, was originally created as a way to honor the most influential figures in poker while also giving fans and players another reason to visit the casino during the growing excitement surrounding the World Series of Poker.

At first, the Hall included only a small group of legendary figures — players whose reputations had already become part of poker folklore. Over time, the criteria evolved, but the spirit remained the same. To be inducted as a player, candidates are generally expected to have stood the test of time, played at the highest levels of the game, competed against top competition, and earned the respect of their peers. Non-players — those who helped grow the game in other meaningful ways — may also be considered. Each year, the process generates debate among fans, media members, and players themselves. And each year one, occasionally two new names are added to the list, meaning that wall at the Horseshoe poker room will continue to grow — one photograph (maybe two) at a time.

But the bigger question is this: Does the Hall always get it right? In this first article, we’ll look at the players whose place in poker history feels almost unquestionable — the legends whose names helped define the game. Because before we talk about controversies or snubs, it’s worth starting with the people who remind us exactly what greatness in poker looks like.

The Legends — The Names Everyone Agrees On

Every Hall of Fame, sports and otherwise, has its debates. But every Hall of Fame also has its no-brainers — the names so deeply connected to the game that their inclusion feels inevitable. Poker is no different. Long before television cameras arrived and long before online poker created a new generation of stars, there were players whose reputations spread the old-fashioned way — by word of mouth, whispered stories, and stacks of chips pushed across the felt in smoky cardrooms.

One of the earliest and most important names on that wall is Johnny Moss. Often referred to as the “Grand Old Man of Poker,” Moss represented an earlier era of the game — the road gambler who traveled from town to town looking for action. His reputation for toughness and stamina was legendary. When the first World Series of Poker was held in 1970, as a cash game event, Moss was voted the champion by his peers, a fitting tribute to a player who would go on to win the 1971 and 1974 WSOP Main Event.

Another towering figure in poker history is Doyle Brunson. To many players, Brunson was poker royalty. His long career spanned decades, bridging poker’s old underground gambling culture and its modern televised era. Brunson won ten World Series of Poker bracelets, two of them Main Event wins. He went on to author the groundbreaking strategy book Super/System, which pulled back the curtain on high-level poker thinking and changed how many players approached the game. For generations of players Brunson’s influence extended far beyond the table. His presence in the Hall of Fame feels less like an honor and more like a historical necessity.

Then there was the unforgettable Stu Ungar. Ungar’s talent was so extraordinary that even hardened professionals spoke about him with awe. A prodigy originally known for dominating the game of gin rummy, Ungar brought that same razor-sharp mind to Las Vegas poker and captured three World Series of Poker Main Event titles. Many who watched him play believed they were witnessing the greatest natural card player who ever lived. His life, tragically short and troubled, only deepened the legend that surrounds his name and his place today in poker’s Hall of Fame.

Another player whose place in the Hall of Fame is rarely if ever questioned is Johnny Chan. Chan’s back-to-back World Series of Poker Main Event victories in 1987 and 1988 cemented his place in poker history. His calm demeanor at the table and relentless competitive drive made him one of the most feared tournament players of his era. For many fans, Chan also became a cultural icon after his memorable appearance in the poker film Rounders, where a famous scene introduced a whole new generation to the mystique of high-stakes poker.

And then there are the players whose dominance helped define the modern era of the game. Few names command more respect today than Phil Ivey. Often described by fellow professionals as the most complete player in the world, Ivey built a reputation for extraordinary instincts, fearless decision-making, and success across nearly every form of poker. His performances in both tournaments and cash games has earned him admiration from amateurs and professionals alike. For many observers, Ivey represents the bridge between poker’s old-school legends and the new generation of elite players.

These are the kinds of names that anchor a Hall of Fame. The players whose accomplishments are so widely respected that their inclusion rarely sparks argument. But even here, something interesting begins to happen. Because the deeper you look into the history of the Poker Hall of Fame, the more you realize that not every decision has been so universally accepted. And that’s where things begin to get a little more interesting.

In the next part of this series, we’ll look at a few of the inductees who, fairly or unfairly, still manage to raise a few eyebrows whenever their names come up in poker conversation. It’s a reminder that even in a game built on skill, judgment, and reputation, the line between legend and controversy can sometimes be surprisingly thin.

]]> Biggest Online Poker Tournament Series in CoinPoker History Pays Out Nearly $50 Million https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/poker-news-2/coinpoker-world-poker-masters-pays-out-nearly-50-million/ Sat, 06 Jun 2026 01:14:30 +0000 https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/?p=72204 World Poker Masters concluded after generating almost 578,000 registrations across 781 completed tournaments and awarding more than $48,000,000 in prize pools across Main Events, High Rollers, CoinMillion, CoinMasters tournaments, trophy events, and leaderboard races. The biggest poker tournament festival in CoinPoker history produced some of the largest prize pools and tournament fields the site has ever seen.

World Poker Masters Coinpoker

World Poker Masters Becomes CoinPoker’s Biggest Tournament Series Ever

World Poker Masters concluded on June 1, 2026, after weeks of high-stakes action across Main Events, High Rollers, CoinMasters tournaments, leaderboard races, satellites, and trophy events.

Featuring $25,000,000 in guaranteed prize pools, the festival ultimately awarded more than $48,023,300 and became the largest tournament series in CoinPoker history.

Over 43 million hands were played, while 81,876 in-the-money finishes were recorded during the festival. Across 781 tournaments, players registered 578,251 entries.

Immediately after the series, CoinPoker thanked its community and announced that it would be increasing its weekly tournament guarantee by $2,000,000.

Now that the World Poker Masters is finished, 59 players will receive their trophies, as well as a digital version for their CoinPoker Trophy Cabinet. The winner of the Main Event will be awarded a unique trophy that stands out from the rest.

‘dsfgdsgdsgd’ Wins World Poker Masters Main Event

The $2,500,000 guaranteed World Poker Masters Main Event served as the flagship tournament, running across multiple Day 1 flights before the final on June 1.

Players battled through opening flights and satellite qualification paths, with over 5,000 entries from all Day 1 flights contributing to a final prize pool of $2,730,000.

dsfgdsgdsgd secured the World Poker Masters Main Event title, earning $300,270 and capturing one of the biggest victories of the series.

The runner-up was m3rryf3llow, winning $225,290, while Bucko94 finished third for $171,420.

World Poker Masters Coinpoker winners leaderboard

A look at the winners of the Main Event from inside the CoinPoker app

The Main Event champion also received a one-of-a-kind World Poker Masters trophy commemorating the victory.

FlushPuppy Wins Mini Main Event

The $500,000 guaranteed Mini Main Event produced another major turnout during the final week of World Poker Masters.

The tournament drew 3,772 entries and awarded $846,790 in prize money.

  • Player FlushPuppy claimed the title and $60,560 in prize money. 
  • Runner-up dragonslayer17 collected $63,540, slightly more than FlushPuppy, likely due to a deal made during the heads-up portion.
  • Third-place finisher mexicali23337 earned $41,570.
World Poker Masters Coinpoker mini main leaderboard

A look at the winners of the Mini Main Event from inside the CoinPoker app

The Mini Main Event was one of the most accessible headline tournaments on the World Poker Masters schedule, with daily Day 1 flights running throughout the series.

Super High Roller and CoinMillion Produce Massive Scores

The $25,500 Super High Roller took place on May 25 and became one of the defining events of the entire series, producing a massive $1,800,000 prize pool from the 72 entries.

High-stakes regulars featured in the field, including Tony G, JamesWynn, LLinusLLove, DavyJones922, Barak Wisbrod (“iWasOnly17”), and Bobby James Poker (“BJPCoin”).

amr1diab secured the Super High Roller title and $544,320 for the victory, while runner-up Lukabrate earned $354,960 after reaching heads-up play. DKaladjurdjevic completed the podium in third place for $236,880.

Winning the Super High Roller event made amr1diab the biggest event winner from a single event.

Top 6 winners CoinPoker

The top six winners from single events during World Poker Masters

$215 CoinMillion Tournament

Earlier in the month, the $215 CoinMillion ran on May 10 with a $1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool and one of the largest fields of the series, with 4,278 entries.

Player DaniC1994 captured the CoinMillion title and collected $126,500 for their victory.

The runner-up was loveandpeace with a $78.7K second-place prize. WayguSausage finished in third place for $54.9K. 

coinmillion winners

A look at the winners of the CoinMillion tournament from inside the CoinPoker app

A spokesperson for CoinPoker hinted that “CoinMillion will likely be returning soon,” possibly taking a quarterly spot in the tournament schedule. 

World Poker Masters Satellites Generated Major Value

Satellite qualifiers continued producing major scores throughout World Poker Masters, with players converting low-cost entries into some of the biggest payouts of the series.

In total, players won 16,038 satellite tickets worth $2,984,875 across the festival.

Among the biggest satellite success stories were:

  • DonLaM0cz, winning $63,525 in the $5,200 Monday High Roller
  • junglebird, earning $62,067 in the $5,200 High Roller
  • tako9999, securing $47,700 in the $250 2nd Chance 

CoinPoker Ambassadors and Pros Post About World Poker Masters

CoinPoker ambassadors continued highlighting the scale and success of World Poker Masters throughout the series.

Following the Super High Roller, Bobby James Poker posted on X while tagging Guinness World Records, writing:

“History Made. First person to PLAY let alone Final Table a $25,000 poker tournament 35,000 feet in the air.”

High-stakes tournament coach Bencb celebrated the conclusion of the series, highlighting that World Poker Masters awarded more than $48,000,000.

Ben posted:

“Our First World Poker Master has been a huge success! Almost 2x the GTD. prizepool … $48,000,000 (guarantee was $25,000,000) … We just got started!”

Fellow CoinPoker ambassador Patrick Leonard also praised the World Poker Masters schedule during the final days of the festival, writing on X:

“Most sites have stopped running big guarantees now WSOP has started, but we keep going for another Sunday. So proud of our offering now. Great schedule for all buy-ins.”

About CoinPoker

CoinPoker is an online poker platform that supports both cryptocurrency and traditional payment methods, including bank cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Luxon Pay. The site offers cash games, including NLHE, PLO, Short Deck formats and more, major tournament series, and ongoing player promotions across a wide range of stakes.

Its schedule features major series such as the Coin Series of Poker, CoinMasters, and World Poker Masters, alongside daily rewards systems and unique tournament giveaways, such as the Road to Triton promotion. Focused on player value, accessibility, and transparency, CoinPoker continues to grow its international poker community. The site is also available as an iOS poker app.

Other Promotions

  • CoinRewards: A $1.5M+ weekly rewards system featuring CoinRaces, Splash Pots, cashback, and guaranteed daily promotions.
  • Road to Triton: CoinPoker is teaming up with the Triton Poker Series and sending a player to the Jeju series this year with a $25,000 Super High Roller ticket, all flight expenses, and a stay in a 5-star hotel during the series.
  • 150% Welcome Bonus: New players can unlock up to $2,000 in bonus funds through tournaments and cash game play.
]]> Mixed Game Festival XIV Day 5 Recap: Ending the First Week on a High Note https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/poker-news-2/mixed-game-festival-xiv-day-5-recap/ Fri, 05 Jun 2026 17:53:48 +0000 https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/?p=72188 We predicted that the somewhat slower Day 4 of the Mixed Game Festival XIV would be the calm before the storm, and that prediction was spot on, as Day 5 turned out to be one of the most eventful so far, wrapping up the first week of the festival on a high note.

There was a lot happening at the Bellagio. The Pokercoaching.com Meet-Up Game kicked off at noon, and there were four tables going right from the start. Players poured into the room for an opportunity to play some low-stakes poker against Jonathan Little and Justin Saliba, two highly regarded and successful pros who spend most of their time playing $10,000+ tournaments, so this was a truly unique occasion.

Jonathan Little Mixed Game Festival

Little and Saliba also gave away an $800 seat to the ARIA Poker Classic HORSE event, scheduled for June 16, among some other cool prizes. As if having two poker crushers in the room wasn’t enough, there were another couple big-name appearances to get the players excited, too.

There’s a lot to unpack, so let’s dig into it and try to bring you at least some of the atmosphere from Day 5 of Mixed Game Festival XIV.

Pokercoaching.com MUG: Little and Saliba in the House

The main event to wrap up the first half of the festival was the Meet-Up game co-hosted by the Pokercoaching.com crew, long-time friends and sponsors of the MGF.

Jonathan Little, the founder of the popular poker training site, and Justin Saliba, one of the main coaches (who incidentally got his start in mixed games at the festival), joined the mixed game crowd to play some $4/$8 dealer’s choice. Many players wanted to try their luck against the two, which led to four full tables going strong right from the start.

Justin Saliba

The atmosphere in the room was electric, and the excitement only grew bigger as the time for the tournament seat giveaway came around. Once more, players on all four tables played a PLO flip, with winners progressing to the second round.

The four finalists played another PLO flip, and it was Ben Ward who found the favor of the poker gods to come out on top and win himself a seat to the $800 ARIA Poker Classic HORSE event on June 16.

The remaining three players who progressed to the final round each got a nice prize as well. Stephen Brogan, Tony Messing, and Garrett Browning won lifetime access to Alex Livingston’s Master Mixed Games course, which should certainly help them progress with their mixed game prowess.

READ MORE: Check out our Master Mixed Games course review

Of course, there was also a lot of merch up for grabs, and Jonathan Little was signing copies of his books, so players got quite an experience and, once again, heaps of value just for being part of the action. You just don’t get anything like it with other poker festivals.

Poker Media Stars Come Out in Force

Day 5 saw a few more very familiar faces in the crowd. Longtime festival supporter Norman Chad popped in for a couple hours. While Norm is an MGF regular, this time around he was joined by his on-screen partner Lon McEachern, who was happily making his first festival appearance. The only way it could have gotten better is if we had a booth set up for them to do live commentary of the action.

And let’s not forget about WSOP bracelet winner Chad Holloway of PokerNews, who decided to spend his lunch break playing mixed games. Plus PokerGO’s Tim Duckworth made his second festival appearance this summer, while veteran poker media stalwart Jesse Fullen turned up to splash around, too.

Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day: Daryl Kermmoade

Keeping in line with the festive theme, our Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day is one Daryl Kermmoade. Originally from Kentucky and now living in Lincoln, Nebraska, Daryl came out to Las Vegas for his birthday trip to celebrate turning 63.

Like many who come out to Sin City during the summer, he is focusing on playing some WSOP events. However, he also likes playing at Bellagio during the downtime. When he got here, he noticed the Mixed Game Festival was happening, and it piqued his interest.

Daryl Kermmoade

He already has some experience playing HORSE, and this seemed like a great opportunity to expand his horizons and try some completely new variations. Having played for a fair few hours, sitting next to festival host and Cardplayer Lifestyle founder Robbie Strazynski, Daryl shared that he was pleasantly surprised at how much fun everyone was having and just how eager other players were to help and make him feel welcome.

He first got into poker around 2003, and Council Bluffs, Iowa is his primary poker stomping grounds. However, he doesn’t get to play much mixed games there, as the choice is mostly down to No Limit Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha.

As for his poker dreams, Daryl says he’d like to eventually make a final table and win a tournament, as he’s experienced a fair share of bubbles over the years. Hopefully, a free month of Pokercoaching.com will help bring him closer to that goal.

RunGoodGear Dealer of the Day: Larry Williams

Larry Williams, originally from Indiana, has been with the Bellagio for two decades. His adventure started back in 2005 when he decided to change things up, leaving his automobile repair business and packing up with the goal to travel the country for a while.

The path led him to Las Vegas, and he discovered that dealing cards was something he enjoyed. Being a people person, he tells us he enjoys the opportunity to mingle with the players.

Larry Williams Bellagio

When asked why he prefers “the other side of the table”, dealing and not playing, Larry was honest and admited that he “sucks at poker,” so a professional career as a player just wasn’t in the cards.

Like many other dealers we’ve talked to, Larry admits that there is a certain different vibe around the Mixed Game Festival crowd, where it’s obvious that people are here primarily to have fun, so there is no tension, and nobody’s playing with their life savings on the table.

He stuck with the Bellagio because he believes it is a great place to work, allowing for a lot of freedom, and, among other things, having a great cafeteria! As far as his professional goals, he says he’s pretty much seen it all and done it all, including pushing a million-dollar pot. “Chips are chips at the end of the day,” Larry tells us.

For fresh dealers who find themselves in the midst of the mixed game mayhem, his advice is to ask for help from the players. “Admit that you don’t know what you’re doing,” he says, “and just ask players to help you untangle the web.”

When not dealing cards, he likes to spend time playing some video poker, taking shorter hikes with his wife, and taking longer trips around the country when the opportunities present themselves.

Take Five, Everyone!

With Day 5 wrapping up in style, with three tables going strong late into the night, it’s time for the Mixed Game Festival to take a short break. But don’t worry, we’ll be back before you know it!

The action will pause over the next couple of days and resume in earnest on Sunday, June 7. Things will kick off at noon once more, and we’ll be giving away the second $3,500 BetMGM Poker Championship ticket.

As always, you can secure your seat on the waiting list by calling the Bellagio Poker Room (702) 693-7291 ahead of the start, or simply make sure you’re there before the cards are in the air, and there will definitely be a chair for you to pull up.

]]> Mixed Game Festival XIV Day 4 Recap: The Calm Before the Storm https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/poker-news-2/mixed-game-festival-xiv-day-4-recap/ Thu, 04 Jun 2026 18:06:08 +0000 https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/?p=72178 Day 3 of Mixed Game Festival XIV was pretty crazy (in the best possible way). There was a seat scramble, as players were trying to get in the mix ahead of the first $3,500 BetMGM Poker Championship seat giveaway, and then it was a PLO mayhem that decided the lucky winner.

By contrast, Day 4 was much calmer, as we shifted into a bit of a lower gear with two tables of $4/$8 mix kicking off to start the festivities. For the first time since the festival started, there wasn’t a $6/$12 game going. But the ebb and flow of the festival is pretty typical, and it’s impossible for things to always be pedal to the metal for two straight weeks. What’s certain though is that there’s quite a lot lined up for Day 5, so the energy in the room is guaranteed to pick up once more.

Rick Gleason book signing

Plus, the action will be moving from the overflow tables in the sportsbook directly into the Bellagio poker room. The lighting will be better, we’ll have automatic card shufflers at every table, and foot traffic will be higher. But more on that in a moment. Let’s get back to Day 4 highlights for now.

Rick Gleason Book Signing

While the Mixed Game Festival can’t quite give out thousands of dollars worth of tournament seats every day, there is always a little something extra happening alongside the table action. Wednesday saw Rick Gleason, a poker author and fellow Cardplayer Lifestyle contributor, join the crowd and do some book signings.

Gleason is the author of 101+ Poker Tips That Actually Work, an interesting book that, although it’s not specific to mixed games, brings some very useful general advice for poker players.

The book is aimed primarily at recreational, low-stakes players, who play for the love of the game, so it’s a perfect match for the Mixed Game Festival crowd.

As always, a few players won free signed copies by accomplishing certain feats at the tables, like Mike Tyson (yes, we know that there are other Mike Tysons out there), who managed to scoop an Archie pot.

Mike Tyson Mixed Game Festival

For those not as involved in the mixed game world, Archie is a triple draw split game, where the pot is split between the best high and the best low hand (using standard rankings), but there is also the minimum qualifying requirement for the high hand (usually a pair of nines or better) and for the low hand (an 8 or lower). If nobody qualifies, the pot gets split among every player remaining at showdown.

Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day: Brian Dowd

Often, in our Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day section, we highlight some of the newcomers who stumbled upon the festival by chance or were invited by a friend. Today, however, we have the complete opposite of that.

Hailing from St. Augustine, Florida, Brian Dowd has been a regular at Mixed Game Festivals, and this is his sixth time attending. His first time was a few years back, at Resorts World, and, like many other regulars, he just fell in love with the atmosphere.

Brian Dowd Mixed Game Festival

Brian describes himself as a very competitive person, and that’s one aspect he enjoys the most about the game. At the same time, he prefers mixed games over Texas Hold’em and PLO, because mixed games lend themselves to much more fun, interaction, and camaraderie at the tables.

Living in Florida, when he’s not busy with his day job in wood manufacturing, Brian enjoys shooting some pool or spending time on the beach and soaking in the sun. Way before, he also used to be a chef, and he found quite a bit of success with that career before moving on to other things.

As for poker, Brian believes playing the skills the game hones can be of great use in day-to-day life, helping one see the big picture, realize all the different angles, put things in perspective, and decide which way to go – just like you do in a poker hand.

Although he says he likes to think of himself as a decent player, Brian doesn’t have any major poker goals. He just enjoys the competition, spending time with friends, and having a good time at the tables.

RunGoodGear Dealer of the Day: Lemlem Woldu

There are some people we’ve had a chance to talk to at the Mixed Game Festival who have been with the Bellagio for a long time, but none of them have been with the company longer than Lemlem Woldu, today’s pick for the Dealer of the Day.

Lemlem came to Las Vegas from Ethiopia in 1997. She got married here and got a job with the Bellagio the following year, as a bus runner, right as the legendary casino opened its doors. She has been here quite literally from the very first day.

Lemlem Woldu Bellagio dealer

After a while, an opportunity arose for employees who wanted to become poker dealers to get the necessary training, and Lemlem jumped on that opportunity. She learned how to deal the cards and never looked back.

There is an important reason she’s stayed with the Bellagio for nearly three decades. She loves the team she works with, the way the management handles things, and all the players who frequent the venue.

Of course, dealing at the Mixed Game Festival is a bit of a different experience, which she describes as both enjoyable and challenging. What she enjoys is that players are relaxed, having fun, and there is a friendly vibe. The challenge, on the other hand, is dealing all the different games, some of which she’s never dealt before – but it’s also fun for her.

When asked about her bucket list item as a poker dealer, she tells us she pretty much achieved all she set out to do. Her work allowed her to raise her two sons and send them to private schools. In her own heartfelt words, “It was this community that made it all possible, and I’m so very grateful for it.”

Day 5 Preview: Pokercoaching Meet-Up Game Time!

Looking ahead to what comes next, Day 5 promises to be a stellar one by all accounts.

Starting at noon, we’ll have a Pokercoaching Meet-Up Game, featuring top veteran pros Jonathan Little and Justin Saliba. The duo will join the action at the tables, so you’ll have a chance to win some chips off of them as well as also ask them some poker strategy questions while splashing around together at the felt.

But wait; there’s more! 🙂 One lucky randomly selected player will also receive a free entry into the $800 Aria Classic H.O.R.S.E event. You just need to be there to have a shot.

Also, a couple of players will receive lifetime passes to Alex Livingston’s Master Mixed Games course, which rates to be one of the best resources for mixed game players, whether you’re just starting or are an experienced player looking to enhance your strategy and find an extra edge.

The good folks at Pokercoaching.com have been longtime friends of ours here at Cardplayer Lifestyle and stalwart supporters of the Mixed Game Festival, regularly giving free 1-month subscriptions to all of our Players of the Day as well as a bunch of other free stuff, so it’ll be a pleasure to co-host the MUG with them.

We’re expecting a full house, so if you have plans to be here, we suggest you call the Bellagio poker room (702) 693-7291 and put your name on the list. That way, you’ll lock in your seat and will be able to get in the action right from the get-go. As mentioned, the action is moving to the main poker room tomorrow, so that’s where you’ll find us!

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