In addition to Horse, other mixed games have been increasing in popularity over the last couple of years. Popular enough for many poker sites to take notice and add them to their roster of games.
Many players enjoy playing these games to broaden their horizons. It’s been said countless times that a true test of a poker player’s skill is how well they do over a variety of games — not just one. Other players enjoy playing mixed games to break the monotony of their daily grind.
If for anything else, you should learn how to play mixed games for the entertainment. If you have yet to learn how to play mixed games, I’m going to help you to get started. I have provided the information you need below.
Betting Rules For Mixed Poker Games
Most mixed poker games, with the exception of 7 to 10 game poker, are acronyms for the games in their rotation. So, if you want to learn how to play a specific mixed game, then you’ll need to know what each game is in it’s rotation and the game’s rules.
We’ve already gone over the rules for most of the games that you’ll encounter in any given mixed game. So instead of posting them all again here, I’ll just post the links so that you can visit the specific pages you need.
We also have a page dedicated to more information on Horse. However, most of the information on this page will apply to mixed games in general.
Mixed Poker Game Variations
There are many mixed game variations. It seems like a new one is popping up all the time. Here is a list of the most popular variations including info on what games are included and the most commonly used betting format.
- HEROS: Limit Holdem, Stud Hi/Lo, Razz, Omaha Hi/Lo and Stud Hi.
- HA: Pot limit Holdem and Omaha.
- Mixed Holdem: A mix of limit and no limit Holdem.
- 7-Game: Limit Holdem, Stud Hi/Lo, Razz, Omaha Hi/Lo, Stud Hi, no limit Holdem and pot limit Omaha.
- 8-game: Limit holdem, pot limit Omaha Hi, limit Stud Hi/Lo, limit 2-7 Triple Draw, limit Stud Hi, no limit Holdem, limit Omaha Hi/Lo and limit Razz.
- 9-game: Limit Holdem, limit Stud Hi/Lo, pot limit Omaha, limit 2-7 Triple Draw, limit Razz, no limit Holdem, limit Omaha Hi/Lo, limit Stud Hi and no limit 2-7 Triple Draw.
- 10-game: Limit Holdem, limit Stud Hi/Lo, pot limit Omaha, limit 2-7 Triple Draw, limit Razz, no limit Holdem, limit Omaha Hi/Lo, limit Stud, no limit 2-7 Triple Draw and limit Badugi.
- HO: Limit Holdem and Omaha Hi/Lo.
- HOE: Limit Holdem, Omaha Hi/Lo and Stud Hi/Lo.
- HOSE: Limit Holdem, Omaha Hi/Lo, Stud Hi and Stud Hi/Lo.
- OA: Pot limit Omaha and PLO Hi/Lo.
- OE: Limit Omaha Hi/Lo and Stud Hi/Lo.
- SE: Limit Stud Hi and Stud Hi/Lo.
- SHOE: Limit Stud, Texas Holdem, Omaha Hi/Lo and Stud Hi/Lo.
- RASH: Limit Razz, Omaha, Stud and Holdem.
Other combinations can be made up as well. And believe it or not, but each mixed game combination will require a slightly different strategy. For example, a strategy that works well for HOSE might not work so well for a game of SHOE. This is due to the order of the games and in some cases, the betting formats too.
Mixed Game Rotations
The frequency in which the games rotate will depend on where you’re playing and the format (cash or tournament). But the most common frequencies include:
- Every 8 hands or 1 orbit.
- Every time the blinds increase.
- After so many (pre-determined) minutes or hours.
Since the rotation will vary from game to game, you’ll want to be sure of the structure before you sit down to play. For one thing, it’s costly to be playing one game while everyone is playing another — not to mention embarrassing. But it will also alter your strategy. If your main game is Holdem and you have 1-hour rounds, that gives you plenty of time to accumulate chips so that you can tighten up for the other rounds. However, if the games change every 8 hands or 5 minutes, then you’re going to want to be well versed in them since you’ll be playing them more frequently.
