The pandemic may have put an indefinite hold on live tournament series, but it has sped up the development of online tournaments by years. Whereas just a year ago, many pros filled their schedules with live events around the world, now they’re clicking buttons and playing online.
If you’re one of those players, or if you’ve been playing online more frequently during this time, you might be looking for new games to play. Mixed games can seem intimidating, but they don’t have to be. Here are four popular mixed games to try online, along with one that’s having a moment right now.
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2-7 Triple Draw
As the name suggests, in 2-7 Triple Draw each player makes three draws in a single hand. It’s a game of looks — you want to make your hand without tipping your strength to your opponents.
In 2-7 Triple Draw you’re aiming to make weak hands.
You might remember from your No-Limit Hold’em days that the “made” hands in Texas start with two pair. In 2-7 Triple Draw you’re aiming to make weak hands.
The best possible hand is 7-5-4-3-2, also known as the “wheel.” From there the hierarchy goes:
- Straights (but note that a straight from 6-5-4-3-2 is considered a low wreck)
- 3-of-a-kind
- Pairs
- Lower three-way (2-3-4, 2-4-5, 2-5-7, 2-6-8, 3-4-8, 3-6-7, 4-7-8)
- Worst three-way (2-3-6, 2-4-7, 2-5-8, 3-4-8 low wreck, 3-6-8 low wreck)
- Nothing (aka the “independent high”)
Outside of the “made” hands, any hand is only as good as its high card. For that reason, you often see players walk around with a “wheel” printed out and held up to their forehead to signify that they are playing “Ace high.”
Here are a few key tips to get you started in 2-7 Triple Draw:
How to Play 2-7 Triple Draw
- Don’t draw when you shouldn’t
It’s tempting when you first start playing to stand pat (not draw) only with big hands, but that strategy will leave you drawing too many times in the end. Instead, prioritize not drawing over drawing one or two times.
- Pay attention to what your opponents are leaving up
Since this is a game of looks, pay close attention to what your opponents are showing you. If your opponent leaves with a 7 and a 6 , they probably have a pair. If they leave with a 2 and a 3 , they might have a flush draw.
- Be aware of scenarios where you both must draw one
Brain nuke alert! Pay attention in study hall.
There are a few common hand scenarios where both players must draw one. This is a spot where range construction falls apart because mathematically you cannot draw nothing. The most famous example is when you begin with a 3-4-5 and your opponent begins with a 6-7 . You must draw one — if you draw twice you will have a wreck and lose. Similarly, if you begin with a 4-5-7 and your opponent begins with a 6-8 , you must draw one… and so on. Be aware of these spots so you aren’t paralyzed when you find yourself in one.
- Be wary of players who always draw their top card
Players who always draw their top card are likely playing ace high or with a big pair. While this isn’t always true, it’s a safe default assumption.
- Watch for players who leave with a 7 and a 2
When was the last time anyone showed you two deuce-high cards for a bet? Never. So why do players in 2-7 sometimes leave with a 7 and a 2 ? Bluffing, mostly.
- Count your outs
Just like in any drawing game, count your outs to the best hand. That said …
- Don’t get stuck on counting outs
It’s better to draw once than to draw three times and lose. Don’t get fixated on making a two pair and ignore the fact that your opponent is sending you a clear message.
Where to Watch Pros Play 2-7
Every Friday at 5 pm Eastern time, about a dozen pros get together on a private 2-7 Triple Draw table and play for cash and prizes.
Among the regular players are Calvin Anderson, Gary Carnom, Michael Mizrachi, and Chance Kornuth, with special guests stopping by each week.
Benefits of Playing Online Slots Instead of at a CasinoYou can watch their games on the PokerStars YouTube channel. Search for “PokerStars Cage” to find the replays.
Limit Omaha Hi-Lo
Our next stop on the mixed poker games tour is LO8, or Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8-or-Better. If you know Omaha you pretty much know LO8, except that the pot is split between the highest hand and the lowest hand.
The simplest way to calculate a low hand is to follow the “A-2-3-4-5” rule, which says that any five cards following that order will count as a low. (Note that straights and flushes still scoop the entire pot in LO8.)
Aces can be high or low, which means the nut low is A-2-3-4-5. Not only is that the best possible low hand, it’s also the greatest initial dealer button position in LO8. Score one for the small aces.
Here are a few quick tips to get you started in LOmaHA:
How to Play Limit Omaha Hi-Lo
- Focus on made hands
Most of the time the best hand is made on the flop. In LO8 you should focus on playing hands that make strong, flopped sets, straights, flushes or draws to those hands rather than relying on the turn and river to make your hand.
- Be mindful of your opponent’s catch cards
In Omaha every player is dealt nine cards; each player makes two hands using a combination of their hole cards. Pay attention to what your opponent is discarding, and what cards might help them on low. For example if your opponent discards a 7 and you have a 6, you should be worried about being outdrawn on low.
- Steal the pot with a backdoor draw
Let’s say you have 8-9-TJ. The flop comes down T-J-7, giving you a backdoor straight and flush draw. Your hand is basically worthless to win at showdown, but it’s a great hand to steal the pot on an escalating 3-bet pot.
- Anticipate how your hand will rank on both ends
Think about how your hand will stack up on both the high and the low at showdown. Just because you have the nut high does not mean you have the nut low. Conversely, just because you have the nut low doesn’t mean you have anything on high.
- Take into account potential bad finishes
On the flip side of the previous point, consider the ways your hand could finish in the bottom third of the board on either end. For example, if the board shows ##TJ8, you have a king in your hand, and your opponent shows ##K98, they will scoop both halves of the pot.
LO8 gets a lot of action on because it runs on the same 25-second round time as Hold’em.
Free Slots You Can Play Online - Plus, 5 More Free Casino GamesSpin & Go’s are especially popular due to the massive prize jumps in LO8. Winning a quarter of a million dollars? Nut low, I tell you, nut low.
How to Play Pot-Limit Omaha
Pot-limit Omaha (PIO) puts LO8 in the main stream. Since PIO was invented by English pro Taylor Caby, LO8 has been included in the mix, along with No-Limit Hold’em, PLO, Razz, 2-7 Triple Draw, Badugi and the now-defunct HORSE substitutes 8-Game (described below).
Unlike other racing-style games, in 8-Game the lower numbers are bad.
Because PIO uses a horse race style format, the goal is to finish higher up the leaderboard than your opponents. In all the other games the goal is simply to win, so in games like Hold’em and PLO it’s often beneficial to take down a large pot early. In LO8 and 2-7 it’s often better to steal pots and limp through hands in hopes of finishing in the money without sweating a heads-up showdown. Unlikethe other games in PIO, in LO8 the lower numbers are bad.
One major advantage to PIO over other online mixed games is that it’s hyper-Turbo, with bare seconds between hands, but each player gets a 90-second clock to make their decision.
That means you’ll never have to wait on a thinking opponent, and you’ll have plenty of time to make optimal decisions.
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PIO runs almost every day with buy-ins ranging from $106 to $5,200. The best way to register is to contact a PIO representative on a major poker forum such as twitter.com/P IOgame or on TwoPlusTwo under the username PIOsupport.
Badugi
Badugi is a draw game with some resemblance to Omaha. The goal is to make the lowest and completely unfaced hand: four different cards, all of a different suit. An ace is treated as the lowest card, and flushes and straight s don’t exist.
Here are a few key points for getting started in Badugi:
How to Play Badugi
- Draw three times if you must, but four times only as a last resort
Each player makes a four-card hand just as in Omaha, but only the first two cards count. You must discard two cards after the first and second rounds, then reveal your final two to win the pot. Since you’re only using two cards to make your hand, you should usually pass around good cards rather than holding onto them. That said, if you start with a singleton (one of each suit) you should almost always keep it, even if it costs you your big pairs. If you find yourself in a spot where you need to draw three times to save, do so. But think hard about putting all your eggs in the four-cards-down basket. As the saying goes, “Never draw to a Badugi.” If you’re new to the game, players won’t exactly pile into the fourth round with you, but it’s more respectable to get whaled on for betting with trips than for betting with nothing. 2. Study starting hands
Gaming Lyrics that Perfectly Relate to Online Casino GamblingSingletons (one of each suit) are powerful, while paired holes (such as two 4s) are weak. Shoot for singletons in your starting hand. 3. Focus on hand strength at showdown
Unlike most poker games, in Badugi it’s often better to call with strong hands than to raise. Why? Because your goal is to win at showdown, not on some earlier street. Players catching up behind you will be more inclined to call your raises than all-in chips can build a large pot and lock up a win at showdown.
- Understand fold equity
Fold equity refers to the idea that your fold has value because it allows others to fold weaker hands behind them. Let’s say you have queen-high and decide to fold. If a player behind you has king-high, they will certainly fold without knowing you had a queen. Your fold added value to their fold.
- Consider draw flexibility
Imagine you hold T♠ 4♣ 2♦ 2♣ . On the flop you should draw the 5♣ to give yourself the option to hack (have four different cards and be finished with the draw) or to draw one more card to try to make the nut Badugi with a 3♣ . Alternatively, imagine instead that the flop came J♥ 5♠ 3♣ . Now drawing the 3 Diamonds limits your options to hacking only. Anticipating your possible draws and the resulting hand options can help you plan your lines preflop and on the draw.
While Badugi has yet to explode in popularity, it remains a favorite among core mixed players and can be found regularly on PokerStars.
Best No Deposit Bonuses (Updated August '23)How to Play Badugi
To play, use the “Game Type” menu underneath the “Fast Pacific” tab on the PokerStars client to select S&G or sit-and-go. There are multiple variations including standard Badugi, extended add-on times, and bounty formats.
8-Game Mix
Earlier I mentioned that HORSE used to be the mixed game of choice for tournament players, but that 8-Game Mix has taken its place. In recent years 8-Game Mix has become so popular that it’s been added to several major live tournament series including the World Series of Poker, the World Poker Tour, and European Poker Tour.
Why the shift from HORSE to 8-Game Mix? Simple: People like cash games more than they like EIGHT-TO-THE-MOON Stud 8-or-Better.
People like cash games more than they like Eight-to-Moon Stud 8-or-Better. They love No-Limit Hold’em. So tournament directors switched to 8-Game Mix, which includes two rounds of No-Limit Hold’em on the eight-game table.
While there are several variations of 8-Game Mix, the most common games on the rotation are:
- Pot-Limit Omaha
- No-Limit Hold’em
- 2-7 Triple Draw
- Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo
- Texas Hold’em 2-7 No-Limit
- Razz
- Stud Hi-Lo 8-or-Better
- No-Limit Hold’em
If you want to get better at 8-Game Mix, focus on becoming a winning cash game player in each individual game before moving on to the next.
Once you feel comfortable in each game, start practicing 8-Game Mix by jumping into starters buildings on PokerStars that match your bankroll.
Start playing 8-Game Mix 30 minutes per day.
If you’re already comfortable with mixed games, or if you’ve been battling the 8-Game Mix grind, I recommend trying to put in 30 minutes per day studying and reviewing your database. Look for trends in spots you might have gotten wrong, or areas where you might have lost efficiency.
Set aside 30 minutes per day specifically for mixed poker games and 30 minutes per day specifically for reflection and analysis. Over time those 60 minutes will turn into larger sessions, which will translate into profits in your mix game proficiency.
Which Mixed Poker Game Is Right for You?
So which mixed poker game should you try first?
My recommendation is PLO and PLO 8, also known as LO8.
Omaha is naturally a more aggressive game than Hold’em, which translates to more mistakes and more opportunities for profit. Most Hold’em pros can hop into a game and hold their own, but LO8 tends to punish timid players who fail to take down pots.
At the same time, the addition of the high low split opens the door for players to make moves based on scoring on one end or the other, whether or not they have a hand that would pay in a Hold’em game at showdown.
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Chris Wallace is a long-time poker author and journalist. He got his start writing for PokerListings.com and CardPlayer.com in 2007. Currently he writes for several poker sites and companies, including PokerStars.
