Mixed Games Strategies

Q: Are mid to higher-stakes mixed games growing or declining? Where is the best place to play and learn to play since I cannot play online anymore?

A: Higher stakes mixed games are growing as higher stakes no-limit games are drying up. Many no-limit players are finding mixed games a more attractive way to spend time playing poker. For example our $300-$600 mixed game on the East coast is now made up of about 25-30 players in total. Approximately one-third of these players were solely no-limit hold’em players until the last year or two. We changed the mix a couple years ago to include no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha in the mix (both with a cap) so that we could attract the big bet players to the game. We now have a choice of 15 different games to play in the mix and usually play between six and ten games depending on which players show up for the game.

The games we can choose from are: Limit Hold’em, Omaha eight-or-better, razz, 2-7 Razz, stud, stud eight-or-better, triple draw, no-limit hold’em, pot-limit Omaha, badugi, badeucy, badacey, razz-deucy, and razz-dacey

Q: What types of players do you find difficult to play against and why? What makes the toughest players tough?

A: Aggressive opponents are the toughest. Players who are constantly fighting with me to take the lead are the hardest to deal with. In limit poker, similar to big bet poker, taking the lead in a hand is so valuable. Keeping the lead throughout the hand makes it easier for you to define your opponent’s range based on their actions and how they react to your bets.

Q: What are some common mistakes or gripes you see with the way mixed-game or non-hold’em game tournament structures are established for the major tournament series like the WSOP and other large casino events?

A: The biggest mistake mixed-game tournaments were structured in the past had to do with early levels being meaningless. When you start with 30,000 in chips in a $10k WSOP event and you are playing 50-100 stud, the most your chip stack could possibly deviate is by about 20 percent in a level. But most likely 90 percent of the field will have a chips stack within 5 percent of their starting stack after level 1 and probably 10 percent of their starting stack at the end of level 2.

Finally, through many mixed-game players voicing their displeasure in the past, the WSOP has decided to start the first level of their big mixed-game tournaments with the limits that used to not be seen until the fourth level of a tournament. This year, for example, we played the $5,000 stud event with 15,000 in chips and a starting level of 200-400. The first four levels will all be 200-400 with no increase until the fifth level. This is great. Now each and every level will matter.

Q: When playing seven card stud, should I be calling any number of bets with three suited cards? What if it’s three bets to me? Does your answer change if I’m playing seven card stud eight-or-better?

A: In stud you should not be calling any number of bets or raises with any three suited cards. You need to consider the big picture of all the up cards dealt to your opponents and then factor in these “dead” cards. If you have a hand such as Q J 10 and there are no clubs out and no nines, tens, jacks, queens or kings out you have a monster holding. In this case you should be playing your hand for any amount of bets. But if you have a hand such as Q 8 3 and an opponent completes with a queen and another player raises with an ace and there are three other clubs out, your hand becomes an easy fold.

In stud eight-or-better, three suited low cards are almost always a monster holding and can be played for many bets on third street. Hands such as Q J 3 with two suited high cards don’t play nearly as well and must be played with caution. As in stud, the dead cards really tell the story of whether you holding is huge or not so good. In all stud games, the dead cards are as important as the cards in your hand.

Q: I play in low-stakes stud games, so there tends to be four, five and sometimes six players seeing fourth street. If I’m dealt a big hand, like split aces or kings, or even a rolled up hand, should I be mashing the pot early or waiting for the betting limits to double on fifth street?

A: As a matter of practice you certainly want to get in as many bets as you can in stud when you have the best hand. So even though your pots are going to stay multiway no matter how many times you raise I would recommend building a pot early with your top holdings. Aces, kings, and rolled up are rarely behind and if you make a practice of pounding these hands early you will find them easier to play on later streets. Waiting for fifth street to raise is a common practice in low-limit and high-limit stud games, but I find it more profitable to do so only rarely. I would advise against it until you feel you are at the very highest level of ability in the stud games. ♠

Glantz is answering Card Player reader questions about mixed-game poker strategy. Readers can email Matt questions direct to [email protected] and also should check out this website www.mattglantzpoker.com for more strategy and updates from the tournament trail.