Tips for Improving Mixed Game Results

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If you want to be a successful poker player long-term, you can no longer get by with playing only NL Hold’em. The same holds true if you want to become an elite player. At times, you have to play mixed games in order to find profitable games.

Today, we will give you a few tips for improving your results in mixed games. Generally, these tips work best for cash games over poker tournaments, but the concepts can hold true in some mixed game events.

Become Proficient in Stud Games

Most major mixed games will have multiple variations of Stud. HORSE and 8-Game have three variants of Stud. Dealer’s choice will have at least three variants of Stud along with games like Stud Hi-Lo regular.

Phil Ivey is perhaps the best mixed games player in the world.

If you do not learn to play Stud games effectively, then you will be consistently giving away chips to your opponents. Razz is the game out of the three stud variants that give players the most headaches, but Stud Hi-Lo is usually the game players misunderstand the most. Scooping pots in Stud 8 is the key to playing the game effectively.

For those new to mixed games, concentrate on improving your Stud poker play and you will see results improve almost immediately.

Don’t Get Cute Against Rocks

Mixed games, and limit games in general, are typically littered with rocky players. Since you cannot raise tight players out of many pots pre-flop or third street, you need to pay attention to their play on the flop or later streets.

If your opponent is calling bets from you or raising you, this is not a time to get cute or chase down long shots. Solid players in limit games are experts at extracting extra bets from you so don’t give them the chance. Wait until they are weak. You will figure this out quickly as the solid players are usually the easiest to read.

Sometimes You Call Even When You’re Beat

Due to the nature of limit games, there will be many times where you will be in a situation facing a bet at the river but forced to call due to the size of the pot.

For example, you are in Hold’em and raise with A-8 suited on the button. On the flop, you make middle pair. Your opponent check calls bets on the flop and turn. Ace spikes on the river and your opponent bets out. Chances are that ace just hit him and you just lost the hand.

Daniel Negreanu has won multiple mixed game titles and knows sometimes the pot forces you to call.

However, if you look at the pot, there are six big bets in the pot. You are going to make the call here for two reasons. First, you are getting 6 to 1 on your call. Next, there is still a chance your pair is good, albeit a slim chance. Sometimes the cards say you are beaten, but the math forces you to call. With that said, sometimes the crying call will prove to be a winner.

While the above tips will not make you a mixed games champion, they will help you to improve your results as you continue to expand your poker repertoire. Good luck to you at the tables.

Take Advantage of Specialists

You will regularly play against players who like to focus on a couple of games but are weaker in others. Look out for these weaknesses and try to exploit players during their weaker games.

For many younger players, they will focus heavily on Hold’em and Omaha Hi-Lo but will not be as skillful in Stud or Triple Draw variants. This is another advantage to being proficient in all games and not just the flop-based games.

You’ll often find these specialists trying to fold their way through their weaker games, giving you more opportunities to steal pots.