8 Game Mix Poker is a mixed-game format that gathers eight different poker variants and sends them round the same table in rotation. One seat, eight disciplines, all taking their turn like siblings sharing the back seat on a long drive.
Mixed games have picked up plenty of followers in recent years, helped along by the arrival of Championship H.O.R.S.E. events at the World Series. This format takes that idea further by widening the mix.
Tables run with six players, and the game in play switches every six hands. In tournaments, the switch happens every level instead.
Bets, Payouts & Rules
The rotation always follows the same running order, so you can see what is coming next. The eight games included are:
- Limit 2-7 Triple Draw
- Limit Hold'em
- Limit Omaha Eight or Better (Hi/Lo)
- Razz
- Limit Seven Card Stud
- Limit Stud Eight or Better (Hi/Lo)
- No Limit Hold'em
- Pot Limit Omaha
Play opens with six hands of Limit 2-7 Triple Draw, then moves to Limit Hold'em, and continues down the order. Once the final hand of Pot Limit Omaha is done, the rotation loops back to the beginning and starts again.
How the format differs from other mixes
Most mixed games, H.O.R.S.E. included, are played as limit only. This one breaks that pattern by including rounds of No Limit Hold'em and Pot Limit Omaha.
When the rotation reaches those two games, the blind and ante structure is adjusted so the format stays consistent across the whole cycle.
Features & Bonus Rounds
Rotating game format
The defining mechanic is the rotation itself. Each variant brings its own hand rankings and betting structure, so the table changes character regularly rather than settling into one rhythm.
On-table game display
The game currently in play is shown at the top of the table window, along with how many hands have been played in that round. Handy for the moment someone insists they were still in Razz.
Trying the format first
If mixed games are new to you, free poker tables are available so you can get a feel for how the rotation works before playing real money poker. There is also coverage of 8 Game Mix on poker TV programming if you would rather watch a rotation play out first.
Related mixed variants
- H.O.R.S.E., another rotation of well-known poker games
- Hold'em/Omaha, a smaller two-game mix
Mixed games are also part of the poker tournament selection.
Taste & Feel
This is poker for people who like variety in their sitting. Draw, stud, hi/lo splits and community-card games all appear, and the format shuffles along before anyone gets too settled into one style.
Six-handed tables keep things involved, while the running hand count at the top of the screen gives the whole session a gentle sense of progress through the cycle.
It makes a pleasant change of pace from a straight Texas Hold'em table, with seven other games tagging along for company.