Mixed Game Festival XII Hits Vegas in November

When most people in modern times think of “poker”, what they picture is generally going to be a variant of no limit hold ’em or pot limit Omaha. The two-card & four-card flop games are the ubiquitous modern image of of the game.

But there’s more to poker than just community board games, and the Mixed Game Festival (MGF) looks to add a little variety to the modern poker series. While players can often find less common variants in big series like summer poker party at the World Series of Poker, one focus of the MGF is to bring those unusual games to a larger audience with more accessible buy-ins.

The latest edition, MGF XII, takes place over five days at Resorts World Las Vegas from November 16 – 20, 2025.

What is the Mixed Game Festival?

What makes up the MGF? With 11 previous editions (poker.pro has covered several Festivals, including MGF X) under its belt since 2021, the format will be familiar to previous attendees. Headlined by $4/$8 Dealer’s Choice cash games, there is a lot more than just poker action at the tables.

Founded by CardPlayer Lifestyle owner/editor Robbie Strazynski, the MGF looks to bring some lifestyle to the poker action, with a wide variety of off-table activities such as trivia competitions, scavenger hunts, poker book signings, and beginner lessons.

Festivals typically kick off with a player pizza party that is often also a bit of a potluck with players bringing extra treats like cookies and handmade goodies for fellow players. In addition to celebrity guests (in the past, guests have included Greg Raymer, Eli Elezra, Bernard Lee, Dylan Linde, Amanda Botfeld, Ashley Adams, Chris Wallace, and Shawn Grigus), founder Strazynski can usually be found wandering throughout the festival, often bearing treats for players.

While there is a lot of activity off the tables, the MGF is really about mixed game poker, and the $4/$8 cash games are featured throughout the festival, featuring the usual variety of games found in the WSOP Dealer’s Choice games as well as some more unusual variants like Drawmaha and “house game specials”.

Additionally, the festivals generally feature at least one MTT in formats like HORSE or hi/lo split-pot games. One of the features of the MGF games is the low buy-ins for tournaments. With the feature game at MGF generally less than $1k to get in, it opens up the less common variants of the game to a wider range of player bankrolls.

History of the MGF

All previous editions of MGF have included a grand prize, generally awarded to the winner of the marquee tournament for the weekend. The most recent edition, sponsored by BetMGM Poker (previous sponsors have included Pokercoaching.com, BBO Poker Tables, Faded Spade Playing Cards, RunGoodGear, D&B Poker, and PokerGO), awarded more than $15,000 in prizes, including four seats into the 2025 BetMGM Poker Championship, an $800 H.O.R.S.E. seat at the Aria Poker Classic, loads of premium poker merchandise, and more. While the prizes for the upcoming festival are still to be announced, previous editions have awarded prizes for the Malta Poker Festival, the PSPC, EPT, WPT, & NAPT.

If you’re a little tired of community board games and are looking to spice up your poker experience with a little variety, the MGF gives you that added spice without breaking the bank. Head to Resorts World Las Vegas starting Nov 16 to get your fill at the Mixed Game Festival XII.