Poker Variant

Mixed Games Casinos

Poker rotations that test versatility across Hold'em, Omaha, Stud, and lowball variants. Master all the games or donate to the specialists.

45 US venues offer mixed games.

House Edge
N/A — player vs player
RTP
N/A — player vs player
Typical Min Bet
Varies — mid to high stakes
Pace
Moderate
Category
Poker Variant
Beginner-friendly

Stake.us

Recommended

Free social play · Gold Coins & Stake Cash

Availability
31 states
Continental US + HI
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Social casino only. Gold Coins have no cash value and can't be redeemed. Stake Cash is promotional and can't be purchased.

Casino Directory

Where to play Mixed Games in the US

Showing 12 of 45 venues

Mixed games are poker rotations that cycle through multiple variants — typically changing every orbit or after a set number of hands. The most famous rotation is H.O.R.S.E. (Hold'em, Omaha 8 or Better, Razz, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud 8 or Better), but rooms also spread 8-Game, 10-Game, and dealer's choice. Mixed games reward well-rounded players who are competent across multiple disciplines and punish specialists who only know one game. This is player-versus-player poker, not house-banked. If you can only play Hold'em, you are the target at a mixed table. You'll find live tables at most major properties. See our full US casino directory for venue contact details and hours.

Mixed games are the proving ground for complete poker players. A H.O.R.S.E. table demands competence in five distinct disciplines: the positional aggression of Hold'em, the two-way thinking of Omaha 8, the lowball board-reading of Razz, the memory-intensive upcard tracking of Stud, and the split-pot complexity of Stud 8. The rotation forces you to shift mental gears every few minutes, and players who treat the Omaha round like Hold'em or the Razz round like Stud are the ones who fund the game. Mixed games run at higher stakes than single-variant tables because the skill barrier to entry filters out casual players. For individual game guides, see Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, Razz, and Seven Card Stud.

How to play Mixed Games

  1. Each rotation includes a fixed order of poker variants. In H.O.R.S.E., the order is Hold'em, Omaha 8, Razz, Stud, and Stud 8.

  2. The game changes after a set interval — typically every orbit (each player deals once) or every eight hands. A dealer button tracks the current game.

  3. Players must understand the rules of every game in the rotation. You cannot sit out only the games you dislike.

  4. Betting structures vary by game within the rotation. Hold'em and Omaha rounds are usually limit, matching the stud rounds.

  5. Stud rounds (Razz, Stud, Stud 8) use antes instead of blinds. The rotation handles the shift between blind-based and ante-based games seamlessly.

  6. In dealer's choice, the player with the button selects the game for that orbit. Common call options include Badugi, 2-7 Triple Draw, and Big O.

Mixed Game Rotations and Rules

The standard H.O.R.S.E. rotation cycles through five games: Limit Hold'em, Omaha 8 or Better (limit), Razz, Seven Card Stud (limit), and Seven Card Stud 8 or Better (limit). All five are played with fixed-limit betting. The game changes each orbit, with each player dealing one rotation of the current game before the mix advances. A plaque or electronic display on the table shows which game is currently in play. The dealer button for Hold'em and Omaha 8 rounds is distinct from the bring-in button used in stud rounds — both track position in their respective games.

8-Game expands the rotation to include No-Limit Hold'em, Pot-Limit Omaha, and 2-7 Triple Draw alongside the limit games. This adds no-limit and pot-limit betting structures to the mix, testing a player's ability to shift between limit and big-bet disciplines. The eight games are: 2-7 Triple Draw, Limit Hold'em, Omaha 8, Razz, Stud, Stud 8, No-Limit Hold'em, and Pot-Limit Omaha. Dealer's choice games allow the button to call any game. Popular dealer's choice additions include Badugi (a four-card lowball draw game), Big O (five-card Omaha Hi-Lo), Archie, and Dramaha (a split-pot draw/Omaha hybrid).

  • What games are in H.O.R.S.E.?

    Hold'em, Omaha 8 or Better, Razz, Seven Card Stud, and Seven Card Stud 8 or Better. All five are played in a fixed-limit structure, shifting to the next game after each orbit.

Editorial Strategy

Strategy & etiquette for Mixed Games

  • Identify the weakest games in your skill set and improve them. Mixed games reward players who are competent in every variant, not masters of one.

  • Game selection is strategy. If you are the best Razz player at the table, those rounds are where you print money. If you are the worst Stud player, minimize losses there.

  • In H.O.R.S.E., the stud rounds (Razz, Stud, Stud 8) reward memory and attention. Track folded upcards obsessively — the stud games are information games.

  • The transition between blind games and ante games creates natural aggression shifts. Players who miss the shift bleed chips for the first few hands of a new game.

  • Table talk matters in mixed games. Players often announce the current game to avoid mistakes. If you are unsure what game is being dealt, ask — the cost of playing the wrong game is far worse than the embarrassment of asking.

  • Fixed-limit structures dominate mixed games. Adjust your post-flop approach: in limit, drawing correctly is more important than bet sizing.

Where to play in the US

Top land-based casinos to play Mixed Games

Editorial picks for visitors who want a real-floor Mixed Games session. Ranked by directory depth (table counts, amenities, and floor quality). Tap any card for the full property review.

  1. #1Casinos
    Editor's pick
    Mohegan Sun — uncasville

    Mohegan Sun

    Uncasville, Connecticut

    5,532 slots · 377 tables · 42 poker tables · 24/7

    Selection100
    Value70
    Experience100

    Games available

    • 3 Card Poker
    • Baccarat
    • Caribbean Stud Poker

    Property

    • Golf
    • Open 24 7
    • Pool
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  2. #2Card rooms
    Commerce Casino — commerce

    Commerce Casino

    Commerce, California

    83 tables · 160 poker tables · 24/7

    Selection100
    Value65
    Experience100

    Games available

    • 21st Century Baccarat
    • 21st Century Blackjack
    • 3 Card Poker

    Property

    • Open 24 7
    • Restaurant
    • Self Parking
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  3. #3Casinos
    Stay & play
    Live! Casino & Hotel — hanover

    Live! Casino & Hotel

    Hanover, Maryland

    4,000 slots · 200 tables · 50 poker tables · 24/7

    Selection100
    Value73
    Experience100

    Games available

    • 3 Card Poker
    • Baccarat
    • Big 6

    Property

    • Bar
    • Nightclub
    • Open 24 7
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Rankings reflect directory data depth (floor counts, game variety, amenity tags) re-verified quarterly. They are not a substitute for current operating status; confirm hours and game spread directly with each casino before visiting.

Mixed Game Strategy

The fundamental strategic skill in mixed games is knowing which games you have an edge in and which you do not. At a mixed table, every player has relative strengths. The Hold'em specialist who crushes the H round may have no idea what a qualifying low is in Omaha 8. The stud veteran who tracks every folded card may be uncomfortable with the pre-flop dynamics of No-Limit Hold'em. Your goal is to maximize profit in your strong games and minimize losses in your weak ones. Do not hero-call in games you barely understand. Tighten up in unfamiliar variants and expand your aggression in the games you know best.

Adapting to the betting structure is a meta-skill. In a rotation that mixes limit and big-bet games, a player who fires pot-sized bets in PLO but checks down marginal hands in limit Hold'em has a structural leak. Limit games reward correct drawing frequency — if you have the right price to chase, you chase. Big-bet games reward precise bet sizing — overbetting the turn with the nuts is correct in PLO and No-Limit but impossible in limit. The mental load of tracking the current game, its betting structure, the hand in progress, and the positional dynamics is immense. Play fewer tables in mixed rotations than you would in single-variant games. For related games, see Pot-Limit Omaha and No-Limit Hold'em.

Common Mixed Games variants

  • H.O.R.S.E.

    The classic five-game rotation: Hold'em, Omaha 8, Razz, Stud, Stud 8. All limit. The most widely spread mixed format.

  • 8-Game

    Eight-game rotation adding No-Limit Hold'em, PLO, and 2-7 Triple Draw. Tests both limit and big-bet skills.

  • Dealer's Choice

    The player with the button chooses the game for that orbit. Any variant can be called. Requires the broadest poker knowledge.

  • 10-Game

    Expanded rotation adding Badugi and another variant to 8-Game. Rare but occasionally spread in high-stakes rooms.

Where to Play Mixed Games

Mixed games are the domain of mid-to-high stakes poker rooms. In Las Vegas, the Bellagio, Aria, and Wynn are the primary venues for mixed-game cash tables, typically starting at $20/$40 limit and escalating from there. During the World Series of Poker at the Horseshoe and Paris, mixed-game tables run around the clock at a wide range of stakes, and H.O.R.S.E. and 8-Game tournaments are on the main schedule. Resorts World and the Venetian also spread mixed games during big tournament series.

Outside of Las Vegas, mixed games appear at Commerce and the Bike in Los Angeles, Parx in Pennsylvania, and MGM National Harbor in Maryland. The key to finding a mixed game is calling the poker room directly. Ask about their mixed-game spread or look for H.O.R.S.E. tournaments on the schedule — cash games often coalesce around tournament events. Browse our US casino directory to find poker rooms near you.

  • Is H.O.R.S.E. harder than regular Hold'em?

    Yes, significantly. You must be competent in five games instead of one. The stud games require a different cognitive skill set (upcard memory, dead card tracking), and the Omaha rounds require two-way thinking that Hold'em players often lack.

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