Top 5 Reasons to Start Playing Mixed Games
In recent years, the popularity of Texas Hold'em on television has made it the world's favorite poker game. Because the rules are so easy to learn, the game is easily accessible to novices and is a great place to start if you've never played poker before. However, while Hold'em is a fun and extremely popular game, there is a whole world of other poker games out there that are often sadly ignored by Hold'em enthusiasts. Learning to play other games, like Stud, Omaha, Badugi, or Triple Draw, can be a rewarding experience for the following reasons.
Learning New Poker Games will Make Your Hold'em Game Stronger
It's true; learning other games will make you a better overall poker player, and will increase your edge in every game you play. There's no question that playing games that are out of your comfort zone will help you gain perspective on poker as a whole, and make you more aware of different circumstances that will continuously arise no matter what game you are playing.
Not Many Players Have Mastered Mixed Games
Because of the popularity of Hold'em, many players (even masters of Hold'em) aren't so great at playing other poker games like Razz or Omaha. They have spent so many hours playing Hold'em that they haven't given the proper attention to mixed games. However, this doesn't seem to stop them from jumping in a non-Hold'em game despite often being in over their heads. If you spend some time learning different games, you will have a significant edge even over some of the most experienced Hold'em players when the opportunity arises.
Participating in Mixed Tournaments
The ability to play in mixed game tournaments (like H.O.R.S.E. or 8 Game Mix) can be both enjoyable and advantageous. As mentioned above, many players (even pros) are not masters of every poker game variation, which puts them at a significant disadvantage to those who can play all games well. It is surprisingly common to see players enter a Mix Game tournament with the intention of "playing tight" in several of the games due to their lack of experience or understanding of those variations. Therefore, if you can manage to master all of the games being played, you will have an edge over many players.
Bragging Rights
It's been mentioned several times that most players (even some of the top pros) do not possess the ability to play Mixed Games well. Spending some time learning these games (and learning to play them well), will certainly make you a well-rounded poker player, and everyone will know it. The bragging rights associated with being able to play a mix game rotation might just be worth it alone.
Mixed Games are Fun!
While Hold'em is certainly an enjoyable game to play, learning the complexities of games like Badugi and Triple Draw can be very rewarding. If you like the action in No Limit Hold'em, you'll love the huge pots that are a regular occurrence in Pot Limit Omaha. Mixed games are a fun way to branch out of the monotony of playing one single poker game, and learning to play them online is good way to start small and experiment with each one.
