Mixed Games Summer Series
Well it’s offical folks, mixed games are back! On 15th January MGA set-up for a week long, 7 event schedule of mixed games spreading 11 variants into an already impressive array of games being hosted by the Australian Poker Tour. There has been a lull and definitely a void that needed to be filled and MGA are here along side APT for (at least) the whole of 2023 bringing many different poker variants in the form of events and training.
The first series saw us cover the following games (in no particular order):
- Limit Holdem
- Stud hi/lo – 8 or better
- Razz
- Omaha Hi/lo – 8 or better
- Stud
- 2-7 Triple draw
- No Limit 2-7 Single draw
- Ace to 5 triple draw
- Badugi Triple draw
- NLH & PLO
The tournament series has been split into different mixes and one single discipline.
And this is our spread of tournaments:
Event 1 – H.E.R.O.S.
- Limit Holdem
- Stud hi/lo – 8 or better
- Razz
- Omaha Hi/lo – 8 or better
- Stud
Event 2 – T.H.E.R.O.S.
- 2-7 Triple draw
- Limit Holdem
- Stud hi/lo – 8 or better
- Razz
- Omaha Hi/lo – 8 or better
- Stud
Event 3 – Triple triple Draw
- 2-7 Triple draw
- Ace to 5 triple draw
- Badugi
Event 4 – 8 Game
- 2-7 Triple draw
- Limit Holdem
- Stud hi/lo – 8 or better
- Razz
- Omaha Hi/lo – 8 or better
- Stud
- NLH
- PLO
Event 5 – 9 Game
- NLH
- Stud
- Omaha Hi/lo – 8 or better
- Razz
- PLO
- Limit Holdem
- No limit 2-7 single draw
- Stud hi/lo – 8 or better
- 2-7 Triple draw
Event 6 – H.E.R.O.S.
- Limit Holdem
- Stud hi/lo – 8 or better
- Razz
- Omaha Hi/lo – 8 or better
- Stud
Event 7 – No Limit 2-7 Single draw
This is the only single discipline tournament of the series and considered to be one of the most popular going forwards with its fast paced action and bluff opportunities!
Player of the Series Competition
It was decided relatively late in the lead up to this event to run a “player of the series” competition with different weightings for event runners and buy-in with those finishing in the money accumulating points.
The trophy was sponsored by MGA and the bragging rights are for the winner!
There were 13 players that agreed to stump up $600 each to create a prizepool of $7,800 to be split among the top 3 points getters. And the battle begins!
Scroll to the end for spoilers and the full results!
Event 1 - H.E.R.O.S. - Sponsored by Big Boy Car Rentals
The opening event for MGA was a new spin on and old favourite. You may have known this mix previously referred to as “HORSE”, well its the same games in a different order. Why? Well I’m glad you asked! Last year it was recommended by the Tournament Directors Association (TDA) that the games of Stud and Stud hi/lo – 8 or better NOT be played one after the other so as not to potentially confuse players when the game changes. So we went to work on a new acronym and HEROS it became!
All the hardcore fixed limit players turned up for this one including two time WSOP Seven Card Stud bracelet winner, Mel Judah, who would ultimately go heads up in this event.
Melbourne’s own ‘lady of mixed games’ Joan Allen would be crowned our champion. The only female in the field and proved too strong for the boys!
Top placings as follows:
1st – Joan Allen $6,460
2nd – Mel Judah $4,360
3rd – Lucas Durante $2,620
4th – Harris Soetikno $2,090
5th – Matthew Ginn $1,920
Congrats to all!
Event 2 - T.H.E.R.O.S - Busy Beaver Airport Parking
Adding Limit 2-7 Triple Draw to the mix today saw an extra couple of entries from “yesterdays HEROS” with a total of 34 battling it out in Event 2. All games are fixed limit meaning you can only bet and then raise to a maximum of 4 raises on each betting street. One of the hardest concepts for new players to get used to because from a ‘pot odds’ perspective it can look like you are getting the right price every hand!
Top placings as follows:
1st – Darcy Stephens $5,380
2nd – Andrew Shanahan $3,635
3rd – Matthew Ginn $2,180
4th – Harris Soetikno $1,745
5th – Daniel Mayoh $1,600
All the cash returning to Victoria for this event.
The heads up battle, and more particularly the final hand of the tournament, is one for the record books. On the turn, Maddog Shanahan gets it all in with (what would end up being) the nut low hand and is called by the second nut low hand (following river card). This is relevant because its Holdem an the best hand wins, which, in this case was 7 high!
And its only event 2, what else is in store for us!
Event 3 - Triple Triple Draw - Sponsored by A.C.E. Group
Lock in another 35 runners for yet another mixed game if you don’t mind! This time, for the first time in Australian history (zero research can be provided to back this up), a Triple Triple Draw event has been run and won!
Melbourne’s David Gorr who won the prestigious Aussie Millions main event for $2,00,000 in 2011 has added a much more prestigious award to the trophy and bracelet cabinet by taking down the first ever Triple Ttriple Draw event in Australia! Well done Dave!
Top placings as follows:
1st – David Gorr $6,285
2nd – Sal Ribbera $3,950
3rd – Daniel Mayoh $2,695
4th – Brian Hull $1,975
5th – Ashwin Jholl $1,615
6th – Tim Marsters $1,435
Some star studded fields in the mix including Tim Masters’ first cash of the series as well as Aussie Hall of famer, Gary Benson bubbling the final table!
Event 4 - 8 Game - Sponsored by Andrew’s Airport Parking
Wednesdays 8 Game saw 34 players register for this event immediately following the 32 player field for the satellite generating 4 seats and cash for the soft bubble!
Some familiar names made our final table and ultimately cashed (again) for yet another event, but we have another unique champion! Damian Walsh proved too strong and overcame a large chip deficit coming into heads up to be crowned the champion (from a $125 Satellite entry!).
Top placings as follows:
1st – Damian Walsh $8,650
2nd – Lucas Durante $5,800
3rd – Kurt Tucker $3,500
4th – Adrian King $2,800
5th – Sal Ribbera $2,550
Plenty of mixed action still coming!
Get in the mix!
Event 5 - 9 Game - Sponsored by Andrew’s Airport Parking
The creme al’a creme, the Main Event, the big one! This $1,150 buy-in event drew 31 legends of the game following a satellite offering 4 seats into the event plus cash for the soft bubble. The only scheduled two day event of the series saw us bag up after 14 levels and return Saturday at 12 noon where we would get to heads up in record time!
Eugene ‘Trix’ Portlen versus Tim Masters in a the heads up battle. If the bookies were going to place bets, I’m sure the money would have been on Tim BUT Trix was able to duck, weave and take down the “Marster” (pun intended) and be crowned the MGA Mixed Summer Series Main Event Champion!
When the chips evened up the lads agreed on a deal (MGA approved) where $2,000 would be set aside for the ultimate winner and $8,450 locked into the second place payout.
Well done Trix!
Top placings as follows:
1st – Eugene “Trix” Portlen $10,450
2nd – Tim Marsters $8,450
3rd – Gary Benson $4,580
4th – Ashwin Jholl $3,660
5th – Sal Ribbera $3,360
At this point of the week, we have 5 unique winners but the real winner is mixed games in Australia!
Event 6 - H.E.R.O.S. - Sponsored by Busy Beaver Airport Parking
Another similarly star studded and stacked field of 23 went shoulder to shoulder in this second last event. Many looking for their first cash and some looking to “ladder up” in the prestigious “Player of the Series” competition. Whatever the motivation it was going to be a battle!
The structure was deep, the players ran it even deeper evidenced by the average of around 2.5 big bets each when we were on the money bubble!
Once the bubble burst, the play didn’t really speed up but we eventually made it to heads up and Ash versus Dan with maybe 5 big bets each would be taken to the streets …
Ultimately, in the wee hours of Sunday morning Ash Gupta would be victorious and be crowned the H.E.R.O.S. Champ.
One more event to go, quite a few players can make a run at the “Player of the Series” title.
Top placings as follows:
1st – Ash Gupta $4,720
2nd – Daniel Mayoh $2,950
3rd – Jarrett Bullock $2,360
4th – Ashwin Jholl $1,770
Get in the mix!
Event 7 - No Limit 2-7 Single Draw - Sponsored by Esteem Vitality
The OG Cadillac of Poker! The only other game that was considered to be the “World Championship Event” back in the day when No Limit Holdem was ultimately agreed upon. This is old school draw poker, single draw, no limit, low ball!
The game is in the name! You are looking for 2,3,4,5,7 with one off suit card, this is the “Nuts”. Aces are high, straights and flushes work against you in having a strong hand … and you get one draw to make the best “low”.
An absolute monty to get the NLH players across the divide and try something new in the closing event – and come across they did! We would see 37 entries into a very fairly priced $250 tournament, come get it!
Matthew Ginn, crowned by me as the “MVP” in this summer series made not only a strong run and managed not only another cash, having cashed 3 out of 4 mixed games played but he also took down the win!
The final hand would see both players drawing one card. Matt rolls over a Queen on the draw for Queen low and was drawing to a ten. His opponent was drawing better but couldn’t get the job done when he drew a King! Matt Ginn takes down the win!
Top placings as follows:
1st – Matthew Ginn $2,770
2nd – Eric Sturm $1,740
3rd – Corey Secco $1,185
4th – Daniel Mayoh $870
5th – Ashwin Jholl $710
6th – Tim Marsters $635
Well done Matt! And congrats to all who played this event, another first for Australia!
POS standings after 7 events
| Rank | Name | Points | Cashes | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Daniel Mayoh* |
224.1 |
4 |
– |
|
2 |
Ashwin Jholl* |
207.9 |
4 |
– |
|
3 |
Sal Ribbera |
200.85 |
3 |
– |
|
4 |
Mathew Ginn |
193.7 |
3 |
1 |
|
5 |
Tim Marsters* |
187.2 |
3 |
1 |
|
6 |
Lucas Durante* |
158.6 |
2 |
– |
|
7 |
Eugene Portlen* |
157 |
1 |
1 |
|
8 |
Damian Walsh |
124.8 |
1 |
1 |
|
9 |
Darcy Stephens* |
104 |
1 |
1 |
|
9 |
Harris Soeitkno* |
104 |
2 |
– |
|
9 |
Joan Allen* |
104 |
1 |
1 |
|
9 |
David Gorr |
104 |
1 |
1 |
|
13 |
Gary Benson* |
97.5 |
1 |
– |
|
14 |
Ash Gupta* |
96 |
1 |
1 |
|
15 |
Andrew Shanahan* |
78 |
1 |
– |
|
15 |
Mel Judah |
78 |
1 |
|
|
15 |
Kurt Tucker |
78 |
1 |
|
|
18 |
Adrian King |
62.4 |
1 |
|
|
18 |
Eric Sturm |
62.4 |
1 |
|
|
20 |
Jarrett Bullock* |
60 |
1 |
|
|
21 |
Brian Hull |
52 |
1 |
|
|
21 |
Corey Secco |
52 |
1 |
|
*Indicates players in contention for optional cash prize pool in POS
And we have an outright winner for the cash prize as well as the trophy! A very consistent run from Dan Mayoh saw him take down the big prize of over $4.5k in POS prize money and the trophy. It all came down to event 7 and 3 of the final table were still in the running to take this down. They would finish 1,2 & 3 in the POS cash prize and 1,2 & 5 in the offical POS ladder.
Cash payouts as follows:
1st Daniel Mayoh $4,680
2nd Ashwin Jholl $1,950
3rd Tim Marsters $1,170
A massive thank you to the mixed game community getting behind MGA and attending this first event, without you this is just banners and cards!
To our major sponsor, the Andrew’s group, you went above and beyond helping us create a big splash into the mixed streets and helped enormously in making this first event a success! Thank you!
If you are looking for Airport Parking and Car Hire for Adelaide, Melbourne or Brisbane then hit up our sponsors.
I would also like to thank Esteem Vitality and A.C.E. Group for their support of MGA, see our sponsors page for offers and details of all our sponsors business’.
What’s Next?
MGA will not be stopped! Here’s what’s next:
Sydney 19-26 March 2023 – The Cube, Campbelltown
Gold Coast 21-28 May 2023 – Southport Sharks
Brisbane 4-10 September – Eatons Hill
Sydney 22-29 October – Bankstown Sports
Training being provided by MGA at each series prior to events for players wanting to learn “how”.
Join the revolution! Get in the mix!
SV aka Prince your TD
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