Melbourne Mix 2026 (3–8 Feb) | The week Melbourne remembers what “mixed” actually means 🃏👑
Alright, friends, enemies, and people who “only play hold’em” (we can still fix you)… The Melbourne Mix is locked in at PlayLive and it’s shaping up as the most dialled mixed week we’ve ever served.
Also, quick housekeeping: MGA took out Best Series 2025 at the APS Fans Choice Awards (yes, yes… minor / regional series category… read the fine print, don’t write me letters). The point is: when you think Mixed Games in Australia, you think MGA… and you think The Prince. 🥂
The warm-up: Milestone Satellites (Cruise Pool) | What we’ve run so far ✅
We’ve already fired three Milestone Satties into the sun, and the results speak for themselves:
Milestone #1: H.O.R.S.E. (15 Jan)
Main Deck: 19 entries | $4,370 pool
Mitchell Armstrong $1,150
Eugene “Trix” Portlen $1,150
Peter Vratisidis $1,150
Maddog Shanahan $920 (passport)
Upper Deck: 11 passengers | $3,300 pool
Eugene “Trix” Portlen $1,500
Peter Vratisidis $1,500
Maddog Shanahan $300
Milestone #2: Triple Stud (18 Jan)
Main Deck: 18 entries | $4,140 pool
Rainer Quell $1,150
Jim Chahoud $1,150
Simon “Wahesh” Chahine $1,150
Trix Portlen $490 (passport)
Alla Gould $200 (passport)
Upper Deck: 11 passengers | $3,300 pool
Jim Chahoud $1,500
Simon “Wahesh” Chahine $900
Trix Portlen $900
Milestone #3: 2-7 Triple Draw (21 Jan)
Main Deck: 23 entries | $5,290 pool
Lucas Durante $1,150
Tomislav Ceh $1,150
Simon “Wahesh” Chahine $1,150 (passport)
Samuel Mir $1,150
Dave Gorr & Lauren Gabriel $390 (passport)
Upper Deck: 12 passengers | $3,600 pool
Lucas Durante $1,500
Simon “Wahesh” Chahine $1,050
Lauren Gabriel $1,050
And yes… we’ve already got enough confirmed Golden Tickets to cover 1 seat to the 10K H.O.R.S.E. Championship. She’s there. 💅
Still to come in January (two shots left) 🎯
These last two Milestones are your final runway into Feb:
Sun 25 Jan, 2:00pm: Omaha 8 / Stud 8 Rotation (Australia Day long weekend, behave yourselves)
Wed 28 Jan, 6:15pm: Drawmaha (because you deserve to suffer… artistically)
“Cruise Pool” explained (Main Deck vs Upper Deck) 🚢
Simple version:
One tournament. One player pool. Same stack. Same structure. Same games.
Two buy-in tiers, two prize pools:
Main Deck: $230 + $50*
$230 goes into the Main Deck pool
Payouts based on 1 in 5
Main Deck prizes pay Golden Tickets toward the Feb pathway
Upper Deck: $530 + $50*
Includes the Main Deck contribution plus an additional upper-deck prize pool component
Upper Deck prizes pay MGA Passports (credits usable on Melbourne Mix buy-ins | 1 in 5 = $1,500 Passport)
Re-entry is allowed (when offered) within the posted late reg window, and you can re-enter into either deck.
Tuesday 3 Feb
12:00pm – H.O.R.S.E. Milestone Satellite
Buy-in: $1,150 ($1,050 + $100*)
Format: 8-handed | 20-min levels | late reg/re-entry to end of Level 6
Games: Hold’em, O8, Stud, Razz, Stud8
Payout: 1 in 10 wins entry to the 10K H.O.R.S.E. Championship
6:15pm – The Octagon (8-Game Mix)
Buy-in: $650 ($540 + $110*)
Format: 6-handed | 20-min levels | late reg/re-entry to end of Level 6
Games: 2-7 TD, Hold’em, O8, Stud, Razz, Stud8, NLH, PLO
Wednesday 4 Feb
12:00pm – 10K H.O.R.S.E. Championship
Buy-in: $10,500 ($10,000 + $500*)
Format: 8-handed | 40-min Day 1, 60-min Day 2
Late reg / single re-entry: to end of Level 9 (re-entry admin reduced to $250*)
Stack: 200,000 | Bagging: Level 15
Games: Hold’em, O8, Razz, Stud, Stud8
6:15pm – The Shetland Pony (Mini H.O.R.S.E.)
Buy-in: $650 ($540 + $110*)
Format: 8-handed | 20-min levels | late reg/re-entry to end of Level 6
Games: Hold’em, O8, Stud, Razz, Stud8
Thursday 5 Feb (6:15pm)
The Split Mix (Big Bet + Fixed Limit Fun Mix)
Buy-in: $650 ($540 + $110*)
Format: 6 & 7-handed | 20-min levels | late reg/re-entry to end of Level 6
Order: Big bet first (NL 2-7 SD, NLH, PLO8) then fixed/limit rotation (2-7 TD, Hold’em, O8, Stud/Razz/Stud8)
Bonus: MGA blind rewind as required (target average = 15 big bets post late reg)
Friday 6 Feb (12:00pm)
The Main Event (10-Game Mix)
Buy-in: $1,500 ($1,300 + $200*)
Format: 6-handed | levels 20/24 & 30 mins | late reg/re-entry to end of Level 11
Stack: 125,000
Games: 2-7 TD, O8, NLH, Stud, Razz, Stud8, NL 2-7 SD, Badugi, Hold’em, PLO
Bags for Day 2 at TD discretion (typically ITM or FT depending on entries)
Saturday 7 Feb
2:00pm – The Switch (24+ Game Dealer’s Choice)
Buy-in: $500 ($400 + $100*)
Format: 6-handed | 20-min levels | late reg/re-entry to end of Level 6
Rule: A game can’t be picked twice until the rotation cycles around the table. Pick smart or get punished socially.
7:00pm – Drawmaha Rotation (Drawmaha + 2-7 Drawmaha)
Buy-in: $500 ($400 + $100*)
Format: 6-handed | 20-min levels | late reg/re-entry to end of Level 6
Final table note: BBA collected prior to the big blind (yes, we’re aware what the textbooks say)
Sunday 8 Feb
11:00am – The Big Game (9-Game Mix, 1-Day 3K)
Buy-in: $3,000 ($2,800 + $200*)
Format: 7-handed | 30-min levels | late reg/re-entry to end of Level 10
Stack: 300,000
Games: 2-7 TD, O8, NLH, Stud, Razz, Stud8, NL 2-7 SD, Hold’em, PLO
6:00pm – The Hitman (Big Bet Bounty Rotation)
Buy-in: $750 ($500 + $150 bounty + $100*)
Format: 7-handed | 20-min levels | late reg/re-entry to end of Level 8
Bounties: activate at 50% field remaining | $300 each
Games: NL 2-7 SD, NLH, PLO, PL 2-7 DD, PLO8, Big O, NL 5CD, Drawmaha
General terms (so I don’t have to write this 47 times) 📌
1) The optional admin / hospitality package (*)
PlayLive gives you a choice, which is rare in this country:
Opt in: pay the starred amount and you get hospitality (food, snacks, non-alcoholic drinks).
Opt out at rego: pay the base amount, receive 50% of the advertised start stack, and no hospitality.
You can love it, hate it, or pretend you didn’t read it. Those are the options.
2) Seating, antes, and “why does this feel so smooth?”
Events are listed as 6, 7, or 8-handed depending on format
Stud games use MGA’s single-player ante system (faster hands, less clutter, more poker)
Rake maths: ETR vs the “made-up” number 🧮 (Caveat emptor.)
Here’s the honest bit:
ETR (Entry Take Rate) = Admin fee ÷ Total buy-in
That’s the real “what % of my entry is fee” number.
Then there’s the other number people love because it makes operators look evil:
Pool-Only % = Admin fee ÷ Prize pool contribution
It’s mathematically true, but it’s not an entry take rate. It’s a different denominator used for maximum outrage.
Caveat emptor (let the buyer beware).
Melbourne Mix 2026 admin comparison table
| Event | Buy-in breakdown | ETR (Admin ÷ Entry) | “Pool-Only %” (Admin ÷ Pool) |
|---|---|---|---|
| H.O.R.S.E. Milestone Satty | $1,150 ($1,050 + $100*) | 8.70% | 9.52% |
| The Octagon | $650 ($540 + $110*) | 16.92% | 20.37% |
| 10K H.O.R.S.E. Championship | $10,500 ($10,000 + $500*) | 4.76% | 5.00% |
| Mini H.O.R.S.E. | $650 ($540 + $110*) | 16.92% | 20.37% |
| The Split Mix | $650 ($540 + $110*) | 16.92% | 20.37% |
| The Main Event | $1,500 ($1,300 + $200*) | 13.33% | 15.38% |
| Dealer’s Choice | $500 ($400 + $100*) | 20.00% | 25.00% |
| Drawmaha Rotation | $500 ($400 + $100*) | 20.00% | 25.00% |
| The Big Game (3K) | $3,000 ($2,800 + $200*) | 6.67% | 7.14% |
| The Hitman (Bounty) | $750 ($500 + $150 + $100*) | 13.33% | 20.00% † |
† Hitman “Pool-Only %” uses the prize pool component ($500) as the denominator (bounty is separate).
Live updates (yes, we’re doing it properly) 📲
We’ll be running live tournament updates online throughout the Melbourne Mix (testing phase engaged already!), so you can see the numbers, track blind levels, and keep tabs on the carnage without hovering over the TD desk like a lost puppy. This is a work in progress, so bear with us while we get better at giving you all the details you want and need!
Bookmark this now: https://mixedgamesacademy.au/mga-live/
Pro tip: save it to your home screen and pretend you’re some kind of professional.
Final word (from the top of the mountain) 👑
If you’ve been waiting for the week where mixed games get treated like the main character, this is it.
If you’re already in the mix, you know the drill.
If you’re not… well, Melbourne is about to run a conversion therapy program for hold’em players.
Melbourne Mix 2026: 3–8 February at PlayLive.
Bring your best, bring your mates, bring a pen for the rotation sheet… and remember:
When you think Mixed, you think MGA.
And when you think MGA… you think The Prince.
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