Win a ticket to the Bellagio Fall Classic 2024 at Mixed Game Fest XV

From October 5 to 9, the Mixed Game Festival XV will take place in Las Vegas, where you can win a ticket to the Bellagio Fall Classic Main Event with a $1,100 buy-in.

From October 5 to 9, 2024, Las Vegas is hosting the fifteenth mixed games festival — Cardplayer Lifestyle Mixed Game Festival XV . The venue is once again the famous Bellagio Hotel and Casino , with BetMGM Poker as the main partner of the event. This year, participants have a unique opportunity — to win one of three tickets to the main event of the Bellagio Fall Classic series, with a $1,100 buy-in and a $100,000 guarantee. Such a chance doesn’t come often, especially considering that most festival guests play limit cash games with low stakes. History and Format of Mixed Game Festival XV The Mixed Game Festival is a series of poker events aimed at fans of mixed disciplines. Unlike the usual No-Limit Hold’em, here various poker games rotate at the same table: from Omaha and Stud to rare formats like Badugi or Triple Draw. The main idea of the festival is to make mixed games accessible and appealing to a wide audience, including beginners. The festival was founded by Robbie Strazynski , who first tried organizing such an event five years ago. According to him, it started as an experiment, and he wasn’t sure there would even be a second edition. However, the format proved so popular that in five years the festival has been held fifteen times, maintaining its core concept: low limits, a friendly atmosphere, and the chance to try new games without serious financial risk. This year, the festival is being held in the fall for the first time instead of summer, allowing organizers to add tournaments to the traditional cash games. Every day from noon, the Bellagio poker room hosts tables with limits starting at $4/$8 and $6/$12 in a dealer’s choice format — where players take turns choosing which game will be played in the next round. Partnership with BetMGM Poker and Ticket Draws for the Bellagio Fall Classic This year, special attention was drawn to the festival by BetMGM Poker’s initiative, which provided three $1,100 tickets to the Bellagio Fall Classic Main Event . This tournament guarantees a prize pool of at least $100,000 and traditionally attracts a strong field of players. The ticket draws are organized as democratically as possible: to win a prize, you don’t need to win a tournament or build a huge stack in a cash game. You just need to be at the table during the draw — the winner is chosen at random from among the players present. The first ticket was drawn on Monday, October 5, the second on Tuesday, and the third lucky winner will be determined on Wednesday. According to Robbie Strazynski, the partnership with BetMGM Poker has lasted for over three years. The company regularly supports the festival by providing tickets to major tournaments. In the summer, BetMGM gave away seats to its annual $3,500 championship, and now, together with Bellagio, is giving mixed game players a chance to compete in the main event of the fall series. Strazynski notes that thanks to BetMGM Poker’s support, mixed game enthusiasts have the opportunity to play tournaments with much higher buy-ins than the limits they usually play at the festival. How the Ticket Draws Work Each of the three tickets is drawn on a separate day among all players seated at the Mixed Game Festival XV tables. The winner can choose which of the four starting days of the Bellagio Fall Classic Main Event they want to play: Day 1A — Thursday, October 8 Day 1B — Friday, October 9 Two additional starting days — both scheduled for Saturday, October 10 This format allows winners to flexibly plan their participation and pick the most convenient starting day. First Winners: The Story of David Hanrock The first ticket to the Bellagio Fall Classic Main Event was won by David Hanrock from Youngstown, Ohio. It was a special moment for him: Hanrock had attended the Mixed Game Festival 10 or 11 times before, but had never won any major prizes or draws. After receiving the ticket, David admitted that this was the first time he had won something significant at the festival. However, there’s an interesting detail: the Bellagio Fall Classic Main Event is played in No-Limit Hold’em, while Hanrock himself hasn’t played that format in over ten years, having fully switched to mixed games. He said that returning to Hold’em tables after such a long break will be a real challenge and a new experience for him. The remaining two tickets will be drawn on Tuesday and Wednesday, so other festival participants still have a chance to follow in David’s footsteps and enter a prestigious tournament without spending their own money. Tournament Schedule and Additional Festival Activities Unlike previous years, when the festival was held in the summer and overlapped with a busy schedule of other poker series in Las Vegas, this time the organizers were able to add their own tournaments to the schedule. In addition to daily cash games, the Mixed Game Festival XV schedule features two tournaments with a $300 buy-in each: T.O.R.S.E. — a mixed games tournament starting Tuesday, October 6, at 12:00 PM Triple Draw Mix — a triple draw format tournament taking place Wednesday, October 7, also starting at noon Cash games continue alongside the tournaments, allowing players to choose the format that interests them most. However, poker is only part of the festival program. On the first day, there was the traditional pizza party for all guests, and well-known pro Jonathan Little joined the tables to play with participants and chat in an informal setting. Over the five years of the festival, additional activities have included not only meetings with famous players, but also souvenir giveaways, autograph sessions, tastings, and other entertainment, making the event’s atmosphere truly friendly and memorable. Why the Mixed Game Festival Is Perfect for Beginners One of the main features of the festival is its accessibility for players of any skill level. Robbie Strazynski emphasizes that no one comes here to “play their last dollar” or make a living — most guests just want to have a good time and try out new poker disciplines. The festival attracts not only regular Las Vegas players but also guests from all over the world: over the years, participants have come from the USA, Wales, Japan, Israel, Malta, and Canada. For beginners, it’s a great opportunity to try mixed games without serious financial risk: $4/$8 limits allow you to play at the table all day with a bankroll of $100–$200. Even if a player loses part of that amount, they’ll still have a great time and gain valuable experience that’s hard to get anywhere else. Strazynski notes that this approach helps not only to have fun but also to learn: “If your goal is to master new games and improve your skills, the festival is the best place to start. Here you can gradually move on to more complex disciplines and higher limits.” Results and Prizes: Bellagio Fall Classic Ticket Draw Table Below is information about the ticket draws for the Bellagio Fall Classic Main Event as part of Mixed Game Festival XV: Date Winner Ticket Draw Format October 5 (Monday) David Hanrock (Youngstown, Ohio) $1,100 to Bellagio Fall Classic Main Event Random selection among festival table players October 6 (Tuesday) To be determined $1,100 to Bellagio Fall Classic Main Event Random selection among festival table players October 7 (Wednesday) To be determined $1,100 to Bellagio Fall Classic Main Event Random selection among festival table players Each winner gets to choose one of the four starting days of the main event. The Bellagio Fall Classic Main Event runs from October 8 to 10, 2024, with a $1,100 buy-in and a $100,000 guarantee. Key Dates and Schedule for Mixed Game Festival XV October 5 (Monday) — festival opening, first ticket draw, pizza party October 6 (Tuesday) — T.O.R.S.E. tournament ($300), second ticket draw October 7 (Wednesday) — Triple Draw Mix tournament ($300), third ticket draw October 8 (Thursday) — Day 1A of Bellagio Fall Classic Main Event October 9 (Friday) — Day 1B of Main Event, festival closing October 10 (Saturday) — two additional Main Event starting days What This Means for PPPoker Club Players For members of PPPoker clubs, the experience of Mixed Game Festival XV can serve as a great example of how even with low limits and a friendly atmosphere, you can gain access to major live tournaments. The ticket draws for prestigious events among regular players show that you don’t have to be a pro or have a big bankroll to get a shot at playing at a high level. This approach can be adopted for organizing your own promotions and motivating players in PPPoker clubs. The second important takeaway is the popularity of mixed games and their accessibility for beginners. If you only play Hold’em in PPPoker clubs, it’s worth trying other disciplines: limit formats help minimize risks and provide a new playing experience. Organizing regular mixed games or dealer’s choice tournaments can attract new members and diversify club life. Finally, the festival’s atmosphere is a reminder of the value of socializing and spending time together. Hosting themed parties, draws, meetings with famous players, or just informal events in PPPoker clubs will help strengthen the community and make the game even more enjoyable for everyone involved.