Before the Moneymaker effect, there was a diversity of poker games that many people today are no longer familiar with. But especially in the last two or three years, mixed games have been experiencing a revival, and there are now entire festivals dedicated to non-NLH games.
Of course, many people still remember a time when NLH didn’t dominate everything. In Vienna’s cardrooms, people played for small stakes; Stud was the most popular game, but Limit Hold’em and Omaha were also played. NLH in cash games? Hardly ever. The variant was more commonly found on tournament schedules, but PLO, Pineapple, mixed games, and Dealer’s Choice were much more prevalent. The Moneymaker effect changed the poker world in so many ways. Ten years later, almost nothing but NLH was in demand; even the Stud European Championship, with its long-standing tradition, faltered and gradually became what has now been played at Casino Velden for a decade.
For those who loved other variants and came from across the pond, the WSOP was a paradise. The NLH tournaments attracted more and more players, but the “exotic” games also held their own. And for many, the $50k Players Championship remains the true world championship to this day. Virtually anyone can play NLH. The rules are easy to grasp, and even without complex strategies, anyone can win a tournament. The luck factor is present in every variant. But non-NLH games require more knowledge. More and more players, however, are seeking variety, and while some seek the fast-paced action of Bomb Pot cash games, others are increasingly drawn to the most exotic mixed games
Before COVID, there was a clear trend toward Omaha, which has since really expanded to other variants. “The Festival” has actually played a major role in this. Scandinavians have always been more open to non-NLH games, and the Finns are known to dominate the Omaha scene as well. When Franke presented “The Festival” at Banco Bratislava in 2021 with an already very diverse schedule, interest wasn’t quite as high yet. In the meantime, the tour has become the epitome of mixed games for recreational players. Buy-ins that aren’t too high but are still lucrative, appealing fields, and always plenty of fun at the tables—whether in Bratislava, Rozvadov, Malta, or Tallinn. “The Festival” has also sparked something else—the Sviten boom. The Drawmaha variant has already caught on with many players and is even being played in German home games. The Irish Open, the APT, and the Malta events—they’ve all added Sviten to their lineups. But the real “hallmark” is that this year, a €550 Sviten Special has also made its way onto the tournament schedule for the EPT Prague in December. The next stop for “The Festival” is November 20–29 at the Olympic Park Casino in Tallinn. Anyone who likes Sviten has to be there anyway, because there will be a world record attempt. But all the other variants will also be available again.
From October 26 to 31, things will already be getting mixed up at the Olympic Park Casino Tallinn. That’s when the European Mixed Poker Championship is set to take place. The Main Event here is an €800 8-Game; in general, buy-ins range from €200 to €1,500. Of course, many Scandinavians will be competing here as well. A varied week with many familiar faces—including Espen Jorstad and Andreas Fröhli—is on the horizon.
For the first time, the CAPT is also hosting a Mixed Game Edition. Play will take place at Casino Innsbruck from November 2 through 8. The Main Event here is an NLH event, but there will also be TORSE, OFC, Stud, and more. Fabian Bartuschk and Niclas Thumm, both self-proclaimed mixed game fans, have announced their participation. The first mixed games edition of the CAPT certainly won’t draw massive fields, but we can definitely look forward to some action.
Brand new this year is the Mixed Games Championship as part of the Banco Casino Masters in December. It features a completely new concept: on Day 1, December 4, players start with a buy-in of €500 + 50, a starting stack of 20,000, and 40-minute levels. Late registration is also still possible on Day 2, but the buy-in is €2,500 + 200, and players receive 100,000 chips. As in the final, the levels last 40 minutes. So if you enter at the lower price, you’ll get a really great mixed games event with plenty of room to play.
The Grand Sapphire Poker Festival has already been announced for February 2027 with a varied tournament schedule. Here, too, the focus isn’t on NLH, and the buy-ins are also in the mid-range. Stud, Omaha, Sviten, 4-Card, and 5-Card Omaha—if you’re looking to escape the winter and spend a few not-so-cold days in Cyprus, you should definitely check out the festival.
More and more European events and festivals are prioritizing variety in their tournament schedules. NLH continues to draw the massive fields and prize pools, but the community of players who say, “I want more than two hole cards,” is growing, and the range of tournament options is expanding as well.