Get Ready for the True Test of Poker Talent: Mixed Games!
Success at mixed games has long been considered the true testament of a poker player’s skill. Such proficiency will be tested today at the 2012 World Series of Poker with Event #37: $2,500 Eight-Game Mix, which features alternating rounds of Triple-Draw 2-7, Limit Hold'em, Omaha 8, Razz, Stud, Stud 8, No-Limit Hold’em, and Pot Limit Omaha.
Last night, John Monnette proved his mettle in five of the aforementioned games by taking second in Event #32 $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. to David “Bakes” Baker, which comes on the heels of a third and first place finishes in Event #15 $5,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better and Event #10 $5,000 Seven Card Stud respectively. He’s clearly a mixed-games specialist extraordinaire and a favorite for the 2012 WSOP Player of the Year title, but did you know his first gold bracelet came from a victory in this very event last year?
That’s right, Monnette conquered a field of 489 players to nab his first WSOP victory and the accompanying $278,144 first-place prize. What’s more, he did it by defeating a stacked final table that included John Racener (8th-$24,797), John Juanda (6th-$42,897), Brent Hanks (4th-$78,774), Michele Limongi (3rd-$109,245) and Eric Buchman (2nd-$171,855). We expect Monnette to defend his title here today, while hopefully adding some points to his WSOP POY total
Going back a bit further in this event’s history, you’ll discover that Sigurd Eskeland top a field of 453 players in 2010 to win a first place prize of $260,497. At that final table, he had to defeat the likes of Steve Sung, Scott Seiver, Alex Wice, and Jared Jaffee. In addition, Todd Brunson, Alex Kravchenko, Jose Ignacio Barbero, and Dario Mineri were eliminated on the second to last table. Needless to say, this event traditionally draws one of the strongest fields of the year.
The plan is to play triple draw 2-7, H.O.R.S.E, then No-Limit Hold'em and Pot-Limit Omaha in every 60-minute level, and today, we are going to be play 8 levels. Be sure to stay tuned as hundreds of players will look to add their name to this list:
Former Eight-Game Mix Champions
| Year | Player | Entrants | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | John Monnette | 489 | $278,144 |
| 2010 | Sigurd Eskeland | 453 | $260,497 |
| 2009 | Jerrod Ankenman | 412 | $241,637 |
| 2008* | Anthony Rivera | 192 | $483,688 |
*Featured $10,000 buy-in.
Action will kick off at 5 PM PST and the field will play eight levels, pushing play into the early morning hours. As always, we’ll be on hand to bring you all the action and eliminations as Event #37: $2,500 Eight-Game Mix gets underway at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada!