The 8-Game Poker Mix: How This Format Really Works

8 Game poker is a poker game where you play 8 different poker variants in rotation. You can think of it as HORSE poker with three new additions.

If you love to explore other poker formats beyond Texas Hold’em and Omaha, 8-game poker is a perfect option for you.

This guide will cover how 8-game poker works and expert strategies to help you excel at it.

What Is 8-Game Poker?

8-game poker, or 8-game mix, is a poker variant in which you play eight poker disciplines back-to-back in a fixed sequence.

A typical 8-game poker mix features up to 6 people. It can be played as a cash game or in a tournament format.

The 8 poker games that make up the mix in their exact sequence are:

1. 2-7 Triple Draw (Limit)
2. H: Limit Hold’em
3. O: Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better (Limit)
4. R: Razz (Limit)
5. S: Seven Card Stud (Limit)
6. E: Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo / Eight or Better (Limit)
7. No-Limit Hold’em
8. Pot-Limit Omaha

Looking at the mix thoroughly, you’ll see that 8-game poker is HORSE poker plus three new games:

• 2-7 Triple Draw
• No Limit Hold’em (NLHE)
• Pot Limit Omaha (PLO)

This can seem too much to digest if you’re new to mixed games. To understand how 8-poker works, think of it in terms of three broad poker formats

• Draw Poker: These are games played with private or hole cards and no community cards. Game 1 (2-7 Triple Draw) belongs to this family.
• Flop Games: These feature private cards and community cards (flop, river, and turn cards). Games 2, 3, 7, 8 (Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Lo, No-Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha) belong here.
• Stud Games: These are played with downcards (private cards you can see only) and upcards (open cards visible to everyone but still personal to you). Games 4, 5, 6 (Razz, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Eight or Better) belong here.

8 Game Poker Origin

Mixed poker rose to stardom in 2006 when it was featured in the WSOP $50,000 Poker Player Championship.

The inaugural edition was played in HORSE format and was won by David Chip Reese. He passed away in 2007, and every champion has been awarded the Chip Reese trophy since then in honor of his name

8-Game officially took over the $50k flagship event in 2010, setting the benchmark for all-around skill. Aside from a temporary jump to 10-Game in 2015 to test draw variants like Badugi poker and 2-7 Single Draw, 8-Game has stayed at the top of multi-game poker.

Since its debut, Michael Mizrachi has gone on to win the event 4x (2010, 2012, 2018, 2025) and is the most decorated player ever. Meanwhile, Freddy Deeb holds the record for the biggest single payday in the event’s history, taking home over $2.27 million in 2007.

How to Play 8-Game Poker

Before playing 8-game, you need to master the basic poker rules of each game in the mix.

After mastering each game, follow these steps to play 8-game poker in cash game and tournament settings:

1️⃣ Cash Game Rotation (Orbit-Based)

Here are the steps to play 8-game poker in a cash game:

Button Appointment:

To start the game, the dealer appoints the player to his left as the button. This duty rotates around the table in a clockwise position after every hand.

Force Bet Donation:

After choosing the button, players contribute a compulsory initial bet to the pot. The flop and draw games use a blinds system, while stud games use ante and bring-in. More on that later.

Game Announcement:

Next, the dealer announces the first game (2-7 Triple Draw) in the rotation. He further places a placard with the name of the game in play on the table. This helps you track the game in real time at every point.

Card Distribution:

The dealer distributes cards, and players take turns betting. This process repeats for a few more rounds until the button poker position rotates around the table (orbit). So, 6 rounds make up a full orbit in a 6-player game.

Game Switch:

The dealer switches to the next game in the sequence after each orbit until all 8 disciplines have been played.

The key things to remember in 8-poker cash games are:

• Each rotation follows the standard dealing and betting rules of the base game
• The game rotates in a fixed order after an orbit from 2-7 Triple Draw to Pot Limit Omaha
• All the above processes are automated when playing 8-game on online poker sites. You just need to punt your stake per hand.

2️⃣ Tournament Rotation (Level-Based)

An 8-game poker tournament follows almost the same steps as a cash game. The major difference is that tournament levels rotate with clock time instead of in orbit.

Credit: 22Bet

A single game might last 30-40 minutes, which means a complete 8-game cycle may take 240-320 minutes. If a hand is still in play after time elapses, the hand plays out completely before the next game begins.

Some of the other crucial facts about an 8-game tournament are:

• Each game is known as a level. 2-7 Triple Draw acts as level 1, while Pot Limit Omaha is level 8.
• The first 6 games are played in a fixed limit format. The blind level is the same for every game within a cycle and rises at the end of the cycle. You can always look up the blind level in the tournament sheet.
• The 7th and 8th games use different blind levels than games 1-6. You can also look them up on the tournament sheet.

3️⃣ Betting Structure Transitions

Some of the most jarring transitions you must be wary of in an 8-game mix include:

Transition From Stud Hi-Lo to No Limit Hold’em

As you shift from Game 6 to 7, the card distribution changes from a no-community-card game in Stud Eight or Better to five community cards in No Limit Hold’em.

At the same time, the betting structure shifts significantly from a fixed limit where you lose only a capped amount per round to unlimited betting where a single loss can wipe out your whole bankroll.

Transition From No Limit Hold’em to Pot Limit Omaha.

The betting structure changes to Pot Limit in Omaha. And the number of hole cards increases from two to four, which changes the poker odds and value of each hand.

For instance, with 4 hole cards, straights and flushes are routine in PLO, and you need nuts to win the pot. Always fold non-nut hands quickly and raise or check-raise connected hands (A❤️ K♦️ 10♣️, J♣️) to build the pot.

Transition From PLO Back to 2-7 Triple Draw

The betting system once again changes from aggressive pot-sized bets to safer limit bets as you cycle back to 2-7 Triple Draw.

You must deliberately recalibrate your mind to switch from heavy betting to safe calls and raises. This will be boring at first, but you’ll get to see the streets cheaply once again.

And the sharpest change is the switch from high draw to lowball poker hand ranking. Every good PLO hand (like two pairs, straight, and Flushes) counts against you in 2-7 Triple Draw lowball poker. You must shift your mind to chasing low draws.

4️⃣ The Forced Bet Structure by Game Type

Forced bets are initial pot contributions made to trigger action from other players. This is the final missing piece you need to start playing 8-game poker, and it can either be in the form of blinds or antes:

Blinds

These are starting bets paid by the two players to the left of the button, e.g $10/$20. Flop and draw poker games (Games 1, 2, 3, 7, 8) use small and big blinds.

Antes/Bring-ins

Antes are mandatory bets that everyone at the table pays to see their cards. It is usually a fraction of the small bet (e.g., $2 for a $10 SB). Games 4, 5, and 6 use ante.

Bring-in, on the other hand, is paid by the player with the worst hand at the table after the first deal. Now, the nature of the worst card depends on the game at hand.

In lowball stud games like Razz, the highest upcard is the worst. So if two players have 8 ❤and 7♠️, the first player pays the bring-in in Razz. In Seven Card Stud and Hi-Lo, the person holding low cards pays the price. That is player 2 (7♠️) in the example above.

In case of a tie, the suit of the card is considered. The most common suit order is Club < Diamond < Heart < Spade. However, some online poker sites reverse the rule such that Club will be the strongest and Spade will be the weakest. Always confirm the game rule before sitting at the table.

How 8-Game Poker Differs From HORSE Poker Tournament

At first glance, 8-game poker is just HORSE with three extra games. But these games introduce a world of differences between the two variants.

Some of the key differences between HORSE and 8-game poker include:

🆚 HORSE vs. 8-Game Poker

To further differentiate between the two mixed games, let’s examine how the new rotation in the mix works and what’s new in them:

✅ 2-7 Triple Draw Poker

This game is unlike anything you’ve seen before in HORSE poker. It doesn’t involve any community or down cards. Instead, you’ll get five hole cards, from which you can draw new cards to improve your hand.

You must know that 2-7 Triple Draw is a lowball poker game. An Ace is always a high card, and Straights, and Flushes count against you. The best hand is 2,3,4,5,7. Hence the name 2-7 Triple Draw.

Some of my personal tips for 2-7 Triple Draw are:

• I consciously calibrate my mind to start chasing low hands
• I avoid drawing towards straights and flushes, which are junk in this game
• I fold hands containing two pairs, sets, and 9 or better after the second draw.
• I monitor my opponents’ draw counts.

✅ No Limit Hold’em (NLHE)

Texas Hold’em Poker is one of the most popular poker games newbies start with. So, you’re probably familiar with this one.

Most of the common Texas Hold’em poker tips like going all-in on pocket Aces, stealing blinds, reading opponents’ betting patterns, and other tips for playing traditional No-Limit Hold’em still apply here.

However, mixed game No-limit Hold’em is riskier and more delicate. All day long, you’ve been playing limit games with predictable risks; so adapting to the all-in bets in this game may take some time.

I try to shift my mind to the game in front of me as fast as possible. This allows me to tighten up quickly and avoid underbetting strong hands or overfolding promising hands, especially when my opponents are slow callers.

✅ Pot Limit Omaha (PLO)

PLO Omaha is the last game in the mix. The pot may not be as huge as in NLHE, but it fills up quite fast too, especially in the later streets. This may also be the last time to double your stack, so don’t hesitate to raise heavily from a late position if you have strong hands.

The most crucial tip for playing Omaha in mixed games is to always remember the 2-hole-card and 3-community-card hand requirement.

If you have A❤️ K♦️J❤️ 10♣️ on a Q ♣️, 4♦️, 7♠️, 8❤️, 5♦️ board, that is an Ace-King-Queen draw at best and not an automatic straight.

8-Game Poker Strategy

8-game poker involves several rotations and betting constraints within the same game. And the way you approach a mix is very different from that of a lone poker game.

Here are my top poker tips and recommendations for excelling in 8-game poker:

Credit: El Royale Casino

🎯 Treat 8-Game Poker as a 3-Risk Game

In HORSE, every game is played in a fixed limit. However, 8-game poker adds no-limit and pot-limit constraints to the mix, introducing 2 additional risk profiles.

To manage my stack in 8-game poker, I view the session through three risk profiles, each requiring a different approach.

In fixed limit games (Games 1-6), I rarely fold without a fight. If I have a bad card, I try to improve my hand instead of folding since losses are quite minimal.

Once the rotation shifts to No Limit and Pot Limit, I fold junk cards immediately and wait for the next round since seeing the flop is quite costly in these games.

Here is an example from my live game session: 

In a limit 2-7 Triple Draw Game with $10/20 blinds, I got dealt 3, 4, 8, 9, K. I was in the button and got to see others’ draws. The first player bet $20, and the others called him. The person before me raised it to $40.

At this point, I had 2 options:

Fold the hand since it contained three high cards, or 

Risk drawing 3 new cards. 

Seeing that I don’t have much to lose ($20 out of a $1000 stack), I decided to bet and draw three new cards. Luckily, my hand improved to 3, 4, 2, J, 10 after the first draw. Still, there was no one standing pat, so I drew another two cards and ended up with 2, 3, 4, 6, 8. Luckily, that was enough to win the round.

This shows that you should take more risks in limit games since you don’t have much to lose. 

But when the game shifts to No Limit, the raises and calls are much higher. One bad beat can wipe out your stack, and you should fold weak hands quickly to preserve your bankroll.

🎯 Practice 2-7 Triple Draw

Most players coming from a Hold’em background are often weak in 2-7 Triple Draw and Stud poker. Learning 2-7 Triple Draw can give you a clear edge over these categories of opponents.

The most crucial tips for playing 2-7 Triple Draw are to avoid drawing towards high hands and monitor your opponent’s draw counts.

For example, if you see someone drawing 3 cards on the second draw, their hand is likely weak and should play aggressively to scare them into folding. On the other hand, if someone stands pat after the first draw, they’ve likely made a monster, and you should be careful to call their raises.

Now reading opponents is fun, but you don’t want to make your own poker hand easy to guess. Daniel Negreanu (six-time WSOP Champion) says to play unpredictably to make yourself a difficult mark to read by opponents.

So, you should sometimes stand pat on weak hands like (9♣️ 3❤️5♣️9♣️ K❤️) to snow-bluff opponents, or check strong hands like (2, 4, 5, 6, 7) to trap opponents and build the pot.

🎯 Play NLHE as a Separate Game Within the Session

One of the cheapest ways to lose your stack in NLHE is by underbetting as if you’re still in the limit games.

There are 2 problems with this approach:

Firstly, you won’t maximize your chances of building a big pot with premium hands like A-K or A-A. 

Secondly, you make it easy for opponents to improve their hand and threaten you. 

To avoid this mistake, I always treat NLHE as a mini game within the mix. I raise a strong hand heavily to scare off and steal opponents’ stacks just like in Sit and Go poker and give up weak hands without a second thought.

But keep in mind that one miscalculated all-in bet can end your tournament life. Avoid going all in with second-best hands like A-J and K-J, since someone may hold a blocker to the premium versions of these hands.

🎯 Manage The Closing Round (PLO) Well

Pot Limit Omaha is your last chance to win a mega prize before the game returns to bit-sized pots. Some of my personal tips for playing the closing round and finishing strong include:

Here is how I finish strong in an 8-game mix without wasting my chips:

• Prioritizing Connected Cards: I play only connected hands like K♦️, Q♦️, J♣️, 10♣️. This helps me build a monster straight or flush.
• Breaking Naked Pocket Aces: If I hold A♥️, A♣️, 3♠️, 4♦️ and the board rolls out 7♦️, 8♦️, 9♣️, I know my single pair is likely crushed by a straight. I quickly throw out my Aces if someone bets big.
• Chasing “Nuts”: I ensure I hold A♦️before chasing a flush on a board like Q♦️, 8♦️, 2♣️. I play defensively if I don’t have an Ace.
• Avoid Chasing Losses: Whether I lose in NLHE or PLO, I stick to my strategy at all times. This means following safe gambling practices, keeping my emotions in check, and protecting my money until the next rotation.

Expert Opinion

Leo Coleman

Chief Editor / Gambling Specialist

If you play 8-game poker long enough, you’ll experience brutal downswings that tempt you to chase losses. At this point, your judgement is broken, and you must step away from the table to protect your funds. If you frequently give in to this desperation, then you must quit poker for a while till you regain control. If this persists, it’s time to seek dedicated help. Organizations like Gamblers Anonymous and Gamble Aware offer free aid to gambling addiction issues.

Common 8-Game Poker Mistakes

The major mistake players make in 8-game poker is applying the rules of the old game to a new discipline. This mistake plays out in different ways, and I made my fair share when I started playing 8-game poker.

Some of the common poker mistakes to avoid in 8-game mix include

❌ Treating PLO as High Card Hold’em

One of the most common mistakes beginners make in 8-game poker is applying NLHE habits to PLO. But the two games have different final hand-value evaluations.

In PLO, a pocket pair loses value, and calling large bets with such hands will lead to disappointment at showdown. You must only chase Ace-high Flush, Straight or better to get a chance at the pot.

❌ Carrying Fixed Limit Bet Sizing Into NLHE

Another common error in 8-game poker is making weak raises (e.g 2.5x your blind) that barely scare anyone.

To steal your opponents’ blinds, you must raise strong with a quarter, half, or your whole stack.

❌ Not Resetting for 2-7 Triple Draw

Most mixed-game newbies are often mentally exhausted by the time the cycle restarts. This keeps them locked in PLO and applying its principles to Triple Draw. By the time they find out, they might have lost a few rounds.

Anytime you see the dealer shuffling cards, check the game placard for the game in play and run its rules through your mind so you can make the necessary reset.

Expert Opinion

George Williams

Senior Editor / Betting & Casino Expert

A common blunder players make in the stud game is slow playing. Whether you fold or play out a hand, you’ll still pay mandatory antes every round, which slowly chip off your stack. Next time you play stud poker, fight actively to steal other players' antes. Otherwise, the ante-tax will bankrupt you before the big-bet games return.

Conclusion

Now that you’ve learnt 8-game mix rules, start practicing each game in the rotation for free on our poker training apps. You can also play each poker rotation in the mix for real money at the best online casino sites like Wazamba and 888Sport.

Credit: Wazamba

The complete 8-game poker mix is exclusively offered at PokerStars (now PokerStars on FanDuel in regulated US states). But the ultimate 8-game poker experience is the prestigious WSOP $50000 PPC with million dollars prize pool.

Spend time learning the rule changes in each game. Develop the mental discipline to transition between various rotations and master bet sizing and bankroll management across disciplines, especially NLHE and PLO. Goodluck!

FAQs:

What Games Are Included In 8-Game Poker?

8-game poker comprises the following 8 variants in exact order: 2-7 Triple Draw (Limit), Limit Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better (Limit), Razz (Limit), Seven Card Stud (Limit), Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo / Eight or Better (Limit), No-Limit Hold’em, Pot-Limit Omaha.

How Is 8-Game Poker Different From a HORSE Poker Tournament?

8-game poker includes no-limit and pot-limit games, which are absent in HORSE, as well as a new draw game.

Why Is 8-Game Poker Limited to 6 Players?

6 players often play 8-game poker to ensure the 52-card deck circulates easily around the table.

What Order Do the Games Rotate In 8-Game Poker?

The game starts with 2-7 Triple Draw, followed by all the HORSE games in the exact order of the alphabet. Then it ends with NLHE and PLO.

Is 8-Game Poker Played Fixed-limit, No-limit, or Pot-limit?

8 Game mix is played in all three bet sizes. The first 6 games are played as a fixed limit. Games 7 and 8 are played in No Limit and Pot Limit, respectively.

What Is the Hardest Game In the 8-Game Poker Rotation?

NLHE is the riskiest since it puts the biggest pressure on your bankroll. However, others consider PLO Omaha the toughest since you need stronger hands to win. Some consider 2-7 Triple Draw the toughest due to its counterintuitive ranking system and hand secrecy.

What Are the Best 8-Game Poker Alternatives?

HORSE is a great option if you’re seeking an easier 8-game alternative. For a more challenging option, check out 10-game poker, which adds 2-7 Single Draw and Badugi to the mix.