The Blended Recreation Competition has returned to Las Vegas, promising heaps of enjoyable and reasonably priced non-Maintain’em motion over the course of 5 spectacular days. Working November 16–20 at Resorts World, Day 1 of MGF XII kicked off yesterday, and there have been fairly a couple of gamers who might hardly wait to take their seats at one of many tables!
At kickoff, three tables obtained underway, and inside half an hour a fourth desk started working: three $4/8 and one $8/16 seller’s selection money recreation mixes. Additionally a success with the gamers, the pageant featured its conventional pizza social gathering, which completely embodies what this occasion is all about: a bunch of poker lovers gathering to have a very good time with out an excessive amount of pomp or glamour. Blended Recreation Festivals have at all times been concerning the camaraderie and the love of the sport at the start.
Whether or not you had been on the coronary heart of the motion or watching from the sidelines, it was fairly clear that there isn’t any lack of gamers sharing this imaginative and prescient.
We at all times begin our Blended Recreation Festivals off with a pizza social gathering, and at this time was no exception 😁
🍕🍕🍕
Thanks a lot to @PokerRoomRWLV for at all times treating our gamers so splendidly 🙏❤️ pic.twitter.com/81RyiaQuVT
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) November 16, 2025
A Competition With an Worldwide Taste
In comparison with main poker festivals thrown by business giants, the Blended Recreation Competition is a comparatively small and intimate affair. Even so, it manages to draw individuals from everywhere in the United States in addition to past its borders due to its distinctive taste.
Nearly each time, and not using a fault, there will likely be a number of gamers on the desk, coming from probably the most distant of locations to play $4/$8 and $8/$16 combined video games and take part in tournaments with buy-ins of some hundred bucks. Monetarily, it doesn’t make a lot sense, however you may’t put a worth on enjoyable, expertise, and reminiscences.
Blended Recreation Competition XII was no totally different on this regard, with gamers from Canada and even Japan becoming a member of the locals, and having fun with each second of it:
Blended Recreation Competition 参戦😀今夜のお献立(4-8)DRAWMAHA49SUPER 7STUD Hello-Lo 8 or BETTERBADACEYA-5 TDACTION RAZZARCHIEDRAWMAHA 2-72-7TDRAZZDUGIBADEUCEY5CARD DOUBLE BOARD OMAHA BEST BESTBADUGI Hello-LoDRAWMAHA 0#じゃない方ポーカー https://t.co/0vhXNZIrJj pic.twitter.com/LwyDrFJqyq
— ya.soshi (@ya_soshi_) November 17, 2025
Made it @cardplayerlife yeeee haw !!!! pic.twitter.com/6c5AIM0j0n
— Darren Johnson (@WASHDUDE) November 17, 2025
So far as the native contingent was involved, Poker Corridor of Famer Linda Johnson, “The First Girl of Poker,” might be discovered within the combine together with Director of Stay Occasions & Content material at PokerGO Tim Duckworth, a longtime buddy and supporter of the Competition.
In fact, there have been fairly a couple of different acquainted faces within the combine. Over time, the MGF has constructed a strong basis of gamers who’ll at all times flip as much as play and get the motion going. In truth, a number of gamers have now attended 10 of the 12 festivals which have taken place since our inaugural in late 2021!
Along with chips on the felt, there are at all times some additional prizes up for grabs, exhibiting gamers that their presence is appreciated. One such participant to obtain such a token of appreciation this time round was Tom, who picked up a Restrict Maintain’em technique ebook, courtesy of D&B Publishing, after scooping a badeucey pot.
Tom simply received himself a duplicate of an amazing @DBPoker1 Restrict Maintain’em technique ebook for scooping a badeucey pot.
The place else can that occur in addition to the @PokerLifeMedia Blended Recreation Competition? 😁 pic.twitter.com/mqCqWwrnQF
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) November 17, 2025
PokerCoaching.com Participant of the Day: Dangle Vong
Blended Recreation Competition XII continues the custom of shining the highlight on those that make the entire thing doable, gamers and sellers alike. So, every of our each day recaps will as soon as once more devoted segments, that includes one participant and one seller, sharing their tales.
The Day 1 Pokercoaching.com Participant of the Day section is Dangle Vong, a first-timer on the Blended Recreation Competition. Vong found the intriguing world of combined video games three years in the past, and he’s been on the educational path ever since.
Although he didn’t want to be photographed from the entrance, Vong was very happy to share “his poker story” and the way he obtained into combined video games. A leisure participant, Vong performs two to a few instances per week, and fell in love with combined video games as a result of they provide extra range than No Restrict Texas Maintain’em by way of technique and gamers having to assume on their toes as an alternative of following GTO patterns.
His day job is producing documentary sequence, however since transferring to Las Vegas from LA a 12 months in the past, Vong has been giving extra consideration to poker, dabbling with combined recreation tournaments as nicely. What he loves about poker probably the most is that each hand is totally different, and you can also make totally different selections at numerous moments all through a hand to achieve totally different outcomes.
Regardless of admittedly nonetheless studying, he determined to leap in “on the deep finish”, enjoying $8/$16 as an alternative of $4/$8 as a result of the upper stakes are extra significant to him He additionally believes that by enjoying at increased limits, he’ll have extra alternatives to be taught appropriate combined recreation methods and keep away from growing unhealthy habits.
Like so many earlier than him who obtained the style of the Blended Recreation Competition, Vong is delighted by simply how pleasant and affected person everyone seems to be, and is wanting ahead to enjoying some extra over the approaching days.
RunGoodGear Vendor of the Day: Mendie Pham
Blended Recreation Competition XII’s Day 1 RunGoodGear Vendor of the Day is Mendie Pham, a poker seller with 18 years of expertise beneath his belt who has been with the Resorts World for the reason that day it opened, simply over 4 years in the past.
Pham got here to the US from Vietnam 25 years in the past. Initially, he labored at eating places, however he picked up an curiosity in poker by watching individuals play and determined to vary careers. His first dealing expertise was in California, on the well-known Bicycle On line casino; later, he moved to Las Vegas.
Regardless of having been dealing for 18 years, Pham has completely no real interest in enjoying the sport himself. His ardour is only for dealing playing cards and observing individuals on the tables. He says the job gave him a possibility to see and meet all kinds of individuals (some good, some unhealthy), however his general expertise on the Resorts World has been an overwhelmingly optimistic one.
In his personal life, Pham is obsessed with vehicles and observe racing. He’s not only a passive fan, although, however moderately a participant at quite a few observe races, automobile exhibits, and competitions. It goes to point out, as soon as extra, that poker brings collectively many various kinds of individuals on either side of the felt.
Match Motion on the Horizon
The motion throughout the opening day of Blended Recreation Competition XII continued into the wee hours of the morning, with two tables going robust nicely previous midnight.
Monday, November 17, will see the primary of the 2 tournaments on the docket. The $300 O/E occasion kicks off at midday, and it’ll honor the legacy of the late “Miami” John Cernuto, who received this event the primary time it was unfold at Blended Recreation Competition IV. Taking issues to an entire new stage, the occasion will function the Blended Recreation Competition’s first-ever stay event protection, with hand histories, movies, picture galleries of the gamers, prize ballot data, and extra courtesy of pokerreporting.com.
If the robust Day 1 begin is something to go by, the Day 2 event ought to appeal to a pleasant crowd to correctly rejoice the life and legacy of some of the prolific combined recreation gamers to have walked the earth. In fact, money recreation motion will likely be obtainable on the sidelines as nicely beginning at 12pm, with issues undoubtedly choosing up velocity as gamers are eradicated from the event.
*To get your self on the money recreation waitlist, please name the Resorts World Poker Room at (702) 676-7680
