When PokerStars transitioned to FanDuel and moved US online poker players to a new poker platform earlier this year, a PokerStars representative confirmed on Discord that mixed games would be part of the new platform, although no further details were provided at the time.
Five months have now passed since the switch, yet mixed games are still nowhere to be seen. They are also absent from the upcoming September Dynasty Series, which gets underway later this week.
However, players should not take their absence from the schedule as a sign that the games have been dropped.
Pokerfuse understands that non Hold’em games are indeed coming to PokerStars Exclusively on FanDuel, with 8-Game expected to be the first variant introduced. The exact launch timeframe remains unclear, although the games could go live as soon as this month or next.
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Initially, 8-Game is expected to be rolled out, but it will not be the only mixed format in the works. The operator is also planning to introduce other variants, including H.O.R.S.E., Stud, and Razz.
The delay could simply be related to regulatory approval and the logistics involved in bringing the games to the new platform. FanDuel currently operates its poker offering on Playtech’s iPoker platform, which already supports mixed rotation of games and even offers them on its international dot-com network.
The iPoker dot-com network recently began spreading 8-Game, H.O.R.S.E., and 2-7 Triple Draw, while more formats are also being tested. This suggests that the underlying technology is capable of supporting the games, making regulatory approvals and the practical process of introducing them to the US market more likely explanations for the delay.
US Players Await Return of Mixed Games
Before the transition, both US and Ontario online poker players had access to non Hold’em and Omaha games through the classic PokerStars software, which supports a wide range of variants. Moving players to the new platform meant those games had to be removed, leaving players without an online home for mixed-game action.
That situation is expected to be temporary. PokerStars representatives on the US Poker Community Discord have confirmed on multiple occasions that mixed games are coming to the new platform, with 8-Game potentially becoming the first to arrive this fall.
Once launched, PokerStars on FanDuel would become the only operator in the regulated US online poker market to offer mixed games. None of the other regulated operators currently offer these formats.
The availability is also relatively limited in the international dot-com market, where PokerStars and iPoker are among the few operators currently offering mixed-game action. Some offshore and unregulated online poker rooms also spread those variants, but they do not operate under the same regulated framework.
Clubs Poker, the best sweepstakes poker site, is another option for players looking for mixed games. It offers a particularly wide selection of variants, including some of the more unusual formats such as Badeucy and Badacey.
Mixed Games Gain Ground
Interest in mixed games has continued to grow over the past few years, with more live poker organizers adding non-Hold’em events to their schedules. These tournaments give players opportunities to compete in formats that require a wider range of poker skills rather than relying solely on traditional No-Limit Hold’em.
The Festival, one of Europe’s best-known mid-stakes poker series, has made mixed games one of the defining features of its live stops. Robbie Strazynski’s Mixed Games Festival has also continued to grow in the United States, helping introduce more players to formats beyond Hold’em.
PokerStars itself has responded to player demand by increasing the number of mixed-game events on the European Poker Tour (EPT), while this year’s WSOP also saw several non-Hold’em tournaments attract larger fields than in previous editions.
Despite the renewed interest in mixed games at the live tables, their online availability remains limited. That could begin to change as operators look for ways to offer players more variety. PokerStars on FanDuel would be the first regulated US operator to add mixed games, while GGPoker could also be preparing to introduce them at some point, although there has been no official confirmation.
September Dynasty Series
For now, PokerStars on FanDuel players will have to make do with the September Dynasty Series, which will run simultaneously on the US platform and PokerStars on FanDuel Ontario.
The series runs from September 12 to 28 and features $3.5 million in guarantees for US players across 100 tournaments. The headline event is the $300-buy-in Main Event, which comes with a $350,000 guarantee, the largest on the schedule.
Other highlights include the $1,500 High Roller Main, which carries a $200,000 guarantee, and the $50 Mini Main, which guarantees $75,000.
Several other tournaments also feature six-figure guarantees. The Storm and Dynasty events will headline the first two Sundays of the series, with each carrying at least $100,000 in guaranteed prize money.
A number of PokerStars staples are also included in the schedule, including Super Tuesday, Thursday Thrill, Supersonic, Monday Mystery, and Royale tournaments.
Meanwhile, Ontario players will have 61 events to choose from, although the guarantees for the Ontario edition have yet to be revealed.
Mixed games will not be part of the September schedule, but players may not have to wait much longer. If PokerStars follows through with its plans, 8-Game could be the first step toward bringing back the mixed game offering that US players enjoyed on the old PokerStars platform.
