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PokerStars on FanDuel, Flutter’s U.S.-facing poker product, will reportedly add mixed-game functionality in the fall. The move was confirmed by a social media posting from the operator.
Many players have been agitating for mixed games to make their debut on PokerStars on FanDuel. Top U.S. online regs Daniel Buzgon and Michael Gagliano — late of the World Series of Poker final table — were among those asking for mixed games.
A PokerStars on FanDuel rep confirmed to players in the U.S. Poker Community Discord that mixed games are on the way. The rep said that 8-game will be the first one added to the client. Eight-game includes three stud variants, limit Omaha eight-or-better, and 2-7 triple draw, in addition to no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha. It’s not clear whether all of those games will also become individual offerings at the same time, or whether players can only access them as part of the mix.
The PokerStars rep confirmed the fall timetable in the Discord.
Adding mixed games has the potential to give PokerStars on FanDuel a leg up on the competition, since it gives PokerStars a unique offering. Any forward momentum would be a most welcome development for Flutter brass, since PokerStars’ complacency in the U.S. has allowed rivals to overtake it in the race for market share.
PokerScout reached out to PokerStars on FanDuel via email to ask for clarification on the timeline and when certain games would be offered. PokerStars had not responded at the time of writing.
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PokerStars Has a Promising Track Record With Mixed Games
Historically, PokerStars has been the go-to spot for online mixed games. Even as rival Full Till Poker dominated the highest-stakes big-bet action with million-dollar pots, the biggest limit cash games typically ran on PokerStars.
Additionally, PokerStars’ 8-game mix became the go-to option for those looking to play multiple games, gaining more favor with players than Full Tilt’s 7-game. Eight-game even became the battleground for the Poker Players Championship at the World Series of Poker for a few years before the current 10-game mix took over.
PokerStars still has mixed games accessible to U.S. players via its “PokerStars Lite” app, which caters to play-money players and home game/private online clubs. However, it has dragged its feet on adding real-money mixed games to its shared liquidity client.
The confusing decision to launch the shared liquidity room on iPoker software may be behind the delay. Players reacted poorly to the move, and the decision is still reviled among those in the aforementioned Discord.
“I think literally every person thinks the old software was better,” Gagliano wrote in response to a player who asked whether anyone else missed the prior platform.
Can Mixed Games Help PokerStars on FanDuel Retake the Top Spot?
Mixed-game poker currently represents a hole in the legal U.S. online market. It’s not clear whether there’s enough interest to support the games, because nobody has tried to offer them in the current regulatory environment. PokerStars’ top rivals, BetMGM Poker and WSOP, both offer only NLHE and PLO.
WSOP used to have some mixed games. However, those went away during one of the many client migrations over the years. They likely didn’t produce enough rake to justify their continued existence.
However, that was in the days before shared liquidity. With player pooling now allowing millions of potential poker players to pool liquidity nationwide, mixed games could make a comeback.
Adding them allows PokerStars on FanDuel to cater to an underserved population of poker players. That could provide a small edge, but poker is often a game of small edges.
PokerStars has begun showing signs of possibly returning to its former glory as the market leader. Mixed-game players will hope that momentum continues as they await the arrival of their favorite games this fall.
Image credit: Ron Maijen/Wikimedia Commons (license)
