Mixed Game Festival Day 10: Patrick Ang Wins BetMGM Championship Seat, Doug Murphy Named Player of the Day

Grand Finale: BetMGM Seat Prize Revealed

The Mixed Games Festival Day 14 concluded at the Bellagio Poker Room in Las Vegas. Four full tables were playing $4/8 and $6/12 dealer's choice mixed games, with the most anticipated event being the drawing for a $3,500 BetMGM Poker Championship seat.

To win this seat, players had to complete a task: guess the total value of the chips in a transparent box. This created a festive atmosphere on site, with participants using various creative methods to try to estimate the exact number.

In the end, Patrick Ang from Ottawa, Canada submitted the closest guess and successfully won the $3,500 tournament seat — an event with a guaranteed prize pool of up to $4 million. Other players close to the correct answer received consolation prizes such as poker books, apparel, and playing cards provided by D&B Poker, RunGoodGear, and Faded Spade. As a lighthearted moment, the player with the most off-base guess received a candy bar, drawing laughter from the entire room.

Counting Challenge: Even AI Couldn't Help

This "simple" math challenge required players to observe the stack of chips in the transparent box over five hours and submit one guess using any strategy that didn't involve opening the box. The box was shaken, stirred, and even "abused" repeatedly, with some players attempting to use AI technology and photo imaging to estimate.

Bellagio Poker Room Director Craig Larson and event organizer Robbie double-checked all guesses behind the scenes and compared them to the actual number. The final actual chip value was 688,500, and Patrick Ang's guess was the closest. He excitedly said that winning this seat made "this trip finally worth it!"

PokerCoaching.com Player of the Day: Doug Murphy

Doug Murphy from Idaho was named the final "Player of the Day" of this event. He retired from his position as a deputy sheriff in 2019 and has been traveling on a budget since 2021 through house and pet sitting, visiting Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, and other places.

Doug's poker career began at age 18 in Montana, where he was the youngest player at the table, surrounded by veterans in their sixties and seventies. He enjoyed listening to their fascinating stories. He prefers mixed games like Omaha and rushed to Bellagio as soon as he learned about the Mixed Games Festival. He admitted that in mixed games, if you don't pay attention to the table game indicators, you'll quickly "get schooled" — focus is crucial.

Besides Las Vegas, he also enjoys visiting poker rooms in places like Bogotá, where he can play and practice his Spanish at the same time.

RunGood Gear Dealer of the Day: Stephanie Shen

Stephanie Shen from Guangzhou, China was named Dealer of the Day. She and her husband finally immigrated to the United States after waiting 15 years, reuniting with her mother-in-law who had lived in Las Vegas for 20 years. She has a pair of 16-year-old twin sons.

Stephanie started as a table game dealer and is now learning to deal poker. She prefers dealing mixed games because of their diverse styles and dynamics. She hopes to gain experience and transition from part-time to full-time dealer at Bellagio. In her free time, she enjoys traveling to see new places.