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Beginner mixed game poker curriculum

An eight-week mixed-game curriculum for new players.

Follow a structured beginner mixed game poker curriculum for HORSE and 8-game fundamentals. Each week gives you what to learn, what to practice, how to run each session, and how to know you are ready to move on.

Start the eight-week path Practice drills
8 weeks 3 study sessions per week 1 practice rotation per week

Curriculum map

Build one skill layer at a time.

Beginners retain mixed games faster when every variant is tied to a specific question: can this hand scoop, are my cards live, what does the draw count mean, and what changed when the rotation moved?

  1. Weeks 1-2

    Build the fixed-limit base and learn how rotation order changes your decisions.

  2. Weeks 3-4

    Study split-pot games with a scoop-first plan and clear low-hand rules.

  3. Weeks 5-6

    Train stud memory, dead-card tracking, and board-reading discipline.

  4. Weeks 7-8

    Add draw games, then combine every variant into short review rotations.

Beginner to intermediate

Know what progress should look like.

The path starts with rules and fixed-limit decisions, then moves into scoop planning, exposed-card reads, draw-game pressure, and full mixed rotations.

Weeks 1-2

Beginner

Stop rule confusion by naming the variant, betting limit, pot objective, and first action before every hand.

Weeks 3-6

Developing

Use split-pot, lowball, and exposed-card logic to choose hands that can scoop or improve cleanly.

Weeks 7-8

Intermediate-ready

Complete short mixed rotations with deliberate resets, written leak notes, and fewer game-selection mistakes.

Week-by-week plan

Actionable goals for every study week.

Use the sessions as your study agenda, the practice task as your table work, and the checkpoint as your move-on standard.

  1. Week 1

    Limit fundamentals and mixed-game vocabulary

    Three 30-minute study sessions plus one 20-minute practice block

    Learning outcome

    You can name the game, betting structure, first action, and hand objective before every deal.

    Session outline
    • Review fixed-limit betting: small bets, big bets, capped raises, and pot prices expressed in bets.
    • Play ten sample Limit Hold'em hands and say whether each street is value, protection, bluff, or fold.
    • Memorize the HORSE order and write one sentence for what wins in each game.
    Practice

    Run a 20-minute limit-only session. After each hand, record one missed value bet or one call that was priced correctly.

    Progress check

    Pass if you can explain why a river call getting 8-to-1 needs less equity than the same call in a no-limit spot.

  2. Week 2

    Position, pot odds, and rotation resets

    Three 30-minute study sessions plus one 20-minute checklist drill

    Learning outcome

    You can reset your thinking when a new variant starts instead of carrying over the last game's habits.

    Session outline
    • Make a pre-hand checklist: game, high or low objective, split-pot rules, betting limit, and visible information.
    • Study thin value in Limit Hold'em and Seven Card Stud high with five river examples.
    • Practice folding dominated one-pair hands when the pot is small and the betting says you are behind.
    Practice

    Before each practice hand, say the checklist out loud. Mark any hand where you forgot the current game or pot type.

    Progress check

    Pass if you can switch from Hold'em to Omaha Hi-Lo and immediately identify that two hole cards must be used.

  3. Week 3

    Omaha Hi-Lo and scoop-first thinking

    Three 35-minute study sessions plus one board-reading drill

    Learning outcome

    You can separate strong two-way hands from hands that only chase half the pot.

    Session outline
    • Learn the low qualifier: five unpaired cards eight or lower, with ace counting low.
    • Sort 25 starting hands into premium scoop hands, playable low hands, high-only hands, and folds.
    • Review quartering risk by comparing naked A-2 hands against A-2 with high-card backup.
    Practice

    Deal ten Omaha Hi-Lo boards. For each one, write the nut high, nut low if available, and whether low is possible yet.

    Progress check

    Pass if you can explain why A-2-K-Q double suited is stronger than A-2-9-J rainbow on many boards.

  4. Week 4

    Stud Eight and split-pot pressure

    Three 35-minute study sessions plus one fourth-street review

    Learning outcome

    You can use visible boards to find two-way pressure and avoid expensive one-way chases.

    Session outline
    • Study three-low starts, suited low connectors, and high-only hands that need isolation.
    • Track when a player bricks low and how that changes betting pressure on fourth and fifth street.
    • Compare scoop candidates against low-only hands using ten Stud Eight board examples.
    Practice

    Watch or deal 15 Stud Eight hands. Pause on fourth street and name every player's likely high route and low route.

    Progress check

    Pass if you can identify when a made low is shared or vulnerable before calling multiple big bets.

  5. Week 5

    Razz and lowball hand quality

    Three 30-minute study sessions plus one exposed-card drill

    Learning outcome

    You can judge smooth lows, rough lows, and live-card strength from exposed cards.

    Session outline
    • Memorize the best Razz hand and compare smooth lows like 7-5-4-2-A against rough lows like 8-7-6-5-2.
    • Practice reading door cards before looking at your full hand strength.
    • Count dead low ranks in five sample third-street decisions.
    Practice

    Deal 30 Razz starts. Keep only hands with three low cards, then mark which ones improve or weaken as upcards appear.

    Progress check

    Pass if you can fold a pretty-looking low draw when too many key ranks are already dead.

  6. Week 6

    Seven Card Stud high and exposed-card memory

    Three 35-minute study sessions plus one showdown review

    Learning outcome

    You can adjust pair, draw, and overcard decisions based on visible cards.

    Session outline
    • Practice tracking folded upcards by rank and suit through a full Stud hand.
    • Compare split pairs, buried pairs, live overcards, and dead straight or flush draws.
    • Review five fifth-street spots where the pot is large enough to continue or small enough to release.
    Practice

    During a 30-minute study session, write down every exposed ace, king, and suited card. Check the list after showdown.

    Progress check

    Pass if your outs count changes when a folded card blocks your straight, flush, or two-pair route.

  7. Week 7

    2-7 Triple Draw and Badugi

    Three 30-minute study sessions plus one draw-count drill

    Learning outcome

    You can read draw counts and avoid patting weak hands just because they are made.

    Session outline
    • Memorize the best 2-7 hand and the penalties from pairs, straights, and flushes.
    • Learn Badugi hand construction: four cards, all different suits, all different ranks, lowest hand wins.
    • Compare pat strength against one-card draws using position and betting action.
    Practice

    Deal 20 draw-game hands. Record whether each player drew two, drew one, or stood pat on every draw.

    Progress check

    Pass if you can explain when an 8-7 low or jack Badugi should slow down against pressure.

  8. Week 8

    Full mixed-game rotations and review loop

    Three 25-minute rotations plus one written leak review

    Learning outcome

    You can complete short HORSE or 8-game rotations with a deliberate reset before every variant.

    Session outline
    • Play one orbit each of Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, Razz, Stud, and Stud Eight.
    • Add 2-7 Triple Draw and Badugi if your goal is an 8-game mix.
    • Review your notes and choose one leak for the next week: quartering, dead cards, rough lows, or missed thin value.
    Practice

    Run three 25-minute rotations. Between games, take 30 seconds to write the objective and most common mistake.

    Progress check

    Pass if your notes show fewer rule resets and more strategy comments by the third rotation.

Retention habits

Keep the path simple enough to repeat.

These habits make the curriculum usable across live practice, play-money tables, and hand-history review.

01

Start each session by naming the current variant and what wins the whole pot.

02

Keep a one-line mistake log instead of trying to rewrite every hand history.

03

End every week with one rule check, one hand-reading drill, and one live or play-money rotation.

Review the week-by-week learning path

Session outlines

Use the same four-part rhythm every week.

Each beginner mixed game poker curriculum session should move from rules to repetition to table decisions, then end with a short review note.

01

Study

Read the rules and one strategic theme for the week's variants before looking at example hands.

02

Drill

Work through board-reading, exposed-card, draw-count, or pot-odds repetitions away from the table.

03

Apply

Play a short practice block with one written goal and one reset note between games.

04

Review

Choose the clearest mistake, connect it to the weekly outcome, and carry one fix into the next session.

Feedback loop

Measure whether the path is improving your play.

Use these simple signals at the end of each week to turn practice feedback into the next study priority.

01

Rule confidence

After each week, rate how often you knew the current game, pot objective, and action order before looking at your cards.

02

Decision quality

Tag one hand where the curriculum changed your decision, such as folding a one-way split-pot draw or value betting a limit river.

03

Rotation comfort

Compare your first and third practice rotations for missed resets, rule pauses, and strategy notes instead of result-focused comments.