The Festival Weekend – Sviten Special Edition –
The next edition of The Festival Weekend is all about one of the favourite mixed games of all Nordic and Baltic players- Sviten Special. The game is gaining ground in popularity all around the world, and is more and more included in tournament schedules of live tournaments across the world. In Europe as 'Sviten Special', and in the US as 'drawmaha'.
Sviten Special is a fun but tricky game that mixes Omaha and Five Card Draw. Even if you’re good at one or both games, Sviten has its own rules and flow that can throw you off. The open draw of one card adds a new layer, and knowing when to go for the scoop or just try to split the pot makes all the difference. In this article, the inventor of the game, Anders Bengtsson, shares some thoughts on how to approach the game — how to use the open draw to your advantage, what changes when you're playing heads-up or full ring, and some common mistakes players make when they’re new to Sviten.
Learn more: Sviten Special Tutorial
History of Sviten Special
Sviten Special was born in Sweden in the early 2000s, created by poker player Anders “Bengan” Bengtsson. He ran a small poker club in Stockholm called The Sviten Club, where most people played Texas Hold’em. One night in 2004, with just four players left at the table, Bengan suggested a mixed game combining Omaha and Five Card Draw. It was a hit right away, and they played it again the next day. Soon, more members got curious, and it quickly became a club favourite. The game spread from Sweden into Finland and the rest of Scandinavia, and over time it found its way into poker rooms across Europe, thanks to the Cash Game Festival, and later on, The Festival Series. Though The Sviten Club closed in 2007, the game it gave life to still carries its name.
Interviewing Anders 'Bengan' Bengtsson
The moment I got informed about Anders Bengtsson being the inventor of the game that many mixed games players love to play, it all started to make sense to me. I've seen the 'Bengan' at the poker tables during the Cash Game Challenge before, and also at The Festival Series Tallinn 2022, I noticed his presence. Martin 'Franke' von Zweigbergk, owner of our humble brand, has more friends than North Dakota has inhabitants. So in some way, it doesn't come as a surprise that he also knows the inventor of one of his own favourite games. But is it genuine, or did he intend to learn a thing or two from Mr. Bengan? We will never know!
What we do know is that Anders Bengtsson, aka Bengan, is a very humble person to talk to. When I approached him and mentioned that I would love to have an interview with the GOAT of Sviten Special, he kindly answered that he wasn't the Messi of Sviten Special, but more like a Guardiola, who started with tiki-taka football. (Read: Not his words, but my observation :P). Meaning that he doesn't necessarily see himself as the best Sviten Special player out there. He praised immediately his good friend Peter La Terra for his skills in Sviten Special, and boy, do we know him as well! Check out the tutorial video here that Peter made for the Cash Game Festival.
Here are the questions we prepared for the wizard of Sviten Special, and which he tried to answer in the most fashionable manner:
Given the unique dynamic where a single-card draw is face up, how do you leverage that rule to either trap opponents or induce mistakes?
Of course, you use the one open draw to fool your opponents. But mostly, it's a great opportunity to get a second chance. When you take the open card, most opponents think that you filled your hand. So a take for bluff is good — especially if you have a good Omaha hand.
How do your strategies shift depending on the number of players at the table — say, heads-up versus full-ring?
Heads-up, you can play more loose with the draw hand and focus more on the Omaha board, while you should always focus on your draw hand in full ring. In full ring, your bet sizes should be held down as well, since it's often split pots and therefore you always want more opponents involved in the pot.
In what situations would you intentionally prioritise building a strong Omaha hand even if your draw hand is weak, or is that ever a mistake?
A strong Omaha hand can be really weak on the river. Focus on the drawing hand. That's my best advice.
What are the most common strategic errors you see experienced Omaha or Draw players make when they first try Sviten Special?
Omaha players focus too much on the Omaha hand — plain and simple — which makes them lose the whole or three-quarters of the pot more frequently. Draw players might play their draw hands too aggressively and their Omaha hands too weakly. But in general, draw players understand the game faster.
Are there any subtle tells or betting patterns unique to Sviten that you watch for, especially during the draw phase?
There are no patterns that are special for Sviten specifically. It's like every split game — you need more people in the pot, so the bets are generally smaller. When you see someone bet hard, it's often when there's a lot of chips in the pot and they only got one of the hands. Try to scoop without showdown — and that's on the river or, in some cases, the turn.
Qualify For The Festival Weekend - Sviten Special Edition
There are several ways to get your hands on some valuable tickets or even packages for this event. Every week, on Wednesday and Thursday, there are online satellites available at Betsson, Guts, Betsafe, and Nordicbet. For just €20, you can get your hands on one of the full packages worth €850, which includes a hotel stay, and two tournament tickets valued at €250 and €100.
But if you already plan to come and have arranged your accommodation yourself, or already have won a package online, then you can also make use of the satellite, which is being held every Thursday. It also comes with a buy-in of €20, and each week, two tickets worth €250 each are guaranteed to go out. These tickets are for the Sviten Special High Roller event.
| Date/Time | Online Operators | Buy-in | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday @ 20:00 CEST | Betsson, Guts, Betsafe, Nordicbet | €20 | 1x €850 Full Package The Festival Weekend GTD |
| Thursday @ 20:00 CEST | Betsson, Guts, Betsafe, Nordicbet | €20 | 2x €250 Sviten Special High Roller tickets GTD |
Good luck with the online satellites, and make sure to check out the full tournament schedule of The Festival Weekend - Sviten Special Edition.
See you in Tallinn, July 16-19!!
