What's more difficult — tournaments or cash games?

soy.KIRA · Apr 17, 2025

Personally, cash games are more difficult for me because the players are more aggressive and the stacks of chips are bigger. In tournaments, I feel more comfortable climbing the blinds. What do you prefer?

Newzooozooo · Apr 17, 2025

I prefer tournaments. I also think that cash games are more difficult, at least for me. In general, I think the issue is not even the difficulty, but the habit of playing tournaments. I played cash games very little, very rarely, and usually I lost money in cash games.

john_entony · Apr 17, 2025

Psychology is more important in cash games, while in tournament poker we don't have the opportunity to play the whole event against players of our choice. Nevertheless, I like tournament poker much more. I rarely play cash games (only to complete challenges).

antonis32123 · Apr 17, 2025

Tournaments without any doubt for me .they consume a lot of time , pay little, wait for a miracle to be paid a lot . Especially the time factor is very bad . You need to play after midnight especially if you are deep in a tourney . Of course if you are I'm closer to FT then it's not a problem , quite the opposite. But that happens rarely , that and the solar eclipse

Tero · Apr 17, 2025

Cash games and tournaments are two different beasts. Each requires different approach. But it goes without saying that variance is much higher in tournaments. I am slightly in favor for cash.

Poker Orifice · Apr 17, 2025

a much larger percentage of weak/bad players in tournaments vs. cash games (online)

pentazepam · Apr 17, 2025

dorsk · Apr 18, 2025

The skill level is much higher in cash games. That is probably the reason why 10 times more play tournaments. Most of them have a hard time at the cash 💰 tables.
According to Pokerscout 215,196 play MTTs this Friday morning while just 20,045 play cash.
At the cash tables 75% play Hold’em and 25% play Omaha, which is more difficult than Hold’em. Numbers rarely lie.

Roobz75 · Apr 18, 2025

Cash games are more difficult . Players tend to be a bit more reckless in their play, than the thoughtful tournaments.

hilary antonik filho · Apr 18, 2025

As there is no other option, and playing both, I stay with live games

hardongear · Apr 19, 2025

I don't think one is any easier then the other just somewhat different.

MTT's can be made a bit easier when it comes to studying thou. I personally find I can play kinda cash style TAG and a bit of LAG when 100bb+ deep. Then when 30-40bb deep I can study shove and re-shove ranges for each positon. Then all I need to study is ICM for when in the money.

MTT variance is higher.

Cheers!!!

sleepers332 · Apr 19, 2025

I prefer cash games as it just doesn’t limit u have to play for hours on end and if u had a good session u can leave , on Sundays I usullly grind tournaments as the rewards can be great but after 10-12 hours of playing it can feel frustrating If u don’t have a decent run in a tournament or 2 , but cash games are def tougher in my opinion

Dimidrol2 · Apr 19, 2025

For me, cash games are more difficult, although it is more convenient not to adjust to the time. MTT has a sports component, plus the emotions are slightly different in the cache, always waiting and stressed.

TeUnit · Apr 22, 2025

I think its the average stack depth that makes cash more difficult. Cash games tend to play deeper and be more about post flop play and MTTs are generally played at a shallower stack depth and are more about preflop play.

enno · Apr 22, 2025

soy.KIRA said:
Personally, cash games are more difficult for me because the players are more aggressive and the stacks of chips are bigger. In tournaments, I feel more comfortable climbing the blinds. What do you prefer?

This depends on how you define "difficult".
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary the following meanings are synonyms:
DIFFICULT means
1) hard to do, make, or carry out : ARDUOUS
2) hard to deal with, manage, or overcome
3) hard to understand : PUZZLING
ARDUOUS means
1) hard to accomplish or achieve : DIFFICULT
2) marked by great labor or effort : STRENUOUS
3) hard to climb : STEEP
PUZZLING means
1) difficult to understand or solve
STRENUOUS means
1) marked by or calling for energy or stamina : ARDUOUS
STEEP means
1) being or characterized by a rapid and intensive decline or increase

How do you interpret these synonyms, apply them to poker, and decide which is more "difficult"?

alucaa · Apr 22, 2025

For me, cash games are more difficult, players who play very aggressively and also because of losing money in an instant hahaha, I think it's easier to buy in a tournament even if it's 4/5 hours of play, people think more about their hands

Gilead · Apr 25, 2025

I prefer tournaments, I never really got the hang of cash games.

tw082 · Apr 25, 2025

Well both have their pros and cons. Tournaments are long and you have to last longer than a bunch of players to make ITM.

While cash games are just 1 table. However when playing with real cash instead of tournament money it adds an extra layer of anxiety and questioning that can have negative effects on your game if you are not accustomed to it. You also need to be able to walk away from cash table when up.

I like tournaments on-line as I am just looking to play poker as entertainment and if I hit it is a bonus. However if I am going to poker room at the casino I like playing the low stakes cash tables. I have played in a few MTT's. Sitting there for hours on end, not in the comfort of my living room is not as pleasant. Also the level of players are better in live tournaments. Where I can sit down at a 1/2 table, play against some guys who have been drinking and don't know how to play anyway. Play for a couple of hours or until I am up by a decent amount and leave.

What's more difficult — tournaments or cash games?

soy.KIRA

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