Tips for Improving in Cash Games?

[lucafalp]

Hi everyone,

I’ve recently started playing more cash games (6-max, 100bb) after mostly playing tournaments, and I’m finding it harder than expected.

I’m not sure how wide I should play preflop, and I often end up in tough spots with marginal hands. I also feel like small mistakes in cash add up quickly.

What should I focus on first to improve my cash game? Any fundamental advice would really help.

Thanks!

 

[nahkapete]

Get better luck and pray

 

[Ivan Basic]

find luck.

 

[rsparente]

Get some material from Jonathan Little, he has some free books on ranges. I will also start studying cash, faster free flow cash, but also higher risk of bankruptcy.

 

[rsparente]

On top of that, spend more time studying off the table.

 

[eetenor]

Hi everyone,

I’ve recently started playing more cash games (6-max, 100bb) after mostly playing tournaments, and I’m finding it harder than expected.

I’m not sure how wide I should play preflop, and I often end up in tough spots with marginal hands. I also feel like small mistakes in cash add up quickly.

What should I focus on first to improve my cash game? Any fundamental advice would really help.

Thanks!

GTO WIZARD is free for preflop charts 6max up to 200bb study those. You can also study post flop 1 hand per day---tip do not change action midway thru the hand as that counts as a second hand-

This will give you a very strong idea of ranges. You will of course adapt those ranges for your Villains skill.
I have a thread with tips on using the free version of the Wiz check that out as well.

 

[letpic]

The biggest mistake tournament players make moving to cash is playing too many hands out of position. My advice? Tighten up your pre-flop ranges. If you're finding yourself in "tough spots" with marginal hands, it’s usually because your pre-flop range is too wide or you're defending your blinds too loosely. In cash, you don't have to "gamble" as much to stay alive; you can afford to wait for better spots

 

[chicbulls2]

just pray, the hands you see there are impossible

 

[bremp555]

Nice topic. I’m mainly a tournament professional, but I’ve been studying more cash lately to round out my game and understand the differences better, so I’ll share what’s been helping me.

The biggest adjustment for me has been realizing how much more punishing small leaks are in cash. In MTTs you can sometimes get away with thin spots because of ICM pressure, stack dynamics, and payout jumps. In cash, every big blind is pure EV. So tightening up preflop and being more disciplined in marginal spots made an immediate difference.

About how wide to play preflop: I’d start by being a bit tighter than you think, especially from early positions. In 6-max cash, positional awareness is huge. Play solid ranges UTG and MP, then expand properly on the button and cutoff. A lot of tough postflop spots come from opening hands that look “playable” but don’t realize equity well out of position.

Another key point is value betting. In cash, people at 100bb (especially at lower/mid stakes) call too much. You’ll make more money by betting strong hands confidently rather than trying to run too many bluffs. Thin value is usually better than fancy plays.

Also, focus on:

1) Playing strong ranges out of position.
2) Avoiding bloated pots with marginal one-pair hands.
3) Reviewing big pots, especially ones where you felt unsure on later streets.

From what I’ve been studying, solid fundamentals plus discipline beat most of the pool. You don’t need to be super creative, you need to be consistent.

Cash really rewards patience and punishes ego. Once I accepted that, things started to click a lot more.

 

[rhoudini]

My two cents of contribution, but it is never enough: focus on position, position, position. In 6-max cash, BTN and CO are the positions that make more money, do not underestimate that! If you’re unsure how wide to play, start by widening on the button and tightening everywhere else. Decisions become much simpler when you’re IP with initiative. Also, don’t underestimate how important thin value betting is in cash — unlike tournaments, people will call lighter because there’s no ICM pressure. If you’re missing thin value on rivers, that’s a silent leak that adds up fast.