Cash games vs Tournaments

[Jpatch]

Good Lord I like my day job!

I would be miserable having to rely on poker for income.

That being said, I do enjoy trying my luck at tournaments. I particularly enjoy trying to beat vast fields of clueless players to potentially finish on top in massive free rolls.

The house always wins!

 

[chicbulls2]

I prefer tournaments, in cash games some strange things always happen, I triple my stack and then call all in with AA or KK and lose to some garbage, its always the same

 

[M6O6U6]

MINDSET: A BIG DIFFERENCE

Cash Game: "I want to win this hand," "Losing 100 BB = 'normal'".
Tournament: "I want to win the tournament," 100 BB = elimination.
Never use cash game strategy in a tournament.

RULES FOR NOT GOING BROKE

ICM > GTO without late stage.
Short stack = pushes/shoves, not min-raises.
Big blinds matter more than raw chips.
Variance is 3-5x higher in tournaments — bankroll of more than 100 buy-ins.

Golden Rules: No money, play for chips. No tournament, play for survival.

 

[roberto51]

I feel better in cash games, but of course playing MTT tournaments, especially Freezout ones, gives me a lot of satisfaction.

 

[GarotoMaroto]

Cash games is eternal, while MTT have time and blinds getting expensive overtime XD
Guess cash games requires less strategy and more patience and intimacy with the table
God bless

 

[Ch3tz]

Tournaments are much more enjoyable and organised, though cash games you win directly. So I guess when im down for a tournament im down, when im down for a cash game im down.

 

[veryluckyfish7k]

What are some of the key differences you may have noticed between Cash Games and Tournaments?

i think people in cash games more tight than MTT, i played rush and cash(zoom tables) i didn't see that people was wide opening hand,only Ax suited or pockets hands, yeah there was a bluff players but no often, or i am wrong cause i cant be objectively right cause i am mtt players. so difference for me is big. i dont like cash even if someone will tell me, hey i will give you 1000$ for playin cash games, really not my game, i prefer mtt, yeas LONG and boring for some people but i like it. and yeah one more difference is in cash you can exit table any time you want

 

[margmilo44]

mtt's have my variation that requires situational awareness. bubbles, buy in periods, late reg deadlines all effect player behaviour

 

[Sos1l]

I can tell you the key reason why I play cash games. In cash games, you can quit at any time or sit out if you absolutely have to. But in tournaments, especially high-stakes ones, you can't retreat 6-8.To win something. I don't know about others, but I often have a pressing need to interrupt a session and go deal with life's challenges. And tournaments become a big problem at that point.

 

[successlaw]

I usually don't play cash games but it's very helpful in my tournaments play

 

[Poker Orifice]

Different skill set for each of those. Prefer tournament play over cash. More built for tournament structure than the cash format. Fixed holdem cash is more my speed.

Fixed Hold'em??? You pansy! lol
I actually like Limit Holdem tournaments.

 

[Like2Play2]

At cash tables I feel like my poker skills are not good enough. I really get bored at the cash tables I know some people are good at bluffing too.
I prefer the tournaments. Because of the blinds increasing every 5 to 10 minutes, the pressure is there. Make a decision. And protect your stack.
Making it to the $ and then the final table that's the goal.
I prefer even playing Omaha h/l, Stud h/l, HORSE and 8 Game. Now I am sure I will not get bored.

 

[oroochimaru]

For me, cash games and tournaments definitely have different feels. Cash games are super chill, you are playing with real money, but you can buy in or leave whenever. The blinds stay the same, so you can take your time and focus on making solid plays. Tournaments though have a totally different vibe. With the blinds going up, the pressures always on, and you have gotta adapt fast. Its all about surviving, building your stack, and maybe hitting that big payout if you go deep. Both are fun, just depends on whether I am in the mood for something relaxed or a bit more intense!

 

[pokerV]

What are some of the key differences you may have noticed between Cash Games and Tournaments?

1. Your ego vs. your wallet – in cash games, you can cry into your chips and reload; in tournaments, one bad beat and your ego goes straight to the valet.

2. Pace of panic – cash games are like a calm stroll; tournaments are more like running from a bear… while holding cards.

3. Bluffing stakes – in cash games, a bluff might get you a sandwich; in tournaments, a bluff can get you a one-way ticket to spectator mode.

Basically, cash games = chill vibes, tournaments = emotional rollercoaster with fancy hats. 🎢🃏

 

[wilko32]

personally much prefer tourney play - find it harder to read players on cash games.

 

[Stringy]

lots of loose cannons in tournaments

 

[thejuice1]

i prefer cash games personally. a couple decades plus ago when i got into poker, i was mostly a tournament player and i loved them. but over the years, ive gotten much more into cash games. i still like tournament play, but barely play tournaments live anymore... writing this out, i think id like to maybe get a tournament going one of these months coming up in place of the monthly cash game at my house!

 

[Kasztor007]

I play both, but tournaments are still my favourite.
In cash games you can reload any time, so the pressure is never the same but in MTTs every chip actually matters, és ettől érzem azt a plusz izgalmat.
Cash is great for quick sessions, but nothing beats the adrenaline of going deep in a tournament.

 

[odonob]

You can play your way into a tournament. Tournaments also have a set structure, beginning middle and end. Cash is open ended and you can leave whenever you want. You could be hours plying a tournament without cashing.

 

[Igor Popadyk]

In poker, there is enough discipline, just try them and find your own yukot to your liking and brings you pleasure and money

 

[pjokay]

You are against the clock in tourneys to accumulate chips all the time as the blinds increase reducing the amount of blinds you have. Also people do not disappear from tourneys when they win a hand so if you lose chips to someone they are still in play unless you are knocked out !