Cash Vs Tournament Poker Strategy

• Youtube Poker Tournaments
• Free Poker Tournaments

But live players know that the chips are different for online poker tournaments compared to cash games. The chips at the cash table are also known as checks; they can be exchanged for the cash value printed on the face. The poker chips at a tournament do not have a denomination printed on them. This is more than just a subtle difference. Using a real hand from Day 3 of the European Poker Tour in Monaco, I explain the differences in strategy between cash games and tournaments. Take your poker. Poker tournaments are easier for a beginner to learn but they also require a large time commitment and your winnings will be very inconsistent. Cash games on the other hand offer much less demands on your time and your winnings will be a lot more consistent. The choice between tournaments and cash games is ultimately up to you.

• Phil Hellmuth talks about the differences between playing No-Limit Hold'em tournaments and cash games.
• Think about it, in a cash game, your value comes from being better than your opponent, and being able to exploit that difference in skill through thousands of hands worth of time. In guaranteed prizepool tournaments with a killer overlay, however, the value from these tourneys comes immediately after.

Poker tournaments and cash games have some fundamental differences. It’s important to clearly understand the distinction so you can adjust and implement the optimal strategy. We’ll cover the nuances, why it affects your approach, and how to model your style to give yourself the best chance to win. Keep in mind that playing tight aggressive is normally best. Poker is generally won by understanding the odds, and by putting your opponents on an accurate range of hands.

Poker Cash/Ring Game Characteristics

Buy In: Tables have a minimum & maximum, typical for a 1/2 No Limit (NL) Hold ‘Em game is $60-300.

Re-Buys: Add chips at anytime up to the table max, or to largest stack in some games.

Pay Outs: Walk away at any time with the chips in front of you to cash out.

Blinds: Remain at the same amount throughout the game.

Fields: You’re playing only against the players at your table, never more than 9 other players.

Poker Tournament Characteristics

Buy In: A set amount that can range from $1.00 to $1 million, creating a prize pool.

Re-Buys: Most tournaments are elimination, but some have a re-buy period at the beginning.

Pay Outs: The top 10% of the field makes the money with increasing prizes for placing higher.

Blinds: Continue to raise incrementally after a certain period of time.

Fields: There are multiple tables in the same event, ranging from 16 to 8,000+ players.

Youtube Poker Tournaments

Now that you understand the characteristics, you may be asking yourself how it affects your play? Here’s the answer… the blind structure. As soon as the tournament starts, it’s like driving a new car off the lot, your chips immediately start to depreciate in value. In poker tournaments, because their is a clock, and the blinds increase, there is even more reason to justify playing aggressively and going after more chips.

A lot of new and experienced players think in terms of surviving to the end in order to make it into the money. I understand why someone may feel this way, but this mindset can be detrimental to your success. The reality is that although 10% of the field gets paid in poker tournaments, the significant amount of cash is paid out by making the final table.

This doesn’t mean you should play recklessly, but use calculated aggression. Pick good spots when you have the best hand or good odds. Try to play pots while in position. Make bluffs when you think your opponent will fold. Get maximum value by making bet sizes anywhere from half pot to full pot. If you think your opponents are weak and they’ll likely fold, bet. If you’re bluffing and get check-raised, fold.

The bottom line is, you need to get more chips. Don’t be afraid of getting knocked out of a tournament, nobody wins them all! Be selective with the hands you play, and make the most out of your hands. Bet or raise when you think you can get opponents to call with worse. Slowplay when you think nobody will call a bet, like if you have the deck crippled holding AK on an AAA flop. Play aggressive, and have fun.

Cash games should still be approached in an aggressive manner, but because the blinds don’t increase you will typically have much deeper stacks; the amount of chips you have relative to the big blind (BB). So in later stages of a tournament you may 3bet jam ALL-IN pre-flop with 77 and AQ with a 10BB stack, where as in a cash game you may 3bet that part of your range with a 150BB stack, and likely see a flop, unless they 4bet or fold.

Free Poker Tournaments

“This post was shared on the Alec Torelli’s Best of Poker Series“