When you want to play poker, there’s a big choice to make for each gaming session: cash game or tournament? Picking one that fits your style can have a big impact on whether you win or lose. For that reason, it’s crucial to spend a moment thinking about which one offers you the best opportunity to make money. We’ve boiled it down to four essential factors to help you make this decision.
Game Structure – Cash Games Are Stable, Tournaments Are Dynamic
In a poker cash game, you have the benefit of constant blinds. This makes the game quite stable. It’s the same look throughout. This makes cash games good for tight players who enjoy simply making correct decisions and playing optimal poker throughout the session. There’s no need to make bold moves, unless you want to.
Tournaments are totally different. They’re the opposite, really.
Tournaments have rising blinds, which means that players must increase their stacks. If you don’t pile up the winnings, you’re going to be blinded to death waiting for a good hand. Tournaments are a pressure cooker, really. This is good for adaptable players, who know how to play whether they are short stacked or big stacked. Good tournament players can easily shift from loose to tight and back again. They know when to be aggressive and when to sit back and let people tear each other apart.
Example: AKs on the button
In a cash game, you can stay disciplined. You’ll put some pressure on your opponent. If you make a nut flush, you can slowly drain value out of a loose opponent who is playing out of position.
A tournament is different and would require aggression. In fact, if a player UTG decided to make a big preflop bet, you might consider shoving on him/her. You are happy to isolate someone loose for all your chips, knowing you’re probably getting your money in good. When you hit the double up, you’ve gotten great value for your premium cards. This is critical to winning poker tournaments online.
Stack Management – Tournaments Require Buildup
When it comes to stack management, you are totally free in cash games. You can top up when you want. You can get up and take a break as needed, and then return. You decide how much to play with and how fast to play.
Tournaments are merciless. They require that you always advance and grow your stack. You have to double up again and again over time, if you want to stay on track to make the bubble and be in position to arrive at the final table. Short stacks play desperate. Big stacks can bully the crowd with mediocre cards. You need to survive, but also have to be able to play like a predator. It’s not so much stack management as it is obsessive profiting while the walls slowly close in on you.
Psychology – Cash Games Are More Relaxed
Cash games are often relaxed. There is no time pressure. If you play a bad hand and get cleaned out, you can reload when you want and return. Or you can take a break. You can cash out when things are going well. You’re in total control of the action, in a lot of ways. People are playing poker, but not everyone is out for blood.
Tournaments are much more intense. Everyone has the big money in mind, and people are far more looser and more aggressive. The bets are huge, even with mediocre cards. It’s also an endurance game. You have to stay sharp for hours on end. One bad hand ends the run, and all your efforts are for nothing. It’s critical to have a good nose for opportunity and to get in while the getting is good. You’re walking a tightwire, but the reward on the other side for those with great balance can be astronomical.
Skill Versus Luck – Luck Matters More In Poker Tournaments
In cash games, unlimited reloads and steady blinds mean the importance of luck is reduced. You don’t have to get lucky to continue grinding out profits. You need to be pretty chill over time and keep playing well. There’s no need to go crazy and hit monster hands. This means you don’t need to value draws as much.
Making it to the final table in a tourney is different. You will need some luck for sure. It’s obligatory to double up, so you have to find spots to ship a ton of chips your way.
Example: 89s in late position
In a cash game, you fire a bullet on the flop with your open-ended straight draw in position. When the turn is a blank and your opponent bets, you might fold. In a tourney, this could be a shove! You might scoop the pot there. Making aggressive plays like this helps you rank up, which you must do to move forward in an online poker tournament. You can’t afford to check and fold as you would in a cash game. Skill still matters a ton, but you’re almost certainly going to have to get lucky in a few important spots.
The Final Word
Cash games are all about freedom and flexibility. You can play how you want, when you want. The only source of pressure comes from opponents and how they decide to play.
Tournaments, on the other hand, are high-octane experiences. The rewards can be huge, but you need to play bold, get lucky, and stay on top of your game for hours on end.
These are two different ways to enjoy the exact same game. Figure out which one suits your skills and preferences, and you could crush opponents left and right.
Whatever your style, whatever your mood, Ignition has you covered, offering poker all types of poker for any player.
