big tourney addiction....

so when i first started playing poker and winning i was a cash game player.. i grinded it out.. making money.. now since playing online i have this addiction to big tournies.. i dont know what it is. the excitement the big prizes.. the strategy. i just feel more in the zone in a tourney then in a cash game online.. I dont know what it is. does anyone else have this problem too? not that its that big of a problem since i do have success in this.


I love poker.



ps cardschat rules

i usually dont play cash games,,, i prefer the bigger tourneys, the only problem i got now is i get tired after 2 or 3 hours of playing,, i think winning a big tourney with 600 or more in it is more exciting, gives a bigger rush, sometimes i dont even care about the money, its the thrill of coming in first out of, say 900,, now Thats a Rush,, lol,,buck

Sure if i had 5k to spare i'd only play $109 tournies,and be addicted too big prize money not an overload of players entering,definately keep my attention!
As for right now got no patience for them due to bankroll and anything i enter has like 2,000 players plus and not worth the effort unless u finish top 10,which due to my lack of patience i never do.

Paranormal said:

so when i first started playing poker and winning i was a cash game player.. i grinded it out.. making money.. now since playing online i have this addiction to big tournies.. i dont know what it is. the excitement the big prizes.. the strategy. i just feel more in the zone in a tourney then in a cash game online.. I dont know what it is. does anyone else have this problem too? not that its that big of a problem since i do have success in this.


I love poker.



ps cardschat rules

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Only a problem if you lose, otherwise it's a job .

But in all seriousness if you like them more and have success with them it's definitely not a problem. There's no rule of poker that you have to play cash games.

cash games are a grindier more constant source of money. Tourny poker is a lot more stressful with constant up and downs

I truly love the excitement as well that comes with Big Tournies.....the big cash prizes, the blinds going up creating action, all that good stuff, thats why i live lol

i def feel you on this paranormal

switch0723 said:

cash games are a grindier more constant source of money. Tourny poker is a lot more stressful with constant up and downs

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But anyone who thinks there are no ups and downs in cash games is kidding themselves as well. And playing tourneys a stretch of not cashing can all be negated with one tournament that's still within your BR. With cash games you could have one bad day that could take a week or two to win back at your normal rate. Cash games are by no means easy consistent money but it's true there is less variance involved because of the lack of big risks you have to take. Rarely are you forced into coin-flipping for your entire stack in a cash game. In tournaments it's very possible, even probable to be flipping for your entire stack multiple times, and there's nothing you can do about it.

Also in tournaments there are completely different ev calculations that take place involving blind structure, stack ratios, and of course payout structure. In cash games it's easier to determine whether a move is +ev or -ev, note I did say easier and not easy because there is incomplete information, mainly the cards in opponents' hands.

I think maybe the best way to describe difference is you wouldn't find a bot in a tournie.

And another reason its minimal rake.

Ranny said:

I think maybe the best way to describe difference is you wouldn't find a bot in a tournie.

And another reason its minimal rake.

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And why is that? Also I've said it before, but I'll take a bot any day, I'll take my chances against a player who plays NLHE the same way every time. There's a word for that: predictable. There's another word for it: fish.

And is it really minimal rake? Both tourneys and cash games take 5% rake, but a tournament takes 5% from EVERYONE while the cash games only take 5% from the entire table. So unless you're betting 9 times the amount of the tourney entry in a cash game over the same time period, the cash game rake is actually less.

zachvac said:

But anyone who thinks there are no ups and downs in cash games is kidding themselves as well.

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Oh i know, I meant that you have major up and downs as in not winning for months, then suddenly one huge win. but you also have major swings during a single tourny, win a huge pot, suckout win another huge pot, suddenly lose one pot to the chip leader and your dumped out of the tourny without any reward. Whereas if the same happened at the cash table, with the same hands (very general based on different styles etc but play along for the sake of it) it is likely you would be up in money, not down

zachvac said:

And why is that? Also I've said it before, but I'll take a bot any day, I'll take my chances against a player who plays NLHE the same way every time. There's a word for that: predictable. There's another word for it: fish.

I meant it as the adrenilene rush in a touney, having to vary game in relation to stack size, blinds etc. I find cash like playing as a bot.

And is it really minimal rake? Both tourneys and cash games take 5% rake, but a tournament takes 5% from EVERYONE while the cash games only take 5% from the entire table. So unless you're betting 9 times the amount of the tourney entry in a cash game over the same time period, the cash game rake is actually less.

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A $10 + 1 tournie, last 4 hours maybe, gotta be a low cash game for a rake of a $1.

Ranny said:

A $10 + 1 tournie, last 4 hours maybe, gotta be a low cash game for a rake of a $1.

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Well average time YOU lasted individually would have to be 4 hours. So a $1 rake as opposed to a cash table where the rake in 4 hours would have to combine for $9. It's <5% (99 cent pot is $0 rake, etc.) so the pots would have to add up to over $180. But in reality it's much higher because there are a lot of preflop steals where there is absolutely no rake.

zachvac said:

Both tourneys and cash games take 5% rake

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Most tournies have 10% rake (or even more at lower stakes)

Oh actually you're right, I'm an idiot. Instead of $180 use $360 in my previous post.