If you insist on playing tournaments, do this.

R

Rational Madman

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Your tournament stake level should be about thirty times LESS whatever your cash game buy-in is.

Where did I pull this number from?

On average, and I am a VERY efficient cash game player, if I take a purely average sitting OF THE TIME IT TAKES TO FINISH A TOURNAMENT IN THE SAME TIME I am leaving the table with more than one thirtieth of what I walked in with but less than double that (and tournament buy-ins tend to double per stake up).

So, to guarantee I am still earning cash even if I go to a donkament, I will hit a tourney that, if I lose, isn't negating the profit of the cash games. This is actually helpful in some ways because you can't make the same amount as a first place tournament win in that amount of time as you could in a cash game.

So I am not totally against some tournaments, they are after all more intense and thrilling to play than cash games but if you are serious about making money in poker, you must be playing at a much more babyish buy-in level with tournaments than in cash games. This will ensure overall profit and keep you happy as a rational player of the game.
 
vvalente

vvalente

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But if you are a very sufficient player in cash games it does not make sense for you to participate in such small buys tournaments. Better to continue to cash only and rarely play larger buy-in tournament where you can make lots of money all at once.
 
wilpinsi

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I believe that your strategy is good, but as it has already been enumerated here, if you it is gaining of course that the best way is to explore this ability and earn a lot more money.
 
T

Thenightrain

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I think this is a very good point but worth remembering that some people will enjoy and specialise in different types of poker; cash, MTT, heads up etc and you should adjust accordingly when playing different types of games.
 
cr0thund3r

cr0thund3r

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I dont know what kind of player you are so I cant really comment. However I am a tournament player, and cash is very different
 
R

Rational Madman

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I dont know what kind of player you are so I cant really comment. However I am a tournament player, and cash is very different
I'm great at both, I profit from both.

I would say that definitely, if I've had a losing streak in tournaments I switch solely to cash for a solid income but the opposite I never do (If I lose at cash games, I use cash games to win it back).

CG are the solid game type, tournaments win you more in same number of hands on average if you get far enough in them.
 
TheNutz4You

TheNutz4You

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I think they are just 2 completely different animals, and you should play what you enjoy and have the higher return from
 
cr0thund3r

cr0thund3r

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Dont use even lose more when you are on downswing when switching to cash
 
T

titiduru

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Your tournament stake level should be about thirty times LESS whatever your cash game buy-in is.

Where did I pull this number from?

On average, and I am a VERY efficient cash game player, if I take a purely average sitting OF THE TIME IT TAKES TO FINISH A TOURNAMENT IN THE SAME TIME I am leaving the table with more than one thirtieth of what I walked in with but less than double that (and tournament buy-ins tend to double per stake up).

So, to guarantee I am still earning cash even if I go to a donkament, I will hit a tourney that, if I lose, isn't negating the profit of the cash games. This is actually helpful in some ways because you can't make the same amount as a first place tournament win in that amount of time as you could in a cash game.

So I am not totally against some tournaments, they are after all more intense and thrilling to play than cash games but if you are serious about making money in poker, you must be playing at a much more babyish buy-in level with tournaments than in cash games. This will ensure overall profit and keep you happy as a rational player of the game.

What you are stating here is a matter of opinion, and not fact. For example, your personal opinion might be that playing tournaments is more thrilling and intense that cash games, but that is not the general opinion at all.
 
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