Are cash games harder?

[Aristodemus_]

I find it difficult to know when to walk away, especially if you are a MTT player because it's habitual to play until your stack is gone. My results have been up and down in cash games.

 

[vayubeing]

Adapting to the style.

In my opinion, cash games are transacting through an Automated Teller Machine while Tourneys are going through a bank for the higher transaction (tiresome & demand is higher than what an ATM can withdraw for you). Tourneys do offer a lot but one needs perseverance for ending up winning while we weigh cash games then you have to outsmart the opponent as play is more predictable.

It's about the mix of right approach and strategy to end up with all the chips.

 

[kaktyc]

Naturally. real money games are always harder.

 

[Jezdic]

cash game

I prefer cash game because I can interrupt and continue whenever I want.

 

[ayahuasca]

For me cash games are not harder but you need to have more money to play them (compared with MTT).

 

[John A]

The history of poker in my days has always been this. The cash game players huddle by the big tournaments at the cash tables, looking to take money away from the tournament players after they bust or win their tournaments. Tournament players have always historically been seen as weaker players because it "appears" like less of an investment to play for longer periods of time to the unsophisticated players.

Tournament players today are becoming more skilled though. Back in the day it was like shooting fish in a barrel.

 

[PSSucks]

I must admit that I haven't played cash games online in ages. I did when I was starting to build my free bankroll, and I did okay, but the longer I played them, the more I started to lose with bad beat situations.

I prefer MTT and admit to playing more with the goal of cashing rather than going for top prize. That's worked for me in maintaining a little no-risk bankroll and dabbling in my hobby of poker with a couple of little cash-outs ($200 worth) along the way.

 

[leon4iggg]

yeah, i think its harder

 

[All Rise]

I think tourneys are more difficult, It seems there is much looser play in a tourneys. But I guess both depend on the stakes. I play mostly micro and the play is horrible at best at those stakes. I have been trying to move up slowly.

 

[Devourx]

There are different factors. In tournaments you have small buy ins but larger crowd because of this...so it is harder to win because of more people.
In cash games, the buy ins are larger, and players generally play tighter and so it is harder in that way.

 

[rfbh54]

Yes, because if you play in free tournaments and make a mistake you will not lose anything, but in cash games one mistake can cost all the money.

 

[OmenTX]

Cash games aren't necessarily harder than tournaments poker. Though, I believe newer players are more willing to attempt a $65 buy-in into a tournament (affordable for new players) than for newer players to find their way into cash games. I believe you'll find newer players in low level tournaments compared to low level cash games.

You'll need to find out which game you're better at or like better. Then, start developing your skills based around that style of play.

:thrasher:

 

[izpanol]

For people who are not used to it, yes. However also professionals usually have difficulties because they are human, fatigue and stress are always present after a while.

Everything can be 'harder' if you turn it into routine and necessity, overexploiting yourself to look for better results.

 

[RutgersOneTime]

I feel as if they are around the same "difficulty". but MTT and cash games are much different games. It comes down to which approach you feel more comfortable with.

 

[UncleConRon]

My opinion

Cash games are nice because you play the same person longer and get to know their game. The table don't change so your point where the dealer button is when you hit your hand is easier to calculate.

 

[63burner]

Cash games are easier to profit, and go in the hole..

Cash games, if the table isn't too crowded can be profitable if you get the cards. But your profit margin increases when the table gets more people at it. You can profit off of 9 other players, instead of say, 1,2, 3, 4, etc.
The down side of the full table is that there are 9 other hands you have to defeat to win the entire pot. So, it's hard to be the only person who has the nuts, and not have to split the pot.

A little observation of the action at the micro tables will help. If its a crowded table, and its really wild, bingo-crazy, go for it at your own risk.

If you want to conserve your bankroll, watch how the tables play, number of players, action, you will find your niche. It is not against the poker law to be picky, only play at your comfort level.

 

[TheDude6622]

Cash games are nice because you play the same person longer and get to know their game. The table don't change so your point where the dealer button is when you hit your hand is easier to calculate.

Cash games, if the table isn't too crowded can be profitable if you get the cards. But your profit margin increases when the table gets more people at it. You can profit off of 9 other players, instead of say, 1,2, 3, 4, etc.
The down side of the full table is that there are 9 other hands you have to defeat to win the entire pot. So, it's hard to be the only person who has the nuts, and not have to split the pot.

A little observation of the action at the micro tables will help. If its a crowded table, and its really wild, bingo-crazy, go for it at your own risk.

If you want to conserve your bankroll, watch how the tables play, number of players, action, you will find your niche. It is not against the poker law to be picky, only play at your comfort level.

Both of these players have very good advice. When you're in a tournament, your variance is so much more. Instead of the maximum of 9 players, you are facing whatever amount of people in the tournament. You are staying at one table in a cash game and learning everyone's tendancies after a while. You can always buy back into a cash game too if you feel like you can build it back, unlike a tournament.

 

[darpblog]

Cash games are a harder game. In a tournament you'll be playing shorter stacks, which make decisions simpler. The more money/chips are in play the more complex the game is.

That said cash games have lower variance which means downswings and upswings tend to be less pronounced. You get a more accurate estimate of your tue win rate faster, so there's a more "control" over your winnings (like, if yo know you are beating NL100 at 4bb/100 hands you can make an estimate of how many hands you need to play to reach a certain income).

 

[windstaressf]

Caso game os hard

 

[Cbob1195]

cash or tournament

I think because they are different in the way they work. cash you can theoretically sit there until you drop the nuts and hope you get action, tournaments have a bit of urgency about them.

I have played both I prefer tournaments over cash from a bankroll building point of view but if your looking to generate regular income then tight multi table cash at low stakes would be better.

 

[Cok1973]

the tournament takes an average of 3-5 hours and not the fact that you can get to the top places. cash games to play much more profitable

 

[jofieloviedo]

I think tournaments are harder than cash gam

I really like tournaments and I really like cash game I started playing cash game and it is really fun and now I'm playing tournaments and freerolls and in my opinion tournaments are harder than cash game or maybe it is that I play better cash than tournaments. What I know is that I will win tounarments and freerolls cause' it is one of my goals for this year hopefully I could improve my tournament game and earn more money. I always dream about win a big tournament and be a professional poker player and travel around the world while I play poker tournaments.

 

[Dallas4life]

cash games

Is cash games more difficult to accumulate profit or are they as hard as tournaments.

they can be it just depends on the site ur on and the people at the tables cause alot of them like to just play bingo with going allin instead of playing real poker

 

[Izfensina]

Cash games Vs Tournament games Though 2 different formats that require different skills you can pick either one and be profitable if you are really commited in that particular gamebut people tend to play Tournament because finishing in the Top 3 or 4 players gives them 100 times their buy ins so if you play an 11$ tournament and you finish 1st out 20.000 players you will get 200000$ which you can not achieve for a whole month by winning every day in 2$ or 5$ NL CASH GAME.
Just play the format that you can beat.

 

[levidoff]

in cash games has less variance, but technically the game is harder.