mj22
Visionary
Bronze Level
For me i play tourneys, buy-ins are low prizes are big, although you might have to try multiple times to win. thats why i play multi-tabling.
in cash games few people and in one hand might double you up but also the opposite.
in cash games few people and in one hand might double you up but also the opposite.
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panaloto
Enthusiast
Silver Level
I have little patience so I do better in cash games than in tournaments.
Sitting for hours usually gets me out of focus and results in a bad play that can ruin my tournament.
Patoamz95
Rock Star
Silver Level
I read comments that say that tournaments can knock you out and bye and I think that is not the case, although both styles are profitable and you have to know how to play if you want to professionalize in the world of poker, each one has totally different strategies and let me tell you that both are profitable as long as you maintain discipline and a solid strategy
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ph_il
...
Silver Level
what?
Pokerstudy
Legend
Bronze Level
Cash you can live forever, tournaments you play to survive.
(And I don't care what anyone says, to get to the final table you HAVE to have some luck, you have to hit a river card you did not expect, you can NOT play straight forward poker in tournament poker and hope to get to the final table, you have to use bluffs, and you have to have "some" luck) Just how it goes.
You have to set aside a lot of ego in tournament strategy, for cash it really is a per hand game only, you play a whole different game for each and a different mindset for each. (You use your tells ability as your equity gain at a cash game, you build a database in your head lol)
Many of the highest cash game earners are horrible at tournaments and vice versa. (I can find stats to prove this, but too lazy)
I would go as far to say its in comparison to be like Boxing vs MMA! Or whatever, you get the idea. You are playing on a whole different mindframe per hand. The technicalities might be the same, but the style in which you apply your tools vary almost to a difference of night and day due to pot odds for the hand and what it is you want to accomplish as an overall goal long term. That is my take on the difference
Also, in tournaments you will find more people that "care" about the game where as cash games you will find a lot more "gamblers" - That is not to say all poker players are equally like that, just in tournament poker, you will find people that do not make silly moves to get lucky, that is if the tournament is for actual money and not for free or for a super cheap buy in. Then it can just turn to a roll the dice type game at times.
But what's interesting in tournament poker, is that as the blinds/antes increase, you almost always have to play in a gambling sense, otherwise the blinds/antes will just eat you up. Its the stages of tournament poker which make the game so unique and strategic. Cash, each hand and orbits of betting is a single game within itself and it restarts each time.
Thats my inference on the difference as a basic thought, I could dabble into more detail of what I think, but I want to keep it short and just off the head without going to actual references etc
(And I don't care what anyone says, to get to the final table you HAVE to have some luck, you have to hit a river card you did not expect, you can NOT play straight forward poker in tournament poker and hope to get to the final table, you have to use bluffs, and you have to have "some" luck) Just how it goes.
You have to set aside a lot of ego in tournament strategy, for cash it really is a per hand game only, you play a whole different game for each and a different mindset for each. (You use your tells ability as your equity gain at a cash game, you build a database in your head lol)
Many of the highest cash game earners are horrible at tournaments and vice versa. (I can find stats to prove this, but too lazy)
I would go as far to say its in comparison to be like Boxing vs MMA! Or whatever, you get the idea. You are playing on a whole different mindframe per hand. The technicalities might be the same, but the style in which you apply your tools vary almost to a difference of night and day due to pot odds for the hand and what it is you want to accomplish as an overall goal long term. That is my take on the difference
Also, in tournaments you will find more people that "care" about the game where as cash games you will find a lot more "gamblers" - That is not to say all poker players are equally like that, just in tournament poker, you will find people that do not make silly moves to get lucky, that is if the tournament is for actual money and not for free or for a super cheap buy in. Then it can just turn to a roll the dice type game at times.
But what's interesting in tournament poker, is that as the blinds/antes increase, you almost always have to play in a gambling sense, otherwise the blinds/antes will just eat you up. Its the stages of tournament poker which make the game so unique and strategic. Cash, each hand and orbits of betting is a single game within itself and it restarts each time.
Thats my inference on the difference as a basic thought, I could dabble into more detail of what I think, but I want to keep it short and just off the head without going to actual references etc
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Richardszabo
Visionary
Silver Level
I only play Tournaments anymore. I used to only play cash game and I had to realize it wasn’t profitable for me. (i realy hate cash games). Which is more profitable? it changes as an individual, i think both.
Juan Oro
Visionary
Bronze Level
The 2 modalities are played differently in tournaments you have to be more conservative and have a lot of patience and in the cash game you have to be a player with a lot of self control because you will face more aggressive loose players and where you will play many more hands than you would. you will play in a tournament.
So if you like competition and you are a conservative player with patience it will be very profitable for you to dedicate yourself to tournaments, but if you like to play aggressive and loose and you have self control of your game and your bank you can dedicate yourself to cash game.
Actually, you will do better and it will make more profitable where you feel more comfortable playing.
