There are people who describe themselves as a tournament or cash game players.

I played for a long time only cash games because I thought I have to play them because I am a cash game player. When I am having tilt/downswing, I just stopped playing ("just stop playing when you have a tilt". Stupidest advice I have ever heard, instead I would like to stop that tilt).

I lost motivation to cash games, I start to play spin and go's, heads up sng and MTT's more seriously, amazingly, I get a nice profit from all of those games, for a while.

It has happened to me many times when I start a new thing, I get excited, I am motivated and I get nice results in the beginning, but after a couple of weeks, I start to get bad beats, I tilt etc. and I lose money.

My new approach is that - I am not just a tournament or cash game player, I am just a player who plays any game where I can get profit. My biggest struggle is to find that game type that fits for me at that moment, and play as long I get profit, and when I start to have downswing, I just change game type. It is sometimes very hard to just change game type when you have studied hours about, for example, how to play a bubble on MTT, and then you have to just give up that and go to the cash games. But I have experienced many times that mental state what I get from playing MTT's, like being more loose-aggressive, is a very helpful for cash games, and other things as well.

Is here anyone who does the same thing, changing between different game types? What games are you playing at this moment? I played MTT's for couple of weeks and got nice profit, but now the last week has been very dry, I played some cash games and got profits there, so I am going back to cash again, and maybe heads up sit and go'.

I would like to get some tips on how to maximize profits. How many losing days in the row I should get before I change a game type etc.

I prefer tournaments. Tournaments have always been more profitable for me, so I just stopped playing cash games.
"The Pareto principle (also known as the 80/20 rule, the law of the vital few, or the principle of factor sparsity) states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes."

I 've never liked cash games, i play poker only MTT because i love the survival aspect of it

I prefer tournaments, the prizes are greater, in cash games nl2 to win $ 100 you have to play a lot of hands in a tournament with a small investment you can win the same in a few hands.

Hi everybody how are you?

Yes, as I said, I am a total rookie in poker, I tell you my vision of playing different things.
I have read here and there that you have to specialize in something, be it cash, sit and go, mtt or whatever.
It may be true for a certain level. Maybe cash requires more theoretical knowledge of poker in all its facets, and in the sits and mtt a more basic, survival and ICM poker is applied.
Particularly I play freerolls, mtt of very low buy in, sits of microlimits (nanolimits really) and cash in a South American room where it is played with chips and FBR (the room is Aconcagua).
I think poker is one and I imagine that a good cash player will be a good tournament player. I don't know the other way around.
For now I continue with my posture to risk little, build bankroll with freerolls, and study and practice a lot.
I'll see later if I specialize in something.

Best regards from Buenos Aires.

Play more tournaments because it is more strategy and reading of the game but also cash game

I usually play a little heads up cash whilst playing a potentially long lasting tournament just to see some action and keep me involved, style for me all depends on the variables

I'm a CARDPLAYER! If the game is good and the field is soft, sign me up : )

I've spent time as both a 'cash game player' and a 'tournament player' exclusively, but I find that pigeonholing myself into a box doesn't help the big picture. Be it all and then you can take advantage of all opportunities when they arise

That said... I won't multitable tournaments and cash AT THE SAME TIME, that's just too much for my brain to process.

I also prefer tournaments. Cash games are more complicated for me. Honestly, in cash games, sometimes, it is hard for me to control my emotions.

Hi mate.Yes I do.It depends on the time I have to play.But I don´t like to play both at the same time..I prefer cash games and freerolls.

I don't play cash games. I prefer tournaments, whenever I watch videos I read something about poker it is about tournaments.

Only MTT's. I love the spirit of competition. ))

Originally Posted by poker_bro

There are people who describe themselves as a tournament or cash game players.

I played for a long time only cash games because I thought I have to play them because I am a cash game player. When I am having tilt/downswing, I just stopped playing ("just stop playing when you have a tilt". Stupidest advice I have ever heard, instead I would like to stop that tilt).

I lost motivation to cash games, I start to play spin and go's, heads up sng and MTT's more seriously, amazingly, I get a nice profit from all of those games, for a while.

It has happened to me many times when I start a new thing, I get excited, I am motivated and I get nice results in the beginning, but after a couple of weeks, I start to get bad beats, I tilt etc. and I lose money.

My new approach is that - I am not just a tournament or cash game player, I am just a player who plays any game where I can get profit. My biggest struggle is to find that game type that fits for me at that moment, and play as long I get profit, and when I start to have downswing, I just change game type. It is sometimes very hard to just change game type when you have studied hours about, for example, how to play a bubble on MTT, and then you have to just give up that and go to the cash games. But I have experienced many times that mental state what I get from playing MTT's, like being more loose-aggressive, is a very helpful for cash games, and other things as well.

Is here anyone who does the same thing, changing between different game types? What games are you playing at this moment? I played MTT's for couple of weeks and got nice profit, but now the last week has been very dry, I played some cash games and got profits there, so I am going back to cash again, and maybe heads up sit and go'.

I would like to get some tips on how to maximize profits. How many losing days in the row I should get before I change a game type etc.

Cash games take place in a calm endless environment, without reference to time, in a constant glass. As a result, there are changes. Dead cards are periods when you need to constantly start a game, and all this is 15 out of 20 hands. In a tournament, a protracted card — a dead phase — will crush you into powder, remaining too short a glass.
Tournaments take place in a dynamic, limited environment, where the constant growth of blinds forces you to constantly fight for survival. When you are handed over only garbage like a variety of 54, waiting for the right hands to play is the same thing as condemning yourself to a slow and painful death. In unlimited time cash games, opening 54о from a CO position (cut-off) over a long distance is a weak action. As part of a basic low-key strategy, you simply open the wrong hands, and simply too meaningless in too loose you will open very wide, ultimately your raises will lose fold equity.For the player’s cache, this sounds like crazy, but first we need to draw a clear line between + chip EV and + $ EV. In cash games, there is only one type of mathematical expectation (EV), as chips are literally equal to money. In tournaments, the value of the chips is excellent and the approach to converting them into money is more complicated than just equating one chip to one dollar. Every good tournament player likes his concept of tournament life.
Simply put, the longer you stay in the tournament, the more chances you have to win a lot of money. Since as you approach the final table, the payout steps in the tournament increase exponentially, the duration of the game is very easy to convert to + $ EV. A big chip win is also + $ EV, but when there is a high risk of relegation from the tournament when there is a potential profitable chipEV, you should reconsider the situation.


In cash games for a reasonable call on the river, your opponent needs your hand equity against the beta range to be no lower than the pot odds. In a tournament, in addition to the bank’s chances and equity at stake, the tournament position and the risk of flying out. As a result, in order to put pressure on tournaments, we can use smaller bets.in general, a lot of nuances. this is the first thing I remembered and I wouldn’t mix the disciplines. it is better to choose one and the second to exclude completely (block); here the choice is already yours!

I play both, but mostly cash. In cash games, I'm almost 80% of the time win and spend those winnings to play tournaments, but I'm very unlucky with the tournaments and I'm losing everything by playing them. Sometimes I cash, sometimes I don't, it's just how it goes you know.

I do not play cash games. I have too little experience and therefore understand that in cash games my chances are poor. Instead, I am trying to build a bankroll by playing freerolls.

Originally Posted by poker_bro

My new approach is that - I am not just a tournament or cash game player, I am just a player who plays any game where I can get profit. My biggest struggle is to find that game type that fits for me at that moment, and play as long I get profit, and when I start to have downswing, I just change game type

I can assume that the problem is not the "type of game" or modality, you have trouble facing the "downswing", when you jump from one game or modality to another, you simply cannot improve in any, how can you not improve, you don't acquire enough skills to face and overcome the "downswing".

If you get used to changing modality every time you start losing money, as a result, you will end up being a loser in all modalities. To face the downswing, it takes discipline to improve your game, and you cannot have discipline unless you make the decision to improve.

I play different types of games and tournaments and a cash game, when I have a lot of free time to play, I play a lot of tournaments in MTT and sit-and-go and sometimes I get not bad results in profit, but so when there’s not much time to play, then I play a cash game at small bets and try to win or play fast - spin-tournaments

You have to change, if you dont change you wont win in any option.

Change? Probably not considering i play both of them ...

I'm a fan of tournaments. That's what I play the most.

Originally Posted by GIRFIED

I can assume that the problem is not the "type of game" or modality, you have trouble facing the "downswing", when you jump from one game or modality to another, you simply cannot improve in any, how can you not improve, you don't acquire enough skills to face and overcome the "downswing".

If you get used to changing modality every time you start losing money, as a result, you will end up being a loser in all modalities. To face the downswing, it takes discipline to improve your game, and you cannot have discipline unless you make the decision to improve.

Thank you for your opinion. I'm not sure what do you mean. I am here for making money, that's why I don't play unprofitable games. Overcome the downswing? I do that by changing the game.

I prefer to play tournaments only. I don't change my game from day to day just because I played poorly and took a beating, I don't like experiments. I have my style of play and I like it as it is.

If I have a lot of free time, I play tournaments, and if only an hour, then I play cash games

I have moved back and forth between cash games and tournaments a few times, and at the moment I focus mostly on tournaments. I like to not mix it up to much, because there is a risk of adjusting badly and becoming “a jack of all trades but a master of none”. But there is nothing wrong with playing some tournaments on a Sunday, even your daily grind is in cash games, or take a cash session now and then, if you normally grind tournaments.

Currently? No, I only play MTT. However, I'm considering switching MTT to Cash Game, due to the shortage of time I'm having, so Cash would be more practical to incorporate into my new routine.

Originally Posted by poker_bro

Thank you for your opinion. I'm not sure what do you mean. I am here for making money, that's why I don't play unprofitable games. Overcome the downswing? I do that by changing the game.

Regards poker_bro, I will you explain.

The downswing are overcome in this way;

1. When you play enough hands to overcome the variance.
2. When you evaluate your own game; ¿Do I always play my sessions with my A-Game? ¿Am I playing when I'm on tilt? ¿I play with distractions? ....
3. When you evaluate your rivals; ¿Are the rivals I face at the tables better than me?
4. When you have the discipline to improve your game.

The downswing can be resolved according to these points. But NEVER a good player would recommend that you switch to another modality as a solution to downswing. If you take the easiest path, in the end you end up being a mediocre player.

I usually stick to tournaments I find I make more sound decisions. When I play cash games I have a tendency to take unnecessary risks that I wouldn’t typically make usually resulting in a loss of bankroll.

I play tournaments more than cash games, but when i play cash game i feel it more easy and can make decision more prcise. I think it depends on how you play and how your good decisions to make. Good luck.

when i'm struggled in tournaments i know that i can change my tactic to fold/all-in (maybe some tricks with premium hands) but that doesn't work when you play cash games. that is the big reason why i don't play cash.

Tournaments is better for me.

I like tourememts because I find a prolonged session of the ebbs and flows of poker will truly show what type of player you are... I try to put away any attachment to the money as playing with emotions will not pan out... i lost $190 in one night because of tilt.

Sometimes both.

I prefer tournaments and so i don't change online.

Live poker is different. In live poker i play both.

Originally Posted by GIRFIED

Regards poker_bro, I will you explain.

The downswing are overcome in this way;

1. When you play enough hands to overcome the variance.
2. When you evaluate your own game; ¿Do I always play my sessions with my A-Game? ¿Am I playing when I'm on tilt? ¿I play with distractions? ....
3. When you evaluate your rivals; ¿Are the rivals I face at the tables better than me?
4. When you have the discipline to improve your game.

The downswing can be resolved according to these points. But NEVER a good player would recommend that you switch to another modality as a solution to downswing. If you take the easiest path, in the end you end up being a mediocre player.

I know all of these things already, thank you for sharing. Most of the mediocre poker players lose money, I don't know am I a good player, but I can pay my bills with my poker profits, and yes, I still switch game type when I feel like it. Also, I don't have serious downswing problems because I play less than before + more focused, I prefer to play A-Game for one hour per day, than C-Game for ten hours.

I don't know who "good player" you relate to, but I can choose between any game type at my current stakes and I can make a profit from all of them. Why should I "fight with downswings" when I can make money instead? I really don't have time for that. Losing money sucks, I hate it.

Honestly, I don’t like cash games, spin and go for example or bounty is what I like, but for some reason this cache is not mine * ( How shorter for anyone ...

I know some players prefer tournaments, but use cash games to supplement income to use for those tournaments.

p.s. I like tournaments because of the table stakes and the idea that you could be the last one standing

personally prefers tournaments and Spin & Go

Yes, I like to play tournaments and if, I am running bad on lots of tournaments I like to go to tables an make up for some of the buying lost in tournaments.

in fact i never played cash because i think there is more study than any other modality, but i played just sit and go because i didn't want to face the giant fields of micros tournaments and play for hours for a few dollars. So I played STT until I built a bank where I could join the MTT and support his variance. If I were you I would only play one game, playing several games may even bring you some knowledge of them, but you will never become an expert in one if you do not dedicate yourself to it.

I guess it is about what keeps the mind busy and interested mostly in your case.
I am also switching types of games often, but not so much to the cash games. But sometimes I even do this from time to time. Mostly when there is some promo of some room about this, that is interesting me.
But usually I am switching between MTTs, SNGs (6-handed turbo and hyper DONs) or Spin&Gos (the last one rarely).

I started with cash games but I have switched fully to tournaments

Not me, I play tournaments only. I really suck at cash games.. I keep trying but always get the same results !

I play only tournaments. I like the fact that risk is much lower there as the only thing you can loose is your buyin. Also due to increasing blinds there is no possibility people to just wait for strong cards like on cash games. Dynamic of the game is much better in tournaments. Of course for some people cash game is better so best advice is to try them all and see which game is best for you.