Has anyone here mastered tourneys and cash games?

StealTheButton

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I consider myself a worthy adversary in a tournament situation. However, I am not as skilled in cash games. It's not the deep stack play that is difficult, it's the transition from tournament to cash game that is tough. The strategy is different. I also find it rather boring.

I would really like to learn cash games as well as tournaments. It is also tough to swallow- if I want to turn my buy in of $200 into say $500, my whole stack is at risk. In a tournament I can easily turn $50 into $500- it just feels like less risk. Does anyone have any tips?
 
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fundiver199

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I started with cash games and later moved into tournaments. So cant really advise about transitioning the other way. But if you find cash games boring, they why not just stick with tournaments?
 
skoldpadda

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I hardly ever play tourneys but seem to do well. Cash games are just so much more profitable. Every once in a while I get the itch to play a tournament though. You are right that it's a different skill and strategy set though. ICM, bubble, early vs late stage strategy... tourneys are interesting and more variable than cash games. You have to think differently depending on at which stage of the tourney you find yourself and what your stack size is.
 
Alex70793

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Playing cash games is simple, much easier than playing tournaments, almost all cash players say that winning tournaments is much more difficult than in a cash game.
It is much more difficult for a cash player to learn how to play tournaments than for a tournament player to learn how to play cash games.
The difficulty of the cash game is that the game goes on all the time with deep stacks, and therefore the range of hands will be much wider than in tournaments.
 
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fundiver199

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It is much more difficult for a cash player to learn how to play tournaments than for a tournament player to learn how to play cash games.


I actually think, its the other way around. Historically some of the best tournament players like Phil Helmuth and even Daniel Negreanu have not done particularly well in cash games. Tournament play tends to be much more mechanical in general due to shorter stacks, and the only thing, a cash game player really need to learn to do well in tournaments, is to adjust for ICM.
 
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I consider myself a worthy adversary in a tournament situation. However, I am not as skilled in cash games. It's not the deep stack play that is difficult, it's the transition from tournament to cash game that is tough. The strategy is different. I also find it rather boring.

I would really like to learn cash games as well as tournaments. It is also tough to swallow- if I want to turn my buy in of $200 into say $500, my whole stack is at risk. In a tournament I can easily turn $50 into $500- it just feels like less risk. Does anyone have any tips?

I personally dont care for cash games. If your more comfortable playing tournaments there is no reason why you should not play them. I rarely ever play cash games anymore. They are not my idea of fun and not the type of game I want to play.


I actually think, its the other way around. Historically some of the best tournament players like Phil Helmuth and even Daniel Negreanu have not done particularly well in cash games. Tournament play tends to be much more mechanical in general due to shorter stacks, and the only thing, a cash game player really need to learn to do well in tournaments, is to adjust for ICM.

Dead on here. While there are some who have had great success at both its really rare to be great at both.
 
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I play in Tournaments and I only feel good there.
I had attempts at a cash game, but it did not work out very well.
Have a problem with deep stacks, and I have no luck against a weaker hand.
Also very bothered by too many risks, in contrast, it is much calmer to play in a tournament.
I don’t plan to switch, I’m not happy with my Tournament poker skills.
 
StealTheButton

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I personally dont care for cash games. If your more comfortable playing tournaments there is no reason why you should not play them. I rarely ever play cash games anymore. They are not my idea of fun and not the type of game I want to play.




Dead on here. While there are some who have had great success at both its really rare to be great at both.
Like Phil I've.
 
StealTheButton

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Phil Ivey Stupid auto correct
 
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Lieutenant_OH7

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Playing cash games is simple, much easier than playing tournaments, almost all cash players say that winning tournaments is much more difficult than in a cash game.
It is much more difficult for a cash player to learn how to play tournaments than for a tournament player to learn how to play cash games.
The difficulty of the cash game is that the game goes on all the time with deep stacks, and therefore the range of hands will be much wider than in tournaments.

That's not really true, it depends on quite some different factors offcours. Deepstack isn't unique for cashgames really, and if u get deepstacked u can easily leave the table. That's probably the biggest advantages of cash games, that you can exactly choose when and how long you play for. And the range of hands you play won't rly depend on the game you play but rather what kind of player you are, personal strategy.


In general you could say that skill level & difficulty of the games will be higher on cashgame tables, as those have the more regs or skilled grinders that can use HUD and mostly play against much of the same players. That is mainly for the low stakes ofc. I used to be focused & preferred to cash games, now more tournaments. In general variance is greater in tournaments, how the game evolves, blind levels & stack sizes etc, But if you play different tournaments at once that won't really be an issue.
When I played cash games again sometimes what I notice is that you can quickly lose more than you usually would in lowstake mtts. Unless you play big buyin tournaments ofc. Like sometimes I play well and win some good money in cashgames, but a bit later I get some bad luck or bad beat, and lose all winnings & more. If you play tournaments with good bankroll management, swings will normally not be so great.

When playing cashgames tho I prefer the "Zoom" format.
 
Datdude1

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Always try to learn and sharpen your poker skills. I don't know if you can master poker, I believe you just have to keep improving.
 
YYfourU

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U only need 20 years doing something to master it, so why not poker too. At that rate I’m still a journeyman to poker, maybe a lead hand.
 
elJenio8

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I master in tournament, i always run deep in most of games i play.

But i have bad luck, thats why i dont play cash games
 
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I always play only where I am better at and do not get distracted by everything at once. You need to choose one direction for yourself and increase your level on this.
 
ga25x

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I was a winning player on party poker many years ago. It lasted few years and after that i'm losing player for last 10 years or so. :)
 
StealTheButton

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I started with cash games and later moved into tournaments. So cant really advise about transitioning the other way. But if you find cash games boring, they why not just stick with tournaments?


I would like to play more live poker. At a casino you can get a game 24/7, but the tourneys are scheduled and limited obviously. It is also another avenue for positive cash flow and/or to grow my 'roll.
 
takinitSLEAZEE

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I consider myself a worthy adversary in a tournament situation. However, I am not as skilled in cash games. It's not the deep stack play that is difficult, it's the transition from tournament to cash game that is tough. The strategy is different. I also find it rather boring.

I would really like to learn cash games as well as tournaments. It is also tough to swallow- if I want to turn my buy in of $200 into say $500, my whole stack is at risk. In a tournament I can easily turn $50 into $500- it just feels like less risk. Does anyone have any tips?

I think you brought up an interesting point in which you can turn $50 into $500 as opposed to $200 into $500. The comfort zone in which we play is very important in our ability to focus and make the right decisions, imo. I myself am more comfortable buying in more for a cash game than a tourney because I can double up my buy-in at the table which is a standard goal for me. I don't find myself in weak situations in cash games like I do in trny's, either. The whole buying in for a little to make quite a bit more is very appealing, though, so I understand preferring tourneys and sng's. Knocking players out is always a rush, as well.
 
nelomec

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I consider myself a worthy adversary in a tournament situation. However, I am not as skilled in cash games. It's not the deep stack play that is difficult, it's the transition from tournament to cash game that is tough. The strategy is different. I also find it rather boring.

I would really like to learn cash games as well as tournaments. It is also tough to swallow- if I want to turn my buy in of $200 into say $500, my whole stack is at risk. In a tournament I can easily turn $50 into $500- it just feels like less risk. Does anyone have any tips?
I prefer tournament, I think is more profitable than cash games
 
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alien666dj

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I think it's pointless to play where it's boring. Develop better in tournaments.
 
ADRI7HO

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For me, too, tournament poker is much more appealing than the cash game. The cash game is a bit more boring for me, there is no goal for me (apart from the big stack), even in tournament poker the clear goal is the final table and the tournament win.
 
Sulfuros001

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Same situation

I somehow tought wait minute, that's exactly me, lol, you just said what i exactly feel. I am so pro when it comes to tourneys, my skills are very good and i reach payable places most of the times. But when it comes to Cash Games, i just feel myself so noob that i don't know what to stake or what to do to win.
 
Rob Hobson

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I am, mastered in that games, in losing:D
 
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ronn6583

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In cash games and zoom, the blinds remain the same throughout the game. In tournaments, the blinds increase over time, plus an ante is added. This is their main difference.
Because of this fact, the strategy for playing cash will be very different from the strategy for playing MTT.
For instance:
there are few bluffs at micro-stakes when playing cash games and if your opponent went to the all-in on the river, then in fact you are the underdog and you need to fold in most cases. In MTT, on the contrary, there are a lot of bluffs and in many cases it is not worth folding if you have a strong enough hand.
In cash games, you need to be able to wait and endure. Everyone here plays with the hands they want to play with.
 
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