Profit from Cash Games – Know the differences between Cash and Tournament Play

WSOP Academy Instructor Mark Seif during live labs at a Cash Game Academy.

With the World Series of Poker (WSOP) just around the corner, there’s a lot of money to be made in the cash games as well as the tournaments. Cash games, side games, or ring games are extremely profitable for both professional poker players and amateur poker players. In fact, cash games are the bread and butter for most professional poker players. During the World Series of Poker, there are cash games running around the clock, plenty of action and plenty of dead money on the table.

With the launch the the WSOP Academy Cash Game Events earlier this year, often the question is asked, “what’s the difference between no-limit texas holdem cash game and no-limit texas holdem tournament play”?

Mark Seif, one of the lead instructors here at WSOP Academy, explored the fundamental differences between cash game and tournament poker and how one might want to adjust their play accordingly.

Fundamental Differences Between No-Limit Cash Games and No-Limit

 

Tournaments
By: Mark A Seif

Blinds. The blinds (and antes if applicable) go up during the course of a tournament, so that it doesn’t last forever. In cash games, the blinds and antes never go up. Thus, in a tournament you may be forced to play certain hands, because otherwise, the blinds and antes will eat up your stack. In cash games, that kind of pressure doesn’t exist. Accordingly, you never need to “make a move” in cash games. You can sit there and wait for premium opportunities without suffering much stack deterioration. The phrase “tight is right” is very applicable to cash game strategy for the most part.

Stack Sizes. Most tournaments mandate that each player start with the same amount in chips, and with the exception of rebuy tournaments, you can not add to your stack during the course of the tournament. In most cash games, you can determine how much you buy in for, and whether and how much to add to your stack as you play. Also, and quite importantly, most cash games play with much deeper stacks than tournaments. Deep stack play is very different than short stack play. Typically, you’ll find in deep stack play, the majority of the chips go in on the turn and river as opposed to pre-flop and on the flop. Thus, in order to master cash games you will have to learn the intricacies of playing deeper into hands where there is more information available to you and your opponents, specifically, the board will be more complete.

Correct Pot odds. In a tournament, you may find yourself in a situation where you are getting the correct pot odds to make a call, but you must also consider and factor in, how such a move may impact whether you are eliminated from the tournament, in other words, your tournament life has to be factored in. Thus, you may be getting the right price to call with your flush draw, but you might still have to fold because if you don’t complete your flush, you will be eliminated. This should never be the case in a cash game. As long as you are playing within your bankroll, you should take any edge being offered to you, every time! Even very small edges add up big over the course of your entire cash game poker career. Remember though, the key here is to play within your bankroll so that you don’t risk going broke.

Chip Values. In cash games the chips are like cash. In tournaments, the value of chips depends on the stage of the tournament and the payout structure. If you triple your stack in a tournament during the first hour you can’t cash out for triple your buy-in. In fact, you can’t cash out at all, until you are in the money.

Time. You can play as little or as long as you like in a cash game, that is not true in a tournament. The tournament structure will dictate how much time you’ll have to put in each day, if you are lucky enough to survive.

Coin Flips. In tournaments, especially in the later stages, you are likely to be involved in some coin flips wherein you and your opponent are all-in, pre-flop with no real edge for either side. Coin flips are quite rare in cash games because of the deeper stacks.

Blinds, Stack Sizes, Correct Pot Odds, Chip Values, Time, & Coin Flips are just several of the basic differences between No-Limit Hold’em tournament and cash game play. These and more will be explored in depth during our intensive 2 day Cash Game Academies.  Cash games are extremely profitable if you play optimal strategy and adjust your decision making to fit the game.

If you are looking to make your WSOP Experience as profitable and enjoyable as possible give yourself the best possible edge by checking out the WSOP Academy Cash Game 2-day Event taking place May 30 -31, 2009 at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas.