Differences between Cash Games and Tournament Play

Monday, October 17th., 2005 (By the PokerStrategyKing)

As you all know, I'm for the most part a cash game player. This is not to say that I don't play in tournaments as well. I just don't have as many opportunities to play in tournaments and generally, I just am more successful in the local no limit games and make more money playing in these. However, lately I have had the opportunity to play in more tournaments and doing so has made me take a closer look at the differences between the two games. One thing that has become very obvious to me is that the two are completely different. I have always known this and you should know this as well by now but I thought it would be a good idea to go over just how different these two scenarios actually are.

Tighter Play When you play in a cash game, the game tends to be looser than in tournaments. Players will limp in with all sorts of random hands as any of them has the chance to make them money. I am not of course advocating this. I do believe that stronger hand selection is a long term money winner. It's just a fact that you'll see people come into hands with hands such as big-little suited, any two connecting cards, suited or not and try to hit with them. Why do people do this? Well, in a cash game, making mistakes and going broke will only lead you to have to buy in again. On the other hand, tournament players know better. Making too many marginal calls in a tournament will eventually cost you all of your chips. In a tournament, you can not add more chips when you run out. Once you've run out, you're out. You need to think of your chips as bullets. Save your bullets for your better cards and you will be rewarded by being able to take down those larger pots. Waste them away and you are out.

AK gets played like a pair People will raise and re-raise with AK, even getting all of their money in preflop. I saw many players either double up or get knocked out holding big slick. Why? Well, at worst, when facing a pocket pair, these two overcards are a 48% underdog, basically a coin flip and players are willing to risk their tournament life with them. In cash games, it is very rare that you see players go all in with Big Slick just because it needs help to win and you can stand to lose lots of cash, not just your buy in with it.

Any pair leads to aggression Players are aggressive with virtually any pocket pair. In cash games, I see players limp in with small pocket pairs all the time hoping to flop a set that will net them large sums of cash. In a tournament, a pair is a premium hand and players will try to steal blinds with pocket pairs in the hopes they don't run up against a bigger pocket pair. For example, in my most recent tournament, after a couple early position limpers, I put in a huge raise holding pocket 7's and took down the pot preflop. In a cash game, I would not normally make this play, looking to trap my opponents for more money.

People are more selective calling raises In a cash game, it is fairly common for a raise to be called by 5 players as the pot gets built up. You RARELY see this in a tournament as the players, as I've mentioned before are tighter. Calling too many raises with marginal hands will eventually send you to the rail. People will routinely fold hands like A-J or KQ when someone shows strength. When was the last time when you saw that in a cash game.

People will go all-in on draws more frequently When you play in a cash game, if you make a big enough bet and make it mathematically incorrect for someone to call with they're straight or flush draw. However, in a tournament, it is common to see a player make the all-in move when he is on a draw. I'm not sure if this is psychological or what but its just more common in tournaments.

Fewer players see flops In no limit games, you sometimes see family pots and frequently see 6 or 7 players in a hand. Not in tournaments. With no raising, you will generally have only 2 or 3 players in a hand. Everyone is looking to save their bullets for the big fights. You must adjust accordingly to what is going on around you.

In general tournament play is tighter with more preflop stealing opportunities. If you are mindful of the nuances, you too can be a successful tournament player. Winning a major tournament is a dream come true. Do you have what it takes?

Until next time, may the chips fall your way.

(For more poker strategy and tips, please visit the PokerStrategyKing's website at www.pokerstrategyking.com )

(For more poker strategy and tips, please visit the PokerStrategyKing’s website at www.pokerstrategyking.com )