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| With the enormous boost in poker’s exposure over the past few years, many new players are introduced to no-limit hold’ em through online poker tournaments. It’s a natural progression seeing as how many beginners have gone from the couch to the computer, learning tournament poker from professionals and fortunate amateurs on countless televised events. |
| Online Poker News Articles, Texas Holdem Poker Strategy, Poker Professionals, WPT and WSOP News Articles |
| Online Poker Tournaments vs. Cash Games |
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With the enormous boost in poker’s exposure over the past few years, many
new players are introduced to no-limit hold’em through online poker
tournaments. It’s a natural progression seeing as how many beginners have
gone from the couch to the computer, learning tournament poker from
professionals and fortunate amateurs on countless televised events. Many
beginners even do the smart thing and immerse themselves in a no-limit
poker book or two to refine their skills, and they may even have some
success at Sit ‘n Gos or multi-table tournaments. However, many of these
players spill over into the no-limit side cash games offered at all online sites
and fail to adjust their play. While it’s true that in poker the most money is
made in cash games, many players make critical errors when they try to
transition into this format. My goal in this article is to help you eliminate some
of those mistakes.
One of the most basic, but important, things to realize about cash games is
the difference in structure to tournaments. In no-limit poker tournaments,
you pay a specific buy-in and are given an arbitrary amount of arbitrary chips.
Those chips have no cash value, and you can only make money by finishing in
one of the top places. You can only lose your original buy-in. In cash games,
you’re playing with your own money. The chips on the table – digital or
otherwise – represent your hard-earned dollars. Don’t treat them like a
tournament buy-in. You can lose real money real fast, and no one will be
there to stop you from re-buying as many times as you’d like hoping to
recoup your losses.
Another cash game mistake that many tournament players make is playing
too aggressively too often. They also tend to bluff more often than cash
game players, trying to use the same relentless aggression that has worked
for them in tournaments. That style of play simply isn’t necessary in cash
games where the blinds stay at the same level and no one is worried about
being knocked out. I tend to play more aggressively and bluff more often in
tournaments because my opponents tend to be more timid and willing to let
go of their hands. Veteran cash game specialists can simply wait for a
premium hand or trap their opponents when they have the best of it. You don’
t need to play a lot of hands and combat the blinds in a cash game. Playing,
and winning, one big pot with pocket Aces can make you a winner for the
session. The great part about playing online is that no one will give you the
evil eye when you double-up and promptly leave the table.
Also, tournament-style gameplay has become common in online no-limit cash
games. Many inexperienced players have an all-in mentality that stems from
loose tournament play. You’ll see hands like AK vs. JJ or AQ vs. 66 where all
the money goes in preflop. This is simply unnecessary and a sign of
impatience. None of these hands are a big favorite, which means that these
players are willing to risk their entire stack on a coin flip. This type of play
makes sense in a tournament setting where you are continually battling the
blinds, you may be shortstacked and need to double-up, or you’re just
looking to put the maximum amount of pressure on your opponents. In a
cash game, why not wait for a better spot before getting in all of your
money? Instead of going all-in and chasing out worse hands when you’ve
Aces or risk going broke when you’ve got Jacks, why not make a standard
raise of 3 or 4 times the big blind and re-evaluate the situation on the flop?
Patience is rewarded in no-limit cash games and you’re under no pressure to
accumulate chips.
Unlike in a tournament, you don’t have to play in a cash game until you either
go broke or gain every chip on the table. The blinds are the cost of doing
business at the table – not an ever-increasing chip monster dictating your
actions. If you’re a beginning player, you should play tight and wait until you
have a top hand in proper position. As you gain experience, you can begin to
open up your starting hand requirements a bit. Don’t forget that in cash
games, you can take your chips off the table and walk away at any time.
Separating your cash game strategy from you tournament strategy can do
wonders for your bankroll. Playing a straightforward, dull, and consistent
game is often the best strategy to crush no-limit online cash games.
The author, Joshua Heilpern, is an experienced online poker player and
writer. He also runs Online Poker Reviews and The Most Haunted Online
Poker Rooms.
new players are introduced to no-limit hold’em through online poker
tournaments. It’s a natural progression seeing as how many beginners have
gone from the couch to the computer, learning tournament poker from
professionals and fortunate amateurs on countless televised events. Many
beginners even do the smart thing and immerse themselves in a no-limit
poker book or two to refine their skills, and they may even have some
success at Sit ‘n Gos or multi-table tournaments. However, many of these
players spill over into the no-limit side cash games offered at all online sites
and fail to adjust their play. While it’s true that in poker the most money is
made in cash games, many players make critical errors when they try to
transition into this format. My goal in this article is to help you eliminate some
of those mistakes.
One of the most basic, but important, things to realize about cash games is
the difference in structure to tournaments. In no-limit poker tournaments,
you pay a specific buy-in and are given an arbitrary amount of arbitrary chips.
Those chips have no cash value, and you can only make money by finishing in
one of the top places. You can only lose your original buy-in. In cash games,
you’re playing with your own money. The chips on the table – digital or
otherwise – represent your hard-earned dollars. Don’t treat them like a
tournament buy-in. You can lose real money real fast, and no one will be
there to stop you from re-buying as many times as you’d like hoping to
recoup your losses.
Another cash game mistake that many tournament players make is playing
too aggressively too often. They also tend to bluff more often than cash
game players, trying to use the same relentless aggression that has worked
for them in tournaments. That style of play simply isn’t necessary in cash
games where the blinds stay at the same level and no one is worried about
being knocked out. I tend to play more aggressively and bluff more often in
tournaments because my opponents tend to be more timid and willing to let
go of their hands. Veteran cash game specialists can simply wait for a
premium hand or trap their opponents when they have the best of it. You don’
t need to play a lot of hands and combat the blinds in a cash game. Playing,
and winning, one big pot with pocket Aces can make you a winner for the
session. The great part about playing online is that no one will give you the
evil eye when you double-up and promptly leave the table.
Also, tournament-style gameplay has become common in online no-limit cash
games. Many inexperienced players have an all-in mentality that stems from
loose tournament play. You’ll see hands like AK vs. JJ or AQ vs. 66 where all
the money goes in preflop. This is simply unnecessary and a sign of
impatience. None of these hands are a big favorite, which means that these
players are willing to risk their entire stack on a coin flip. This type of play
makes sense in a tournament setting where you are continually battling the
blinds, you may be shortstacked and need to double-up, or you’re just
looking to put the maximum amount of pressure on your opponents. In a
cash game, why not wait for a better spot before getting in all of your
money? Instead of going all-in and chasing out worse hands when you’ve
Aces or risk going broke when you’ve got Jacks, why not make a standard
raise of 3 or 4 times the big blind and re-evaluate the situation on the flop?
Patience is rewarded in no-limit cash games and you’re under no pressure to
accumulate chips.
Unlike in a tournament, you don’t have to play in a cash game until you either
go broke or gain every chip on the table. The blinds are the cost of doing
business at the table – not an ever-increasing chip monster dictating your
actions. If you’re a beginning player, you should play tight and wait until you
have a top hand in proper position. As you gain experience, you can begin to
open up your starting hand requirements a bit. Don’t forget that in cash
games, you can take your chips off the table and walk away at any time.
Separating your cash game strategy from you tournament strategy can do
wonders for your bankroll. Playing a straightforward, dull, and consistent
game is often the best strategy to crush no-limit online cash games.
The author, Joshua Heilpern, is an experienced online poker player and
writer. He also runs Online Poker Reviews and The Most Haunted Online
Poker Rooms.
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