Cash Games vs. Tournaments in Online Poker

The world of online poker is bigger than ever before… and getting bigger still!

New players the gaming community every day, while technical and industry innovation create new ways for players to compete.

That means there’s a lot for modern players to consider! New developments are always appearing in the industry: new platforms, new sites, and new bonuses to consider.

In addition to all that, there are classic gaming choices to make.

We don’t just mean knowing when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em. While in-game strategy and tactical decisions will always be of premiere importance, classic questions remain for every player to answer.

Players have to determine which kind of poker, to play! They have to determine whether to play no-limit, pot-limit, or fixed-limit tables.

And perhaps most importantly, they have to decide whether to play cash games or in tournaments.

Which kind of player are you?

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The Core Differences

It should be said that cash games and tournaments have more in common than that which divides them.

In both settings, players start by buying in, paying their blinds, and then try to get capture as much of their competitors’ chips as possible. A straight-flush to the ace wins any hand in either setting, and an ultra-skilled player will tend to flourish in either format.

With that said, the differences are crucial. In a cash game, the structure is as simple as can be: cash is exchanged for chips, and chips can be exchanged for cash at any time. Most of the prevalent ideas in society about poker, like the idea of learning skills from poker and incorporating them into everyday life, are based on this style of game.

In tournaments, things are a bit different. All players pay a fixed entry fee. They then compete over a period of hours or days, with the last player standing at the end taking home the grand prize. Other top finishers will also take home prizes, according to the order in which they are eliminated. The vast majority of competitors will walk away with nothing.

Let’s take a closer look at both models.

Advantages (and Drawbacks) of Cash Games

 For most of the game’s history, cash games have been the dominant model on the poker scene.

It’s almost impossible to beat the flexibility of cash games. At any time, for any reason, with or without any explanation, players at a cash game can stand up from the table and walk away with their winnings. Especially online, they can be played at one’s own leisure and according to one’s own schedule.

Furthermore, players can usually buy-in with any amount money, rather than a fixed buy-in required in most tournaments. This further increases the flexibility of cash games.

In of tactics, more experienced players have a slight advantage in cash games. When they lose to a beginner, they can simply buy back in, and use their superior skills to even the score later on.

To play in a cash game is in many ways to embrace the unique combination of direct competition and blind fate that distinguishes poker on the popular imagination. It’s deliciously democratic! There are opponents of all skill levels, with different bankroll sizes, all ready to clash on any given hand.

Advantages (and Drawbacks) of Tournaments

If cash games are the old standard in poker, then tournaments are the new one.

Partially because of the unbridled success of the World Series of Poker (WSOP), tournaments have grown in popularity exponentially over the past two decades. Nearly every casino (whether land-based or online) now offers tournaments regularly, which gives players a tremendous assortment to choose from. Each will have its own unique payout structure, entry fee, and schedule, so that discerning players can find the tourneys that suit their style best.

For players who are used to cash games, tournaments require serious tactical adjustments.

Gone is the flexibility of cash games. Instead, tournaments are about attrition. Once you’ve bought in, the only way to walk away from the tables with any kind of winnings is by outlasting the competition. Of course it’s great to be the chip leader, but plenty of players have finished in the money by winning a few big hands and then playing ultra-conservative until their opponents have been eliminated.

At the same time, tournaments can favor new players. Since buy-ins are limited, they only have to beat a more experienced players one time – once a clever old dog has been eliminated, they won’t be there to steal blinds or call bluffs in subsequent rounds.

And since the nature of tournament play requires players to take greater and greater risks as the blinds increase, luck tends to play a larger role in tournaments than it does in cash games.

Finally, though it’s hard to finish in the money at a large tournament, the prize sizes can be large enough to make it worth players’ while. In cash games, it would take years to turn a $250 bankroll into a six-figure sum… but in the right tournament, this can be accomplished in a single weekend.

The Verdict

At the end of the day, cash games and tournaments both have their advantages. The question is not which is superior, but rather: which kind of game suits your playing style better?

Are you a player who prizes their freedom and flexibility? Are you ready and willing to go toe-to-toe with any player on any given hand, or do you prefer to lie in wait for hours at a time, until the right moment strikes? Does the idea of tripling your bankroll on a great night sound enticing, or do you need the possibility of far greater prizes to motivate you… even if they are harder to win?

What kind of player are you: cash or tournament? Do you find that you get better results in one type of game than in the other? Let us know in the comments – we want to hear from you!