Poker tournaments vs Cash games

Poker is one of the oldest and most popular casino games around and in the digital age it has been reimagined for the web. You can play all kinds of poker games online including both tournaments and typical cash games.

There are now millions of people worldwide that enjoy playing poker online. All variants of the game are available including the well-known Texas Holdem variant, as well as less known games such as Caribbean stud poker and five card draw. Everyone from poker novices to hardcore poker professionals can join in online, with options including live dealer games and high stakes tournaments.

If you are new to poker gaming online, then you might be a little sure on where to start. There is no definitive right answer, it depends on personal preference, poker experience level and the time and money you must play with. We look at the main differences between poker tournaments and poker cash games and discuss the benefits and limitations of both types of poker gaming:


Types of online poker games

What are cash poker games?

In short, a poker cash game is a format where players compete with real money chips at the table. Each chip represents an exact monetary value, and players can buy in with an amount within the table’s limits.


What are poker tournaments?

Whereas a poker tournament is a structured competition where players pay a fixed entry fee (known as a buy-in) to receive a specific number of tournament chips. The goal is to accumulate all the chips in play and win cash prizes based on finishing position.

Both of these formats offer unique challenges and appeal to different types of poker players. While cash games are more geared towards consistent profitability and freedom of play, tournaments test a player’s endurance, adaptability and strategy.

Here we compare some of the most significant factors that differ between cash games and poker tournaments to help you decide which to play online:

 

Cash flow consistency

Firstly, it is important to note that cash winnings cannot be guaranteed in any type of poker. However, players tend to notice that cash flow is more steady when participating in cash games. You are more able to predict outcomes if you play the same amount of hands consistently over the month.

If participating in tournaments instead, you may notice a lot more variance. You will be paying buy-in fees for each tournament, and these will differ between tournaments, the cash prizes will differ between tournaments too.

Therefore, if you favour consistency then cash games might appeal more but if you don’t mind variance then tournaments might be more what you are looking for from the poker experience.


Flexibility in choosing when to play

The type of poker game you play might depend on your availability. If you only have a small amount of time to play the game and need to have some idea how long your session is going to last then a cash game is usually preferable to a tournament.

Cash games are generally available around the clock online, meaning you can log in and play at a time that best suits your busy schedule. In contrast, tournaments are scheduled events that don’t last for a set time. You could be playing for 20 minutes or a couple of hours or more, depending on the events of the game.

However, it should be noted that there are lots of online poker tournaments now available so there is lots of choice of games to join at different times of the day.

 

The learning process for new poker players

Some players find that tournaments are easier to learn from if you are less experienced at the game. Decisions tend to be more straightforward as after you get past the first couple of levels the blind then starts to increase and fewer hands get played all the way up until the river.

In cash games, there is a lot more room to manoeuvre pre and post flop. This can therefore lead to more complex decisions needing to be made. While there is a sometimes a steeper learning curve in tournaments, this can help an inexperienced player learn the ropes more quickly.

 

Final thoughts – cash games vs poker tournaments

Both cash games and tournaments can be an enjoyable experience and many poker players will try their hand at both to find out which suits their playing style the best. Cash poker games can offer great flexibility and do not have the same buy-in requirements that tournaments have, however tournaments can be a good learning opportunity and chance to play alongside lots of different poker players of varying experience levels.

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