Cash Games or Tournaments – Which Poker Style Is Best?

Introduction: Cash Games or Tournaments?

Thanks to online poker, new poker players can experience the thrill and excitement of the game by playing at any of the huge numbers of online poker sites. It’s amazing how the game has moved from the more primitive PC and became streamlined for the mobile marketplace. In fact, we would suggest that the majority of today’s poker players are playing on their mobile phones. All online poker players are faced with a dilemma. Namely what type of poker game they should play with real money? There are two choices; between tournaments or cash games.

Both of these variations are available across all online poker sites, including our favourite, Betsafe Casino,  and they all have attractive and rewarding bonuses and options. The good news is that you can win real money by playing either one. But let’s suppose you don’t have a huge bankroll, so you want to find the right game option that will give you good value in terms of bets and time played. Keep in mind that though you’ll be playing exactly the same game of jackpot poker whether involved in a cash game or tournament, each one of these two types of games will require a different playing strategy.

Cash Games or Tournaments: The Main Differences

Probably the main difference between cash games and poker tournaments is how the buy-in limits function. In a cash game, depending on the player’s budget, there will be either minimum or maximum buy-in limits. You’ll be able to buy-in, opt-out, or convert your chips to real money at any time during the game. Poker tournaments, on the other hand, feature only one buy-in and this amount is the same for all players who are participating in the competition. In other words, each player will have exactly the same number of chips to start the tournament with. A tournament ends when one player has all the chips. 

Only after the winner is declared, then the other players are able to receive winnings depending on their position in the tournament ranking. Another difference is that in tournaments, the blinds will increase the cost of wagers whereas, in cash games, it stays the same. In a tournament, you will be excluded from the game when all your chips are exhausted. But in the cash game, this isn’t important as you can simply go to the cash machine and re-buy your way in to continue to play. Probably the most important question, particularly for new players, is there any difference in the odds of winning playing either one of these poker variations? 

The answer to this question is dependent on many factors including just how skilled the player is, and how well he can dominate using a good poker strategy. We should point out that because cash games enjoy lower volatility than tournaments, they are probably easier to win money on, especially for the new player. The payouts on cash games do tend to be smaller than those on tournaments, but at least they’re regular. And because they slow down the rate your bankroll is being used up, it increases your jackpot winning chances.

Cash Game Flexibility

If you don’t have all day to spend sitting at the poker table, then cash games are the better bet for you. This is because you can get up and leave anytime you wish, and there will be no adverse effect on your cashout. Tournaments, on the other hand, do not offer any kind of flexibility when it comes to cashing out. If you choose to leave a tournament before it’s over then you will be disqualified and automatically lose your chips. The real problem here is the tournaments have no fixed time limits, meaning that if something important pops up and you need to go from the table, then you will lose your buy-in money. 

Easy to Learn Tournaments

The great thing about tournaments is that they are easy to learn as the gameplay is very straightforward. If you’re a newbie, then you’ll grasp the ins and outs of poker much faster when played with a tournament as opposed to playing cash games. In tournaments, as you progress through the levels, the blinds are continuously increasing, and fewer hands are being played. One thing that will help you make decisions during the gameplay is that you can see the other players stack sizes thinning out. 

A problem with cash games is that you will find some players have stacks that are huge. Because of this, they have an inbuilt advantage as they are able to try different moves without fear of losing their whole bankroll. If you come to a poker game with a much smaller bankroll then your options are more limited. That’s why the most important factor before you look for the best sites to play poker, is to have worked out a solid playing strategy. 

Cash Games or Tournaments: So Which One Should You Play?

Although this sounds like a cop-out, the decision as to whether you should play tournaments or cash games depends totally on your own preferences. First off, each game variation will offer you exciting gameplay and also great payouts. But if you want to win big then you should head over to where the tournaments are. On the other hand, if you’re more concerned about keeping hold of your bankroll, then cash games are the best. Also if you want to improve your game of poker and discover new strategies, playing styles, and gameplay then you’re better to stick with cash games.

Another huge factor is time. You can watch poker professionals playing tournaments 24/7 on poker TV channels. Take note that we said 24/7. This is because once a tournament like PokerStars has started it will not stop until one player has gained all the chips. As you can imagine, if you are playing amongst peers who are equally talented and skilful, then the game will have many to and throws and back and forths, thereby stretching out the playing time sometimes as long as 24-hours.

If like normal people, you have things to do during your life rather than just playing poker, then tournaments are not for you. Being pulled away from a tournament because of an obligation will see your chips disappear. And those chips represent your original buy-in. We found the best site to play poker is Betsafe Casino, as they have a huge variety of poker games.

Conclusion: Cash Games or Tournaments?

Whenever you visit an online poker site you will always be faced with this choice. Should you play cash games or should you play at poker tournaments? As you can see, they each have their pros and cons. But whichever variation of poker you choose, it’s absolutely essential that you learn both some basic and some advanced poker strategy. Having a solid strategy behind you will help you secure wins, independent as to whether you’re playing cash games or at online tournaments.