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Tournament Poker and Cash Game Poker: A Two-headed Monster - Part 1


by Gary Gates

Tournament poker and cash games are like checkers and chess; they�re played on the same board, but the structure and strategies of each game are quite different. So different, in fact, that most players who excel at one type of poker typically struggle to find success at the other. Certainly, there are players who have mastered both brands of poker, but the majority of players consider themselves either tournament players or cash game players.

More than anything else, the structure of each type of poker distinguishes it from its counterpart. Cash games afford players the opportunity to buy more chips anytime they go bust or wish to add additional ammunition to their arsenal. Poker tournaments on the other hand, with the exception of rebuy tournaments which allow players a small window of time during the beginning of the tournament to buy new chips, do not. When you�re out of chips, you�re done.

The safety net of always being able to buy more chips in a cash game, provided you have deep enough pockets, affords players a greater amount of flexibility and creativity within the game. Consider two scenarios:

The first, a no-limit cash game with $1 and $2 blinds. You bought in for $200, and have $1800 in reserve tucked away in your back pocket. You�re dealt the A-10 of diamonds and call a $12 raise made by a relatively loose player who you�ve seen make raises with weaker hands than you�re currently holding. The flop comes A-6-2, with two diamonds. He makes a pot sized-bet exhibiting strength, but you don�t give him credit for an ace. You call. The turn is an offsuit jack and your opponent moves all in, putting you to a decision for all of your chips.

The second scenario finds you in a $200 buy-in tournament with no rebuys, and you�ve outlasted 400 of the 500 players who started. The top 50 finishers get paid and you are dealt the same A-10 of diamonds. The hand plays out the same way it did in the first scenario, and again, you�re facing a decision for all of your chips.

Based on a strong feeling that your pair of aces is ahead and that another diamond on the river will give you the absolute best hand no matter what your opponent is holding, you are relatively certain that you currently have the best hand, but here�s where things get tricky. When contemplating whether to call or fold, though the hands are identical, each scenario requires an entirely separate thought process. A cash game player, assuming he or she is operating under a sufficient bankroll, might have an easier time making this call because a wrong decision can be mollified by dipping into the bankroll for rebuy money.

Tough decisions in tournament poker, however, carry even tougher consequences, as one mistake could spell the end of a tournament. Therefore, a tournament player must consider a multitude of questions, many of which are non-factors in cash games, before making a final decision. We�ll elaborate on this idea in part II.

Source: http://www.wisehandpoker.com/articles/index.php?article=tournament-poker-cash-game-poker-part-1.html

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