Tournament V Cash

ianmc38 wrote:

I'd take 10-33% of HJ if he was to play 5/10 (assuming a 30 buyin bankroll). Maybe we can get a syndicate together?

I'm not sure how the terms would be worked out though.

cardshark202 wrote:

This seems like a bad idea, I doubt many if any players would accept it

CelticPhantom wrote:

I have seen a lot of posters on different forums (fora?) say that they win at cash then try tourneys and lose, or win at tourneys and then lose at cash.

My take on this is that Cash games are about the fundamentals since they are relatively unchanging (low relative blinds)
a) Tells : you will gather more indepth tells on players over a period of time. This is because you are mostly playing against the same people week in / week out.

b) Play more post-flop : Because of the low blinds relative to your stack, and the option to reload - you should not be forced to go all-in with marginal hands too often.

c) Pot odds are more relevant : Because you play more post-flop, you will be calculating pot odds more often. Because you can reload and keep going, you should always be making +EV decisions - they will pay off in the long run. Playing cards like suited connectors should pay off since the amount you lose when you do not hit will be offset by the time you win.

d) Cash games require a "long run" thinking. You do not get disappointed when a fish sucks out on you, because this means that he will make the same mistake again and you will eventually get all his chips.

e) Patience is the key to cash games. Cash games do not have the "adrenaline rush" of tournaments, and some people may find it a 'grind' to play this way.

Tourneys are about reacting to situations in the tourney. To do this you need to use more advanced strategies.
A) Tells : You need to pick up tells on people much quicker than in a cash game. You may not have played with an opponent before. You will get much less opportunity to use any tells you pick up, as people get moved / knocked out. However, the one time that you do use the tell to your advantage could mean you winning the tournament.

Play tends to be more pre-flop and flop : Especially towards the end of the tourney with higher relative blinds.

C) Pot odds are still relevant, but since you do not play as much post-flop, there are fewer situations where they are relevant. Other tournament related factors may come into play (Survival, Prize money differences, etc.)

D) Short term thinking since the tournament is over in a finite time. Survival becomes a factor.

E) Aggression helps win tournaments. You can take advantage of Tournament Life Syndrome and scare people out of pots

Tournament players need to adjust very quickly to the changing circumstances of the tournament - rising blinds, new players arriving at the table, how the table dynamics change when someone moves or is knocked out. Tournament players need to add more plays such as blind stealing to their arsenal in order to adjust and survive (not to say you do not do this in cash games as well it is just not as relevant and you could do well in cash games without ever stealing blinds).

In conclusion, I feel that playing cash games will not give you the "buzz" you might get from winning a tournament, but will mean that you are practiced in the fundamentals and post-flop play. This will serve you well in the early stages of a tournament and in deep-stacked tournaments. However, you will have to learn to adjust to new situations and people much quicker, and you will need to be more aggressive if you want to switch to tournaments.

In moving from tourney to cash games you will need to be more patient. Your skills in picking up tells quickly will be helpful, but beware people will have longer to study your play and may eventually pick up tells on you. You will have to be more selective in picking your spots for making moves and being aggressive. Some of your moves may not work, or will only get you small pots. Be prepared to play more post-flop and make more pot odds calculations.

NB : This is not a definitive, or even accurate synopsis. This is just my initial ideas on the differences between Cash and Tourney play.

Roundtower wrote:

well what do you want when you said a "cash regular"? Did you really think you would get action from mrflash or dvdfan?

nicnicnic wrote:

lol

RoundTower wrote:

well to spell it out for you I think I would have an edge against Nicky there but the two regular posters I mentioned wouldn't.

nicnicnic wrote:

flash is my No1 golf tipster so I didnt intend dissing him either