Tournament vs Cash game poker
Tournament poker and cash game poker feature many similarities but when it boils down to it, they are two completely different forms of poker. The differences between the rules of tournament poker and cash game poker are easy to learn.
The main difference between tournament poker and cash game poker is that tournaments begin at a predetermined time and finish due to predetermined parameters, while cash games can last indefinitely and feature a much more flexible rule base.
Below we will run you through the key aspects of both Tournament Poker, which has become exceptionally popular at online poker sites, and cash or ring game poker.
Tournament Poker
Players buy in to a poker tournament for a set cost and every player begins the tournament with the same amount of chips and at the same time. There are predetermined “blinds” which increase at set intervals throughout the tournament and this ensures players are consistently eliminated.
Players are eliminated by losing all their chips and the tournament continues until only one player has all of the chips. Usually there will be around 10%-20% of the tournament field who will go home with a prize, with the amount given to each player awarded depending in which position they were eliminated.
Tournament poker can lead to a more sedate game-plan from players, with massive fields meaning it takes great concentration over many hours to succeed. For instance, the World Series of Poker Main Event in 2024, featured over 10,000 players for the first time.
Tournament poker has created many poker legends, including Chris Moneymaker, who shocked the poker world to win the WSOP as a rank outsider; and dual winners like Daniel Negreanu and Phil Helmuth.
Cash Game Poker (Ring Game)
Cash games are much more flexible for players than tournaments as players are usually able to buy in, rebuy and cash out whenever they desire.
The blind levels in ring game poker are generally static and remain the same throughout the game unless all players agree to change the stakes.
The stack sizes of each player are also different from poker tournaments as the increasing blinds in tournaments means players will sometimes have tiny stacks, while in cash games, players will often have similar size stacks and players have the ability to rebuy or top-up when they lose chips. Cash games are usually played as full ring (9-10 players), six-handed (6 players max) or heads-up (2 players).
The advent of cash games online means there are so many more variants available, with these including pot limit, bomb poker, pineapple poker and many others.
Are cash games or tournament poker better?
Both cash game and tournament poker formats require different approaches, skills and personality types, but there’s no reason you can’t enjoy both. Generally tournaments bring a lot more media attention and have the lure of a big payday for a small investment. But they are not easy to win, so the swings can be tough to handle. Cash games are likely to provide good players with a smaller but more steady form of profit. Many people who have profited of poker handsomely, like Dan Bilzerian, stay away from tournament games and often just ply their trade against rich folk on the cash tables.
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