They say that there’s no such thing as the typical poker player. That’s because they come from all walks of life and play for all different kinds of reasons. For some it’s a fun, social activity, for others it’s the mental challenge that’s the real appeal. Naturally, as a betting game, it’s also a big favourite for people who want to make money from it, either as a sideline to their everyday job or as a full time pro. There are also so many different ways to play – round a kitchen table with friends, in a real casino or online.
If it’s the money that really motivates you there’s also a question that you’ll probably have asked yourself more than once: which is best, a tournament or a cash game.
Tournaments
For
The huge prize money on offer is obviously the biggest benefit of tournament play, just ask any of the November 9 who’ll be battling it out in the WSOP Main Event final in a few months’ time.
With everyone having to pay the same amount to enter a tournament it also means that you know exactly how much it’s going to cost you to play. Cash games that mean you have to keep on buying more chips can turn out to be a pretty expensive business. Of course, if it’s a rebuy tournament, not a freeze out, you may still need to keep buying more chips to play.
Against
Tournaments are very much all-or-nothing affairs. So when you’re out, you’re out and you’ll go home with no winnings at all.
They also require a considerable investment of time, if not hours then sometimes even days. Plus, if you concentrate on tournament play and have a bad run of luck it can be a very long time between wins – so you’d better have plenty of cash to see you through the lean times.
Cash games
For
Cash games are great if you want to play but don’t have all the time needed to take part in a tournament. You simply pay your buy-in, sit down at the table and can play for as long or short a time as you want to. Plus, if you do find yourself running out of chips you can rebuy them whenever you want.
Another advantage of a cash game is that the blind remains the same however long you play, unlike in tournaments when it gradually rises.
Against
The main disadvantage of the cash game is that the winnings you’ll make are potentially far more limited than in a tournament.
Of course, there are many more arguments for and against tournament or cash play and it really comes down to individual preference, not to mention budget. But, on balance, maybe tournaments are the best choice for the beginner to get more practice while limiting potential losses – and it could even lead to an unexpectedly big win.
