Tighten up in Cash Games

Many poker players that do not have much experience seem to believe that you can play a cash game the same as you would a poker tournament. Well, I am here to dispel that myth. Tournament poker requires the same skill set but cash games require you to use them very differently. The main difference between poker tournaments and cash games is that in a cash game you can re-buy if you get busted. Conversely you cannot do that in a poker tournament unless it is specifically a re-buy tourney.

Knowing the difference between the two and factoring in that the blinds will remain the same for the duration of the session we can make some general assumptions. First, I need to tighten up as there is no rush to accumulate chips. Second, I do not need to take risks unnecessarily. In other words, I can pick my spots and mix up my play even more so than in a tournament where your stack and the blinds has a much larger influence on the kinds of hands you can play.

Lastly, position becomes even more important in a cash game. The more you understand your opponents and their way of playing poker the better off you will be in using position to your advantage. In a cash game you do not have to be in a rush to do much of anything. Take as long as necessary to learn and understand the players at your table. Know where your profit is going to come from and exploit the weaknesses of those players accordingly.