Rarely is someone both a great cash game and tournament player. Usually, someone is good at one, but not the other. Why is that? It’s because the strategy is much different to succeed at each. So, if you find yourself gravitating towards one type of poker game, don’t feel as if it makes you a second rate player. It’s normal to want to play one type of game or the other. It’s all about your level of success, and anything that you can do to make more money is something that you should pay attention to.

Cash games allow you to be a little looser at the table

You can call with marginal hands in a cash game because you can always add money to your balance if you bust. You shouldn’t play with all the money in your account, and that means if you make a few bad calls, you’ll eventually top off your balance and go on as if nothing ever happened. You can also leave the table if you’re ahead and keep your winnings in your account and re-enter so you don’t lose any of it. There are quite a few options when playing cash games that allow you to make the most out of your deposit.

Tournaments are a one and done thing

You can’t top off your chips in a tournament setting like you can with a cash game. The only exception is if you’re in a tournament that has rebuys. If you can rebuy or add chips at the end of the first break, it enables you to play a little loser. If it’s a regular tournament, you need to be tighter and call with fewer marginal hands. You don’t only want to play premium hands in Joinsini tournaments, but you do want to be a little more conservative in a tournament setting than in a cash game.

How to know which setting is best for you?

There is no way of knowing what’s best for you other than playing at both and seeing which you prefer. It’s not unheard of for a tournament player to sometimes hit the cash games. Just like it’s not unheard of for a cash game player to play in an occasional 198.96.92.14 tournament. If you’re a cash game player, you might want to participate in a tournament if the payout is unusually high. Why pass up on a chance to win big bucks even if you’re not a super fan of the format?

It’s all about having fun in the end

Playing poker needs to be an enjoyable experience, no matter if you’re playing tournaments or cash games. Anyone who has fun is a winner regardless of the outcome of the hand. Allow your stress to melt away, and enjoy the action and conversation at the table. You’re here to forget about everything for a while and play cards. Anything short of that and you’re taking things far more serious than they need to be.