Cash Games versus Tournaments

Now unlike their ring game predecessors, poker tournaments require a completely different type of skill set and persona. The rush of check-raising the competition, the satisfaction one gets when they make that perfect read, and the ability to just move all-in on a whim are the true staples of a tournament player. Players who choose tournaments over cash tables are ones that prefer the glory of outlasting hundreds – sometimes thousands – of other opponents in order to win that grand prize. And unlike cash gamers, these kinds of players are also the types who don’t mind sitting in a chair for sometimes up to 12+ hours a day just to make the money, all while being conceivably forced to adjust to such conditions as: analyzing new players, keeping focused, avoiding ill-timed moves, and of course just trying to fade boredom.

Katja Thater of Team PokerStars honestly sums up the dynamic of a tournament poker player with this simple quote: “You must have the stamina, determination, patience, and the will to never give up….and always challenging yourself to rise above the rest….”

In the end though, the reward is normally something much sweeter than just winning a few hundred-dollar pots here and there like one would at a ring game. Sure, the instant money people can win at a ring game can be greatly satisfying and of course a lot more profitable than dropping a single buy-in on a tournament that can take hours – even DAYS – to finish. But that big tournament score is sometimes a more equitable decision for those players who prefer the competition and who are always looking to improve their game and apply it to future situations against their fellow adversaries. More importantly, single payouts for a tournament win or even a top-5 finish can exceed 4, 5, 6, and of course even 7-figures!

Go Back: Tournament Blind Structures