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Poker Tournaments vs Cash Games – Understanding the Key Differences

poker tournaments vs cash games understanding the key differences

Jan. 29 2025, Published 2:00 a.m. ET

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Poker is one of the oldest games around and has been played for generations all over the world. Over the years, the game of poker has remained relatively the same, with the core rules and gameplay staying the same despite the length of time it’s been around.

Whilst the core of poker games has stayed the same, due to its popularity there have been numerous different adaptations created that are slightly different to the standard game. Whilst these do play mainly the same as the original poker game, some of them have slight tweaks to the rules or how the game is played.

Every poker player will have a preference on which game they want to play, with some preferring a poker tournament, whereas other people will prefer to play online poker real money cash games, it’s all down to personal preference.

But what exactly is the difference between a poker tournament and a cash game, let’s take a look.

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Poker Tournaments

A poker tournament is where you pay a fixed joining fee to sign up and play in the tournament, then depending on where you finish in the tournament, depends on how much you receive as a cash reward. If you’re confident in your abilities then this may be the option for you, as although you do have to put in a set amount at the start, you’ll be sure to come away with some nice prize winnings.

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Cash Games

Cash games are slightly different to poker tournaments on the basis that unlike the tournament where everyone pays the same set buy-in, each player can choose their buy-in amount up to a certain amount. This means each player may have a different amount they originally put in, allowing players to play their way and put in as much as they feel comfortable with.

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Keeping Things Consistent

Although winning is never guaranteed in poker, over time you’re more likely to have more payouts in cash games than in a tournament, although the payouts will be less. This is because in a tournament, you pay one buy-in, then it all depends on how that tournament goes. You could have a great tournament but you could also go out in the first round meaning you’ve lost.

Compare this to a cash game, you buy in each time at the same amount, you’re more than likely due to come out on top compared to the tournament, however as mentioned above as the buy-ins are less, so will the payouts.

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At the end of the day, playing poker is for fun, and playing how and when suits you should be priority. For most people, playing cash games is going to be the way to go, as you can usually just jump into a game online whenever and wherever you are. There are no restrictions on what time you can play, you could be on your way to work or on your lunch break, it’s completely up to you how you choose to play. Playing cash games, you’re also able to decide how much you wager each game. If you know you’ve only got a set amount to spend on playing poker games, you’re able to stretch that out over a number of games allowing you to enjoy the poker games for longer.

Time also plays a part, as most people won’t have time to take part in a massive tournament which can sometimes go on for days. You would need to be available throughout those days and be ready at any point for the next game in the tournament. For example you could play the first round then not be playing again for hours on end, but you’ll need to be ready to play by the time your next game comes around which could be at any point.

A lot of professionals choose the tournaments over cash games due to the chance at much higher payouts, meaning if they win it’s much worth their time. However, for the majority of players, a cash game is perfectly fine and will do the job, allowing them to play when it suits them and allows for greater flexibility.

Poker games have been played for generations, with people all over the world still playing poker years after it was first created. Over the years, different iterations of the game have come out, however to most, you can’t beat the original.

Players will normally choose flexibility over everything else as with other commitments, they need their hobbies to fit around their daily life. That’s why cash games can be the much more reasonable and better looking option compared to tournaments.

If you’re looking to play professionally, then a tournament may be for you, however for the majority, cash games will be absolutely fine and give you that poker fix you’ve been missing.

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