Cash Games vs Tournaments: Understanding the Key Differences

25 Apr 2025

Beginner

This material is for beginner players

Even though the rules are the same, tournament poker and cash games are two completely different forms of the same game. Cash poker is all about making the most money possible in any given situation over the long run. Every decision is made within a fixed blind structure, and you can always top up your stack if needed. Tournament poker strategy, on the other hand, is based on understanding the complexity of rising blind levels, big differences in stack sizes, and ultimately the payout structure — where the goal is to be the last player standing to earn the highest reward. These differences change the overall approach to every situation, so let’s look at both formats, cash games vs tournaments, in detail.

In a cash game, your goal is to earn as many chips as possible during the time you spend at the table. This means making decisions that, on average, bring the most money in each specific situation.

You sit down at a cash table with a set amount of money, usually the maximum allowed, and you can always top up your stack if you lose some chips. Because of that, your poker strategy doesn’t change much — there aren’t many outside factors. The blinds stay the same, and you can leave at any time with whatever money is in front of you.

This ability to leave whenever you want is useful if you’re not sure how long you can play, and it can be a good option if you tilt easily. Cash games usually have tougher player pools compared to tournaments. That’s because fewer people play cash just for fun — it doesn’t have the same kind of thrill as tournament poker.

It’s just not the same level of gambling with potentially big payouts that tournament poker offers. You might sit down at a cash game with $500 and walk away with $2,000 after a good session. But if you buy into a $500 tournament with 100 players, the top prize is around $15,000. That kind of money is a lot more appealing to someone who enjoys gambling or doesn’t play that often.

Read More About Cash Game Poker Coaching Here

The good thing about cash games is that variance is much lower. In the end, you need to get lucky to win a tournament. You have to win coin flips and get good cards — and hope those hands actually play out in your favor.

This means that technically, you need less skill or knowledge to win a single tournament. But to make consistent profit in the long run, you have to be just as skilled and experienced as a solid cash game player — if not more.

Here are a few variance graphs that show how big of a role luck plays in cash poker:

At a win rate of 2.5bb/100, you’d need a bankroll of around 6,000 big blinds to avoid going broke. If you were playing NL100 (with a $100 buy-in and $1 big blind), that means you'd need a $6,000 bankroll.

The lower poker variance in cash games compared to tournaments also means your skill shows up faster. Take a look at this sample of losing players in the graph below:

After 70,000 hands, there’s a good chance you’ll be down quite a few big blinds. Since «big scores» don’t really happen, cash games can feel like you’re always losing. That’s the risk of having real money on the table. In cash games, you can lose several buy-ins in a single session. In a tournament, you only lose one buy-in per event.

Another issue players face in cash games is that they can become very routine. Since you’re playing in mostly similar situations with fewer variables compared to tournaments, it’s easy to get bored.

Cash game pros:

• Easier to learn;
• You can play anytime;
• Lower variance;
• Less luck needed to win.

Cash game cons:

• Can be boring;
• Player pools are full of strong opponents;
• No big wins;
• You can lose a lot of money quickly.

In a tournament, you pay an entry fee in exchange for tournament chips. You then play poker with those chips while the blind levels gradually increase until a winner is determined. The longer you last and the higher you finish, the more money you win. The increasing blinds and shrinking relative stack sizes add another layer of skill to the game — something that isn’t present in cash games.

These factors all affect the best way to approach a hand. Once you’ve bought into a tournament, you’re in it until it ends. If you make a deep run, you could end up playing for hours. You need to have enough free time to commit to the tournament you’re entering. Some tournaments can last for several days. This extended format can be tough if you tend to lose focus or are prone to tilt.

As mentioned earlier, you can win a significant amount of money in a poker tournament if the cards fall your way. This higher variance is what attracts many recreational players. But the added variance also means that even with a solid edge over the field, it may take longer to realize your expected profit. Usually, you only buy into a tournament once, which means you’re likely to lose your bankroll more slowly. But as mentioned earlier, it might take much longer to grow it.

Here’s another simulation by Primedope — this time, it’s a $100 tournament played 1,000 times with a 10% ROI (return on investment). A 10% ROI is considered a strong win rate for tournament players. As you can see, the bankroll required to reduce the risk of going broke is twice as large as what a cash game player would need.

Pros of tournament poker:

• Potential for big wins;
• More exciting than cash games;
• Softer player pools;
• Less risk of losing a lot in a short time.

Cons of tournament poker:

• Tougher bankroll requirements;
• Harder to make consistent profits;
• More difficult to study and master.

Honestly, you should play the type of poker you enjoy the most. Your choice also depends on how much time you can dedicate to both studying and playing. If you're not too interested in learning the game in depth and just want to gamble occasionally for a shot at a big payday, tournament poker might suit you better.

Also don’t forget about the huge difference between cash game and tournament poker strategy. We have more information on these formats on our website, and the great thing is that you can conveniently navigate appropriate poker articles by hashtags.

If you enjoy studying and improving as a player, or if you're short on time and can’t commit to long sessions, cash games are probably the better option. We’ve laid out the pros and cons of each format to help you decide. Whatever you choose, make sure to play within your bankroll and have fun at the tables!