W
wushibala
Rock Star
Platinum Level
I find tournaments much easier to handle. Cash games are tough for me—seeing chips as real money makes me play too scared, and that never ends well
dreamer13
Legend
Loyaler
Tournaments for me are already priced in, the chips have no monetary value so you don't have to worry about your bankroll, you just have to get through the game to get to the final table and into the money. There's a little more freedom to go wild knowing that losing is priced in.You need to play what you enjoy the most, or what you think is the best value for the time you have to spend playing.
janwar
Enthusiast
Silver Level
i’ve tried both, but I enjoy tournaments more. There’s something exciting about building a stack and trying to make a deep run, even if it takes hours. Cash games are nice too since you can come and go whenever, but for me tournaments just feel more rewarding when you hit a final table.
thwenth1983
Visionary
Platinum Level
Good morning everyone, whenever you ask a question about poker, almost always the answer will include the word “it depends.”
Cash games, in my opinion, are more fun. I enjoy playing them, even when I’m also playing MTTs.
MTTs, on the other hand, are games where it’s much easier to make money. You can have just $1 or $2 in your bankroll and with a single MTT win $100, $150, or even $200.
Winning 5 buy-ins in cash games is very difficult — it can happen, but turning $2 into $200 in cash games would take months, and the probability of going broke is high.
There are players who live solely from cash games, but they are very skilled players who study a lot. In my opinion, profiting from MTTs is much easier.
Cash games, in my opinion, are more fun. I enjoy playing them, even when I’m also playing MTTs.
MTTs, on the other hand, are games where it’s much easier to make money. You can have just $1 or $2 in your bankroll and with a single MTT win $100, $150, or even $200.
Winning 5 buy-ins in cash games is very difficult — it can happen, but turning $2 into $200 in cash games would take months, and the probability of going broke is high.
There are players who live solely from cash games, but they are very skilled players who study a lot. In my opinion, profiting from MTTs is much easier.
G
GrannySmit77
Rock Star
Platinum Level
I usually play cash games because I don't have a lot of time, but after all your answers I will consider playing more tournaments. I have in the past but depending on the site, I don't like the variance or the RNG of any site.
pentazepam
Legend
Loyaler
Poker with Cash is a strategic and psychological game where you read your opponents' tendencies and unbalanced approach, and also use your image to make moves that are not GTO.
Tournaments are a fuc..ng Lottery with a small edge for the best players. (Unless it's a very long MTT with very deep stacks. But that MTT also becomes a lottery at the end.)
Surely the former is more interesting and rewarding, both for fun and intellectual challenges, except for playing on some Online sites that are infested with bots, collusion, and RTA-users. But that is even worse in MTTs online also.
Tournaments are a fuc..ng Lottery with a small edge for the best players. (Unless it's a very long MTT with very deep stacks. But that MTT also becomes a lottery at the end.)
Surely the former is more interesting and rewarding, both for fun and intellectual challenges, except for playing on some Online sites that are infested with bots, collusion, and RTA-users. But that is even worse in MTTs online also.
Prophet
Rock Star
Bronze Level
In cash games you gotta be focused every single hand cuz you can lose a big chunk of your stack in seconds.
I’m more into tournaments, they just feel more exciting. Once I played like 11/12 hours straight just to make a final table, and even though it was exhausting it was such a good feeling to finish 3rd
sandy358
Rock Star
Platinum Level
MTTs. They are just more complex with much more to learn and I love them for that. Also higher modern cash games often become a game of tiny edges.
s0ftdumps
Rock Star
Platinum Level
That is a solid way of looking at it. I like how you framed tournaments as priced in because it really shifts the mindset away from fearing bust outs and toward focusing on playing your best game. I agree that the freedom to take risks is part of the fun and at the same time picking the formats you actually enjoy or feel give you the best return for your time makes the grind sustainable.
Dejana
Meat pounder 🥩
Loyaler
Online cash games - you can stop whenever you want, it's more fun + you can "take" more money in short period of time (if you play for money)...
Live cash games is more superb when you see who you playing to...😄
Live cash games is more superb when you see who you playing to...😄
anasslaaleg
Rock Star
Platinum Level
Tournaments vs Cash Games
Tournaments (MTTs): Big prizes from small buy-ins, lots of recreational players, but huge variance and long sessions.
Cash Games: Flexible, steady profit potential, less variance, but tougher fields and no big score “lottery.”
If you want adrenaline and the chance at a big payday → play tournaments.
If you prefer control, shorter sessions, and consistent grinding → go for cash games.
Best players often mix both to balance risk and reward.
Tournaments (MTTs): Big prizes from small buy-ins, lots of recreational players, but huge variance and long sessions.
Cash Games: Flexible, steady profit potential, less variance, but tougher fields and no big score “lottery.”
If you want adrenaline and the chance at a big payday → play tournaments.
If you prefer control, shorter sessions, and consistent grinding → go for cash games.
Best players often mix both to balance risk and reward.