The poker strategies that work for conventional games are also useful in this type of tournament. Hand reading is still important, as is playing aggressively, but with a head. Do not hesitate to read our poker tips articles for more details! But what specific keys should I follow to play cash in poker?
Measure your budget well and choose appropriate tables: Defining your bankroll well is very important in poker, but here it is even more so that it is consistent with the tables you play. If you have €20 and you choose a table with blinds of €2/€4, your margin to develop play will be minimal.
Importance of preflop hand ranges: Studying what range of hands are appropriate from each position is essential, even more so in cash. An A6 from the UTG is not the same as from the dealer in a hand without previous betting. Likewise, it is not only about making good choices, but also about seeing which ones your rivals make.
Choose tables of suitable level: Although with the budget the sieve will be important, it may be that your level is not adjusted to your bankroll. If you have little money but a lot of quality, you don’t have a problem, but if it’s the other way around, make sure you’re having good results…
Play Aggressive
If you only play calling when you have good hands and/or winning combinations, you will lose. At the very least, in the long term you will not have good results, since having safe plays is not usual. On the contrary, to win in ‘cash’ you have to have a proactive game, betting to have information, and detecting and exploiting the weaknesses of your opponents.
Manage inputs and outputs: Here you don’t have to spend all your money. With few chips, in a tournament you are forced to spend them to recover and be competitive, but here it may be a better option to exit and stop playing, or enter a lower table. The same is true when you’re running buffs, when you’ll be able to rest and enjoy the victory instead of continuing to take out opponents.
In a game of poker you can win by better cards or staying only in one bet. If you always want to win by the best cards, you are closing yourself in the middle of the game, specifically the most profitable part. This is even more important at the cash tables of poker, where every win is rewarded, and every mistimed fold is punished.
STOP THINKING ABOUT IT!
Cash games online: the psychological factor of poker
Knowing how to win in poker cash games is also knowing how to manage pressure. Tournaments are long, and good fatigue management is more important. Here, on the other hand, the problem lies in making good decisions, freeing yourself from the pressure of ‘burning’ resources live. Be aware of it, but don’t let it make you make bad decisions.
On the contrary, you will have to detect which player has these weaknesses and try to exploit them. And if you don’t find a weak or unstable player profile at a table, worry… it’s probably you!