6 Cash Game Tips

Cash games are the staple of many a poker pro’s income. They’ve always been where the real money is made.

Their importance may have been overshadowed by the glamour of the tournament circuit, but in reality cash games are one of the best and most consistent sources of income for a poker player. Cash games also train you to play ‘real’ poker rather than just wait for the blinds to get high so you can move all-in and hope for the best.

The main question then is how you can get good enough to make some decent money playing in these games. To this end, we’ve prepared six golden rules for tournament players wishing to make the move, or for cash game players who want to raise their game.

1) Start Slowly

In No-Limit Hold’em you can lose whatever you sit down with in a single hand, so start out at stakes where that won’t devastate you if this happens.

A good way of finding your level is to decide how much money you want to risk on poker, and divide by 20. If that figure is $500 then you can risk $25 at a time, making $0.25/$0.50 a good starting level for you (taking the maximum buy-in of 100x the big blind). But don’t go in too cheaply. You should avoid buying in for anything less than 50x the big blind.

If you go in with a short stack, playing small pairs and suited connectors will start to become unprofitable due to your reduced implied odds. If this happens you will basically end up in tournament ‘fold or all-in’ mode, which will teach you nothing.

2) Be Wary Of Betting Hard Without The Nut Hand

The cardinal rule is that big pots in cash games are mean either big hands or big bluffs. Nobody commits large amounts to the pot without a reason, and this is usually down to either having a big hand or trying to represent one.

Cash games are all about experienced players making lock hands and taking more naive opposition to the cleaners. For this reason be careful with hands like A-K, which can get you trapped when you make a pair and someone else hits a set, and be very wary of escalating the betting with non-nut hands like low full houses, or straights and flushes when better hands are possible.

If you are going to bluff, choose your victim carefully, and make sure you really do play as if you have the hand you’re representing.

3) Pay Attention To Position

Position and hand selection are key in cash games due to the stack sizes present.

One loose call with A-Q against a tight opponent could cost you dearly, and against an aggressive player being out of position will often leave you making all the tough decisions. Throw away hands like A-J and A-10 if you’re in early position. Be very wary of what hands you play in the blinds, as you’ll be out of position throughout the hand, and accordingly be prepared to loosen up significantly from the button and cut-off seat.

Also remember that in middle and later positions, when you enter a pot you should be raising frequently to knock out the blinds and ‘buy the button’ by forcing later position.

4) Be Aggressive When You Do Enter a Pot

Your goal is to give others the decisions, pick up loose change and create an image that will be more likely to get you action on good hands. Typically this means raising pre-flop and making some kind of bet on the flop averaging half the pot. This is an area that beginners often struggle with, but remember that most hands miss most flops and the player with the momentum in the hand is more often than not the victor.

When playing with deep stacks though, think about whether you want to be playing a big pot or a small one. Re-raising pre-flop or check-raising at any stage can have serious effects later in the hand so be ready for the monster you create!

5) Play In 5 And 6-Seater Games

You learn a lot from playing short-handed games. In this format, aggression and position become even more important and your feel for the game is the most important factor. If your reads are spot on you can make far more than in a full-ring game, and there is also the thrill of constant action and tough decisions to recommend it.

Beware though, as you will need an even deeper bankroll to play in these types of games. Plus, the chances are that your opponents will also be players who favour this format. This can make some high-octane bluffing and big pots inevitable.

However, if you have the heart and the wallet then this is undoubtedly where you will learn most quickly as a No-Limit cash player.

6) Don’t Be Too Hard On Yourself

Finally, remember to keep your losses in perspective. Don’t forget that you’re on a learning curve where mistakes are inevitable, so chastising yourself for one bad play or developing an overly cautious style will probably be detrimental to you in the long run anyway.

Poker has a gambling element to it, and to become truly successful and rise to the higher limits you will need to at least make peace with that element of the game.

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