Hello All! Happy New year to everyone

I am curious to know what everyone prefers in their live casinos/game rooms.

I have been playing tournaments since I started playing live.. very casually maybe once a week or once every couple of weeks. However I really enjoy tournaments but I am thinking on going into live cash as it may be more profitable with less time spent at the tables.

I was wondering what everyone's take on this is do you prefer tournaments or cash games at your local casino and Why?

Just looking for some insight from everyone.

Thanks

Personally I prefer the inherent structure that comes with tournaments (a starting time, levels, defined end-game etc.). One of the big downsides, as others will point out, is the much higher variance of results experienced playing MTTs.

Depending on how much loss aversion you tend to feel, the stop-loss built into tournaments can be liberating to your play... but it still can feel devastating getting knocked out on the bubble.

Live tournaments are effectively lottery tickets. Yes, you may have an edge but its so slight its hardly worth considering.

Its like buying into a local lotto for $100 along with 200 other people, they go ahead and issue 20,000 tickets ($1 each), they give 10% of you 125 tickets another 10% with 115 tickets, 60% of you with 100 tickets, 10% 85 tickets and another 10% with 75 tickets. Thats a sweet deal if you are in the 125 camp sure! Until you realise it takes 3-5 hours in line waiting to buy the god damn things!! And then you see they charge you $10 just for the effing privilege. Even if you could go stand in line two times a week you would need several life times to realise your true roi and thats assuming you're being issued extra tickets at all, cus I sure as eff can't be bothered counting them after waiting in that sweaty painful line!

Cash games offer more fun for all, winners and losing players alike. There is more conversation, laughs and arguments in cash games. In general you will be surrounding yourself with people who have had more success in their life, overall the people you see in cash games will be more interesting which you may think is unimportant but I believe it helps in life outside of poker especially if you are at the felt for 1000's upon 1000's of hours.

Cash games 100%

Good points above ...
1) How much are you willing to risk each session?
2) What are you trying to get out of poker? Fun for x hours or profit?
3) Where do you have an edge, if any, on the other players?

I'm mostly a cash guy but I try to be honest about tournaments as well. The biggest issue I look at with tournaments is the structure. If I have to fold the first 3-4 levels how many BB will I have left? And then do I have to 2x my stack every level after that just to maintain my x BB stack?

The 'dailies' at a casino are structured to last under 4 hours in most cases with hopes that you sit down for cash before or after. You can play well and go card dead at the wrong time or get coolered and wind up with very little return for the time spent. They are low risk and low return IMO as stated above. You may never be able to apply your skill edge enough to over come the 'no brainer' spots that all the players are eventually forced into by the structure. I guess if you don't have a chance to get at least 20x your BI for first, then you may want to pass?

Obviously with cash you can show a decent profit by playing just a couple of hands and your stack dwindles at a much slower pace if you are card dead early. There are plenty of players out there that try to grind out $12 per hour and collect comps and that's fine with them. You also have the option to get up and leave at any time from a cash game ... hopefully you don't 'cash-n-dash' if you want to be a reg. GL

I love the daily tourneys at casinos. Your better players are probably sitting at the cash table (not always just generally) and these daily tourneys are filled with "fun players". They usually pay off your monster hands, freeze up on the bubble and an experienced tournament player has a huge edge. The really good tournament grinders are not out looking for a $70 buy-in daily either.

That said, you will be a better player having cash game experience under your belt as well. It also gives you added opportunity on your trip to the casino when you bust out of that tournament early.

I think a lot of us who got into poker around the Poker boom started out playing tournaments.
I personally have been playing longer. I first started playing 5 card draw, didn't even know holde m existed back then.
But, after 2004, when I got swept like everyone else, became mostly a holde m tournament player.
I've since given them up and play almost exclusively live cash.
You can obviously make a big tournament score that you won't match at the cash game tables.
At least, not if you're a low stakes player, 1/2, like myself.
But, I'm a consistently marginal winning cash game player.
I averaged about 5$ an hour in 2017.
Never made a lot of money but never had a losing year either.
Cash is a different game with a different skill set.
Having said all that, it all depends on what you like and on your personality.
Play what you have more fun playing.

Late reply to your lottery vison of tourneys. Thanks for your insight. Now I have a better paid job I can have a better poker bankroll and so I may switch from tournaments to cash and see how it goes cheers!

Yeah I've only ever played live cash maybe twice.. while live tournament and online tournaments significantly more. Maybe I should study more towards cash then as the past 2 times I went onto cash I tripled and sometimes quadrupled up quite quickly.. however due to not being strict my stack dwindled to barely anything.. maybe cash and more discipline would be good for me I guess

A lot depends on the game. With tournament, you know you will get action, as the blinds requirte it. With cash, you might get to a nitty table where small pots are being pushed around and the rake is killing any profitability.

I like tournament because I know there is going to be a winner. I know the action will be forced. And I know people will be pushed out of the comfort zones. The variance can drive you mad, especially when you lose a couple of 80/20 hands in a row and go from chip leader to walk of shame.

I personally find it difficult to play both at the same time. Starting ranges, range reading, and bet sizing is completely different between MTT and cash. Tactics are completely different between playing one player post flop, and playing 4 or 5 with wider ranges.

I think if your plan is to make money, being a good cash game player is probably better. if your plan is to have fun, playing in exciting situations, and possibly hit it big a few times while minimizing your risk, MTT's are better.

I enjoy both but MTT's better as their more laid back at times. Where as cash if your faced with a £60 re-raise to your £20 bet it can be a difficult spot unless you've got the nuts. However I play to win so whether it's winning a tourney or money in a cash game by beating the opposition I am competitive either way. Just know I have to stick to one or the other as they have different styles and tactics

I'd mostly just be concerned with finding a game where you're dealt more than two cards regardless of format

Like just about everyone else who plays NLH I started out with tournaments due mostly to TV. I had played some cash poker before that 5 CD, 7 Stud and so on. After a few years of lackluster low stakes Tournament results I switched to NLH cash only and later some PLO. It's strictly a personal thing with me. Tournament poker really makes me uncomfortable , especially in the late stages , so now I totally avoid it. Many folks prefer Tournament poker , so , IMHO, the choice is totally up to individual tastes.

I enjoy both tbh. Would you say your in profit from live cash and PLO?

Only marginally. I play poker mostly for a fun rec hobby and certainly not for any "pipedreams" of big scores. Cash games are , for me, fun, not a job. Thankfully!

Ahh fair enough. I love poker and would love the pipedream of being pro or good enough to do it full time. Trying to improve as much in my spare time as I can.

I'm better at games where more hands go to showdown. So, tournaments, with an emphasis on picking up uncontested pots, is not my forte. My specialty is cash games where table conditions lead to a lot of multiway pots.