Do You Primarily Host Tournaments or Cash?
I host both over the course of the year, but more often than not Cash games…
What about you?
I host both over the course of the year, but more often than not Cash games…
What about you?
Do You Primarily Host Tournaments or Cash? 2025 Poll (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter doublebooyah85
- Start date
We start with the tournament, start a cash game once enough players are out and a table is opened up.
RadicusScout
Flush
Tonystark137
Full House
Cash
It goes back and forth for me. I hosted tournaments most of the time immediately after Covid but before that we mostly played cash games. Now the pendulum is swinging back towards mostly cash games. Last year I hosted 7 cash and 3 tournaments. On tournament nights, we almost always play cash afterwards also.
Poker Zombie
Royal Flush
Mostly tournaments. Once a year we pitch a "Special Format Game". The SFG is frequently cash, but not always. Sometimes it is Limit (had both a tournament and a few cash games). Sometimes it's something other than holdem, and that is how we introduced circus games.
There has been some pushback against the non-hold'em tournaments, so this year we will do a Survivor tournament using cash chips - and when the bubble breaks, all remaining players collect the cash value of their chips.
There has been some pushback against the non-hold'em tournaments, so this year we will do a Survivor tournament using cash chips - and when the bubble breaks, all remaining players collect the cash value of their chips.
OP
OP
This poll in 2000-2008 would have skewed heavily tournament and I think the pendulum has been full force cash for awhile.
Poker Zombie
Royal Flush
Lots of new players during that time. I think tournaments are less intimidating for new players.
donkSTRIKER
Sitting Out
Tournaments do seem to draw more people...
But we would always have a cash game as players busted, and for me that was the real game.
But we would always have a cash game as players busted, and for me that was the real game.
detroitdad
Royal Flush
Absolutely. I remember the first time I played cash after only playing tourneys. I was intimidated by having "real" money on the table. $40 dollar buy ins were a lot when your bankroll started with a "0"
JDPoker
Two Pair
Cash once a week, Tournament once a month.
I’m actually quite surprised that the responses so far are overwhelmingly cash… I feel like for much of my time here since 2017, the focus of discussion and set-building has been pretty heavily on tournament stuff.
I wonder if the pandemic caused a shift—it did for me. I was hosting a weekly tourney pre-. Took a break during COVID. Then afterward I really didn’t want 18 people in my home at once and moved to a higher-stakes one-table cash game.
I wonder if the pandemic caused a shift—it did for me. I was hosting a weekly tourney pre-. Took a break during COVID. Then afterward I really didn’t want 18 people in my home at once and moved to a higher-stakes one-table cash game.
Tonystark137
Full House
Maybe cause for cash I think there are established starting breakdowns. Where as tournament there are various Tx set up and starting breakdowns combos?
Like cash there is the established below , where as there are different answers for T100 tournament breakdowns.
It's
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ef28
Two Pair
NLHE tournaments only. I don't even recall playing in a home cash game. But once I finish my cash set I will introduce a cash game to my home game. Read somewhere how cash games is more relaxed and slower pace for the host. We'll see.
We never played tournaments until the poker boom, just wern't a thing.
Would prefer to only host cash but now you kinda have to run tournamernts as most newer players think a tournament is poker, meh.. it's the gateway to the real game, cash.
Would prefer to only host cash but now you kinda have to run tournamernts as most newer players think a tournament is poker, meh.. it's the gateway to the real game, cash.
Poker Zombie
Royal Flush
If my comment about new players preferring tournaments is accurate, then it would stand to reason that more advice on tournament breakdowns would surface.
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JDPoker
Two Pair
Cash game is definitely more relaxed for the host. No need to worry about a clock, level changes, color-ups, table balancing, etc.
I wasn’t watching back then, but I’m guessing that what was broadcast on tv was mostly tournament poker.
And how many people were playing horrific formats in their home tournaments like “blinds double every time somebody gets knocked out?”
Anyway I love tournament poker 5x more than cash games. But tournaments are a pain to host and cash games are easy to host. So I host cash.
BPTDirector
Full House
I love tournament poker and over the years have trimmed the overhead of hosting them so now they almost run themselves. A good clock and consistent method of combining tables, a structure that allows for plenty of play before it becomes a shove fest and players that are quick to assist and know the score about hosting really help out. Organization is the key. Oh, and I cannot get my guys interested in cash games. I’ve tried a bunch of times.
I've only gotten my friends into poker at the beginning of this year, but so far I've been hosting a cash game every week or two, and we have plans to do 2 table tournaments every 2 months or so given that we can get the bodies. Generally if we have only one table of players we play cash, any more than that and we play a tournament. Next step is to convince them we need to have buy ins higher than 10 dollars. LOL.
Nymor
3 of a Kind
Mostly cash but I'd say 1 in 5 is a deepstack tournie. I prefer cash as it's more flexible but also sometimes like a change and the different strategy needed for tournaments.
Some like the fixed cost of a tournie and just playing NLHE (& PLO) as opposed to the Circus games we have when playing cash. I am thinking of doing some NLHE cash occasionally as well now and/or limiting game choice for the first few hours.
Some like the fixed cost of a tournie and just playing NLHE (& PLO) as opposed to the Circus games we have when playing cash. I am thinking of doing some NLHE cash occasionally as well now and/or limiting game choice for the first few hours.
ekricket
Royal Flush
Locally we only play tournaments, and if you have to justify your choice I’d say it’s just because we like tournaments.
We don’t hate cash or think it’s stupid, it’s just not a good fit for our group that has an income range from poor to rich. We have a pool of about 15 people in a small town of about 1100
Plus quite a few of our players are calling stations and have no plans to improve their game. Sounds lucrative, but taking $100 repeatedly from the same people that could use it to live just doesn’t seem like a lot of fun.
What’s the purpose of this poll? Are you trying to decide between the two and the results will decide for you? Are you trying to stir up the tournament vs cash sentiments - because if you ask for comments too instead of just voting like you were interested in the data then this is inevitable. (there is no bad form of poker fwiw, even limit is ok).
My favorite colors are black and silver if that factors in anywhere in these deep discussions.
We don’t hate cash or think it’s stupid, it’s just not a good fit for our group that has an income range from poor to rich. We have a pool of about 15 people in a small town of about 1100
Plus quite a few of our players are calling stations and have no plans to improve their game. Sounds lucrative, but taking $100 repeatedly from the same people that could use it to live just doesn’t seem like a lot of fun.
What’s the purpose of this poll? Are you trying to decide between the two and the results will decide for you? Are you trying to stir up the tournament vs cash sentiments - because if you ask for comments too instead of just voting like you were interested in the data then this is inevitable. (there is no bad form of poker fwiw, even limit is ok).
My favorite colors are black and silver if that factors in anywhere in these deep discussions.
Poker Zombie
Royal Flush
So, you're a Raiders fan
- Chiefs Rule!If this goes through the inevitable derailed debate, I'll keep it fresh by pushing it into football instead of the tired Cash vs Tourney.
ekricket
Royal Flush
Not sure what you are asking about. Do they play Manchester often?So, you're a Raiders fan
If this goes through the inevitable derailed debate, I'll keep it fresh by pushing it into football instead of the tired Cash vs Tourney.
OP
OP
Just like to see what direction the forum is going and trends. Noticed tourney sets sitting in classifieds and cash sets sell faster.
Free to ignore the poll and thread!
OP
OP
Go ahead and start whatever poll you like! Personally not curious on either of those.
smashed_potato
3 of a Kind
I personally love tourney poker, especially with a rebuy and even better with good company.
A lot of mates don’t mind a poker night but aren’t into poker like I am, so when I suggest cash game I always get a look like I’m angling for some of their money lol.
Like some type of pool shark.
It very much is still 2007 with the people around me and I’m very much ok with that.
A lot of mates don’t mind a poker night but aren’t into poker like I am, so when I suggest cash game I always get a look like I’m angling for some of their money lol.
Like some type of pool shark.
It very much is still 2007 with the people around me and I’m very much ok with that.
Poker Zombie
Royal Flush
Serious question:
To determine a trend there must have been other polls of this nature, unless this is the first poll you intend to take on a regular basis. I like that you have added "2025" to the title, which will help in future years.
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