Hi y'all, cash or tournament? (1 Viewer)

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Naww_Mann

High Hand
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Hi all,

I signed up for an account a while back but was mostly just lurking around until recently got into it again.

Started watching poker on tv during the pandemic and playing online on a mobile app for fun.

Really want to play with friends but this pandemic, lockdowns and stay at home orders are driving me crazy.

Always thought I was only into tournaments but starting thinking that a micro stakes cash game with friends would be fun once things open up again.

Looking for both a tournament and cash game set on the classifieds on the daily.

Learned a lot just by browsing the forums so thanks to those who make good, educational posts
 
Welcome!
For me, only cash is true poker.
I 'd play tournaments only for recruitment and educational purposes, or as background to joking and drinking.
Tournament's only advantage is they can be played for very little money, or even for no money at all, with some other form of award for the winner:D
 
Coyote said:
Welcome!
For me, only cash is true poker.
I 'd play tournaments only for recruitment and educational purposes, or as background to joking and drinking.
Tournament's only advantage is they can be played for very little money, or even for no money at all, with some other form of award for the winner:D
Click to expand...
The more I think about it now, the more I'm starting to maybe think cash games are the way to go myself, but I don't know why....

Do beginners prefer cash or tournaments??
 
Welcome! Micro stakes are fun! We play micro with friends, as well as other cash games, and tournaments. I love tournaments, but I'm learning at the cash table each time I sit down and improving my game.
Micro is great way to get people hesitant to play cash to at least try, and it keeps the stakes super friendly
 
Cash. It will generally be a more consistent game for hours at a time (not having to worry about the strategy and pressures of blinds going up). You can survive for long periods of time with a short stack.
 
Cash only for me... These are the main reasons to keep it more friendly....

1) if a player busts out, they can buy back in and not sit there the rest of the night watching others play

2) players can come a little late or leave a little early if necessary (more flexible)

3) more than the top players can walk away with some cash; it’s not winner takes all or paying out only top X places
 
churlbut18 said:
Cash only for me... These are the main reasons to keep it more friendly....

1) if a player busts out, they can buy back in and not sit there the rest of the night watching others play

2) players can come a little late or leave a little early if necessary (more flexible)

3) more than the top players can walk away with some cash; it’s not winner takes all or paying out only top X places
Click to expand...
4. You can simply outbuy your poorer players. No need for developing a skill, just keep putting more money on the table than they can afford and you can clean up
 
Naww_Mann said:
The more I think about it now, the more I'm starting to maybe think cash games are the way to go myself, but I don't know why....

Do beginners prefer cash or tournaments??
Click to expand...

I'd say in general tourneys are more appealing for beginners. There's a fixed entry cost with a end goal of winning a prize. Also, it's what they've likely seen on TV and likely more familiar.

Use it as a gateway drug to get them into cash games after the tourney.
 
For me it's almost always cash. If it's a home game cash is sooooooo much better than tournament as in a tournament people get knocked out 15 minutes in and rather than wait for a cash game to breakout some will just wind up leaving. No one wants to go out to play poker for the evening and wind up going home 15 min in.

In a card room or Casino it's almost always cash for me too. With cash you can come and go as you please. I also feel that only want to spend my time playing a game that has the potential to make a decent amt of money. There is no way I'm wasting my time playing a $50, 25 player tournament where the winner only wins $400. To me, the bigger tournaments are the only ones worth playing and then you need to commit an entire weekend and usually that is not something I am willing to do

That's my reasoning Cash > Tournaments
 
For social games I like cash. And I play home poker games for fun. If I want to play for the money are the hard game play then I go to the casinos. It is easy for people to come whenever they would like and leave whenever they would like at a cash home game. It sucks busting out in after an hour in a tournament on your one poker night every couple weeks. It also sucks trying to ensure people arrive at the same time for tournaments. I also feel cash is more friendly to newcomers.
 
Nanook said:
For me it's almost always cash. If it's a home game cash is sooooooo much better than tournament as in a tournament people get knocked out 15 minutes in and rather than wait for a cash game to breakout some will just wind up leaving. No one wants to go out to play poker for the evening and wind up going home 15 min in.

In a card room or Casino it's almost always cash for me too. With cash you can come and go as you please. I also feel that only want to spend my time playing a game that has the potential to make a decent amt of money. There is no way I'm wasting my time playing a $50, 25 player tournament where the winner only wins $400. To me, the bigger tournaments are the only ones worth playing and then you need to commit an entire weekend and usually that is not something I am willing to do

That's my reasoning Cash > Tournaments
Click to expand...
Eloe2000 said:
For social games I like cash. And I play home poker games for fun. If I want to play for the money are the hard game play then I go to the casinos. It is easy for people to come whenever they would like and leave whenever they would like at a cash home game. It sucks busting out in after an hour in a tournament on your one poker night every couple weeks. It also sucks trying to ensure people arrive at the same time for tournaments. I also feel cash is more friendly to newcomers.
Click to expand...
Thanks for both of your inputs, I never even considered what would happen if someone busts early in the tournament, like what would you do afterwards while others are still playing... especially if your at someone else's house. So the cash games do seem to help keep things social and for longer.

I think lots of people here convinced me enough in cash games so I'll make that my first chip set priority.

Any recommendations on chip breakdowns for micro stakes 5c/10c at $10-$20 buy-in? I would guess 5c, 25c, $1, $5 denominations would be good enough? I just don't know how many of each denominations... I'm still browsing the forums and learning.

Is there a way to have a flexible chip set to also run 25c/50c when some people may want to play with more money e.g $50 or just get more chips in general?
 
LotsOfChips said:
Why not both? Start the evening with a tournament, and have a second table waiting for a cash game as players bust out.
Click to expand...
I guess if your lucky enough to even have 2 tables you could do that!?? Do you play on an actual poker table? Like those folding ones? I'd love to get those someday for the basement, I guess I'd need a basement first! Currently live in a condo so not much room to have dedicated poker table. The housing market is just so crazy these days.... Even for a townhouse... But someday hopefully, fingers crossed. Then I'd be hosting games all the time
 
Naww_Mann said:
Thanks for both of your inputs, I never even considered what would happen if someone busts early in the tournament, like what would you do afterwards while others are still playing... especially if your at someone else's house. So the cash games do seem to help keep things social and for longer.

I think lots of people here convinced me enough in cash games so I'll make that my first chip set priority.

Any recommendations on chip breakdowns for micro stakes 5c/10c at $10-$20 buy-in? I would guess 5c, 25c, $1, $5 denominations would be good enough? I just don't know how many of each denominations... I'm still browsing the forums and learning.

Is there a way to have a flexible chip set to also run 25c/50c when some people may want to play with more money e.g $50 or just get more chips in general?
Click to expand...

My game is typically .25/.25 or 1/1. It’s good to make a set flexible.

For .05/.10 to .25/.50 I would probably do something like...

.05x 100
.25x 200
1x 225
5x 50
25x 25
 
Naww_Mann said:
Thanks for both of your inputs, I never even considered what would happen if someone busts early in the tournament, like what would you do afterwards while others are still playing... especially if your at someone else's house. So the cash games do seem to help keep things social and for longer.

I think lots of people here convinced me enough in cash games so I'll make that my first chip set priority.
Click to expand...
Maybe check with those you hope to play with to see what their preference is. Most of the players in my circle only want to play tournaments, because of the fixed certainty of the buy in, and that is what they see on TV. A few only play tournaments grudgingly because there are no dedicated cash games. A smaller number will gladly play either. But your group may be different, and recruitment is a huge part of hosting, so you may want to cater to as many people as possible (or you may say "screw it, it's my game, my rules"). Bottom line, the advice here is free, and worth every penny, and it's up to you to figure out what is really best for you.

For the tournament (if that's the way you go), consider holding a "Rebuy" event, where people that bust can buy back in for the first hour or two. It can change the strategy and the flavor of the game, but it does allow for early busters to keep playing.

Naww_Mann said:
I guess if your lucky enough to even have 2 tables you could do that!?? Do you play on an actual poker table? Like those folding ones? I'd love to get those someday for the basement, I guess I'd need a basement first! Currently live in a condo so not much room to have dedicated poker table. The housing market is just so crazy these days.... Even for a townhouse... But someday hopefully, fingers crossed. Then I'd be hosting games all the time
Click to expand...

I'm lucky enough to have a Chanman custom cloth table (basic with folding legs), and the space to set it up, as well as a kitchen table with a PCF Table Topper, so two tables isn't a problem. If space is an issue for you, the table topper is a great option.

At one game I played in regularly (pre-Covid), there was only enough room for one table, so when a few players busted out (post-rebuy period), the remaining players would move to one end and the others would set up on the other end for a cash game. Not ideal, but it got the job done.
 
As a player? Tournaments, all the way. You need the skill of playing poker AND the skill of playing tournaments. You’d be surprised how many people lack at least one of those skills.
As a host? Cash. It’s just so much easier to host.
 
Nanook said:
and wind up going home 15 min in.
Click to expand...

Eloe2000 said:
busting out in after an hour in a tournament on your one poker night every couple weeks.
Click to expand...

Play better Poker. Learn some skills.

Nah, just throw some money at it. that’s the lazy way. P

These same people that bust out that fast are the ones that spend three buyins for a couple of nights - because they are horrible players and then say fuck this shark fest.
 
ekricket said:
Play better Poker. Learn some skills.
Click to expand...
Not sure if you are referring to me or the OTHER players busting out in 15 min.

I'm not the slightest bit worried about me busting......

It's the other players I'm thinking of. I have been hosting and going to home poker games now for for almost 40 yrs and I can assure you that there are ways of keeping the game more of a social thing so it keeps going and there are other ways of extracting the maximum amount of money from others. The two are not really compatible with one another and you need to decide which one you are after.
 
ekricket said:
4. You can simply outbuy your poorer players. No need for developing a skill, just keep putting more money on the table than they can afford and you can clean up
Click to expand...
Exactly this, we have only ever played tournament games, but now i have built a cash we will be doing that also. General chat between the group and once we can play i think we are going to agree to only allow two max stack rebuys. Our group has players of mixed backgrounds and incomes, i am quite fortunate but this should not be an excuse to "beat up on people" , i dont want a dick swinging contest in my home cant be bothered with the drama. If you want that action wait untill we go to the casino tables again. It will also limit people to falling down a hole they cannot afford
 
ThePrototype said:
Exactly this, we have only ever played tournament games, but now i have built a cash we will be doing that also. General chat between the group and once we can play i think we are going to agree to only allow two max stack rebuys. Our group has players of mixed backgrounds and incomes, i am quite fortunate but this should not be an excuse to "beat up on people" , i dont want a dick swinging contest in my home cant be bothered with the drama. If you want that action wait untill we go to the casino tables again. It will also limit people to falling down a hole they cannot afford
Click to expand...
HahahHaha

if you think people are not liking sitting around after they get busted out of a tourney, wait until you take two buyins from them and then felt them - then tell them they have no chance to get their money back, so just go home tonight.

Drama city enfolds
 
ekricket said:
HahahHaha

if you think people are not liking sitting around after they get busted out of a tourney, wait until you take two buyins from them and then felt them - then tell them they have no chance to get their money back, so just go home tonight.

Drama city enfolds
Click to expand...
Very true and i see your point i do, but a player whos buying in again at this point should really call it a night anyway. Obviously everyone has different rules but the only other way around that is if they dont agree with the rules we want to play by then dont play at all, considering we play more tournament games you will only moss 1 poker night now and again.

On the bored after being felted side of things in tournament play i bought a small heads up table that is square and can hold 4 easily so people can play whatever game they want with each other after. Cash or not thats their choice. I leave a case of crappy chips there to use
 

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