Cash games or Tournaments

[mutation321 0]

Just wondering what u prefer and why?

[jayboogie 0]

cash games, I'm sticking to mostly cash games. Yes, it gets boring at times, but they're the most profitable and if you want to learn how to play, you should try to master them first. Tournaments are fun, but you learn more from cash games and it'll also be more profitable as well.

[HarryDemetriou 0]

Just wondering what u prefer and why?

Personally I much prefer tournaments these days as there is absolutely nothing to compare with the turn of a card for the potential of winning a $1 million + prize which is something I'm never going to experience in a cash game.For those interested I wrote an article last September and have enclosed a link to it below for those interested (hope this doesn't break any forum rules).http://www.pokerineurope.com/pokerarticles...p?articleid=570

[mutation321 0]

Very nice article. :-)

[Suited_Up 2]

Although I see where Harry is coming from there... I think at the level I play at, and most of us I would assume... If you actually want to make some money... it's in the cash games. I love tournaments because of the competition involved, because I'm just a very competitive guy... But I hate that one moment you could be killing, and the next you bust out on some bad call by someone. Maybe this all stems from the fact I am broke... but I can't put the investment into tourney's until I get to the point where I know I can win them on a regular basis. (Aside from occasional SnG's). The cash games get a little boring, but it's more steady and for the most part... more $/hr.

[HarryDemetriou 0]

Actaully I think that tournaments are simply a more volatile version of another form of gambling (although Daniels performances this year suggest that there's absolutely no volatility to it whatsoever - really do not know how is has done what he has this year).With any form of gambling you need the contrasting highs and lows represented by the wins and losses as each makes the other a more intense experience.Without the losses the wins don't seem so sweet and vice versa.In fact some scientific research carried out suggests that the losses are more significant than the wins and serotonin levels in the brain act on receptors causing the compulsive or addictive nature of the betting.In other words the bigger the swings of fortunes (and they are greater in tournaments than in cash games) the greater the thrill.It's the flirting with danger and the prospect of being dispatched to the rail regardless of whether or not you are in front when the money goes in that makes the tournaments and the game of poker and in particular no limit so appealing.

[StackOSociety 0]

So very true. Nothing beats taking down a huge tournament and getting a lucrative payout. It's awesome, but sometimes, I just feel that in addition to playing well, you just so happened to get the cards at the right time at the right blinds. (I know, that's poker)I've played well in the early rounds only to go card dead when it really matters and it is SO frustrating. Put in a couple of hours work and put yourself in contention for the big bucks only to make a bad decision, or take a beat and cripple your stack to nothingness while you watch the chip leader fritter away chips but hit a few hands, because he has the ability to play so many, and squeeze into the top five. A beat late in the tournament can be truly harrowing, I have never been so shell shocked as practically leading in chips with the money close, then bam your out of the tournament in a few hands. These were very low buy in tourney's, and mostly online, I could not imagine what you felt after playing excellent poker for about a week's (!) time and then lose it all after making the correct play and having your luck run it's course. Then to be bad mouthed and having the composure to call it like it is, well that's some serious inner strength there. Heck, you even got Arieh to apologize right afterwords! However, that's the kind of composure you need to survive in big NL tournaments and do well time and time again. The flip side is, as you said, you can win and it's just the opposite feeling, great sudden exaltation and realization that one hand put you farther ahead in monetary terms than countless played at the xx/xx cash games that you put in countless hours building up the ol 'roll. I truly believe that is what we all witnessed with Josh Arieh's behavior at this year's WSOP near the end of the tournament. Here he was playing in the biggest tournament of all time ($$,prestige), when poker as a whole is truly exploding exponentially, getting late in the tourney, all eyes on you, poker legends WATCHING YOU, wishing they were in YOUR chair with YOUR chips. Lights, Camera, Action, seven days of great poker under your belt, yeah I'm running a lil lucky but I'm playing the best poker of my life and what do you expect with twenty six hundred in the field?? I'm no chump man, I've EARNED the right to be here and damnit, I'm gonna show you! There's all but twenty left, I'm in the top one percent baby, if this was last year I would of already closed this bad boy out and been sipping Crystal partying with the boys and rolling in dough, flinging stacks of cash like it's so much paper, giving that champions speech to ol gal Hiatt like it ain't no thing! There's twenty left, #$@$, you know how many times I've cruised through a twenty person field coming out smelling like roses?!?! It's all but in the bag, I've outlasted thousands, whats a few more?!!? Damnit, where's my cards man, I'm gonna need something for my final kick, what's this, nine ten of hearts, deadly man, deadly with the right flop, I just need the that killer flop to boost me through and take me home, HA HA, two hearts on this flop, this is my hand and you ain't taking this one from me old timer. I'm pushing it all in on the come, don't yousee there's broadway on the board and I'VE got IT, I've had it countless times and I KNOW you don't got it, so just fold right here and now, for your own sake man don't you know I'm making it easy on you, you wanna bust out now, so close?? Just fold and prey on some other chump, this is MY HAND and your not taking it away from me, just fold like so many other times and wait your turn, it is MY time! You Call, what?! Sure, you got top pair with great kicker, but your such a dog to the hand I was representin', how the 'ell you make that call and still be here, playing poker like that? Don't you know what I have, ah well, my hand's still got power, it's got NUT beating power, it just needs a little help, your in big trouble now, it's out of my hands but I've got my back covered, just in case you DID have it, which you didn't and I KNEW IT and you still called, argh what the hell was going through your mind man making a call like that, don't you know who I am and how I play? Well here it is, crunch time, you have the best of me now but it ain't over till it's over, just you wait, flip flip, THERE IT IS AHAHHAHA I was telling you to fold, I was practically pushing your cards for you into the muck, making your decision for you, warning you of danger, and now you've reaped the whirlwind of disobeying my commands. Gimme your chips, punk, oh you can't imagine what I can do with these precious pieces of clay, that what once was yours I shall now use against you, throw them out so close to you, tempting you to regain there possesion. Ah, the sweet irony! They are MINE now and I don't throw MINE away like you just did. Ha, it's personal now, IT'S ON my friend, that's what you get for calling with a hand like that... How the hell did you make that call anyway? What, I just got lucky? Haha, you think I got here by just being lucky?! Haha, woo, ah, "I'm sorry". But not as sorry as your gonna be making a call like that against me, I say again my friend, if only to myself, that it is on, and now that I've got the ammunition I'm gonna come out firing, you best duck and hide now, it is all but over, just twenty some more to go, I can practically taste it, twenty to go, you know how many times I've whipped twenty...Yeah, it's something like that... Something we've all experienced but few have experienced it at that level. Truly intoxicating stuff this high stakes poker is, as one Southern Accented man who would be announcing Female Mud Wrestling later in the week while sitting next to me at the lowly Excalibur playing even lowlier 1-3 limit said, "Texas Hold'em is my drug of choice. Get er done!" (No, I ain't lying )Merry Christmas, Best wishes and Back to the Grind,StackOSociety

[Metaphysician 0]

I prefer tournaments, but only when playing LIVE games. I prefer cash on the net. Unfortunately, in both cases, tournaments are more fun.Don't ask me why I prefer cash games on the net

[PhilHellmuth 0]

yeah i like mustard. :realplayer:

[greatwhite 0]

I like tournaments better, but maybe that's because I play too much cash games.

[turd ferguson 1]

yeah i like mustard. :realplayer:

Mustard is for quitters.

[HurricaneKyle 0]

Everybody's different, but I like cash games. It's easier to beat bad players in a cash game than it is in a tournament.

[rivers21 0]

Harry do you still think Josh Arieh is a douche bag for how he acted towards you in the 2004 WSOP?

[loogie 115]

Harry hasn't been in this thread since December.

[rivers21 0]

Harry hasn't been in this thread since December.

lol didnt notice that. Still wanna know though.

[custom36 4]

Way to dig up an old thread and ask an old question. You must have been really cool in school.

[rivers21 0]

Way to dig up an old thread and ask an old question. You must have been really cool in school.

Hey douche bag I didnt dig it up. Make sure you know what the F*&K you are talking about before you flame :!:

[PAYforUSC 0]

cash money.....two words BLING BLING :wink:

[HarryDemetriou 0]

Harry do you still think Josh Arieh is a douche bag for how he acted towards you in the 2004 WSOP?

I never thought he was a douche bag in the first place although he obviously wasn't my most favourite person at the time.He behaved inappropriately and was shown up as such on TV/ESPN and as far as I'm concerned that's the end of the matter.For the record and as I have said a zillion times before my personal interpretation of the events was that he was really annoyed and angry with himself at being caught in such a position and vented his frustration and anger towards me - he was simply letting off steam.Nothing at all to do with the merits or non merits of his or my actual play but pure frustration.The whole thing was blown out of all proportions anyway and the responses of some wishing ill health etc etc on his family were totally uncalled for.

[rivers21 0]

Harry do you still think Josh Arieh is a douche bag for how he acted towards you in the 2004 WSOP?

I never thought he was a douche bag in the first place although he obviously wasn't my most favourite person at the time.He behaved inappropriately and was shown up as such on TV/ESPN and as far as I'm concerned that's the end of the matter.For the record and as I have said a zillion times before my personal interpretation of the events was that he was really annoyed and angry with himself at being caught in such a position and vented his frustration and anger towards me - he was simply letting off steam.Nothing at all to do with the merits or non merits of his or my actual play but pure frustration.The whole thing was blown out of all proportions anyway and the responses of some wishing ill health etc etc on his family were totally uncalled for.

Did he ever talk to you and apologize afterwards? I saw Raymer on TV saying he later apologized to him. Thanks for the response

[arerad 0]

yeah i like mustard. :realplayer:

mustard is great on BBQ beef sandwiches

[Hand_Cracker 0]

i see it like this.if you have bills to pay and mouths to feed, and you are not a greatly experienced player. it is in your best interest to play cash games where the wins are more constant and dependable.if you have some extra cash to throw around(no matter the amount) and you like your poker games to be more exciting, tournaments are for you.if your looking for something in between, maybe you can play alittle bit of both, or single table tournaments.i like to play what keeps me most focused and is more fun for me overall, this happens to be tournaments.im done.

[Hand_Cracker 0]

Way to dig up an old thread and ask an old question. You must have been really cool in school.

its bound to happen at least once every 2 months.

[PhilHellmuth 0]

Harry hasn't been in this thread since December.

LMFAO!!!!!!!when i dug up an 11 month old thread with a well worn topic, i knew itd be funny, first someone asks the 11 month old demetriou post a question, someone else points it out, then harry actually freakin answers the fcking question after not posting for a year. doesnt it make you wonder if there are more famous pros lurking? someone should ask doyle brunson a question and see if he answers.EDIT: i just realized harry probably just got a prompt email that someone responded to the topic and probably hasnt been lurking. oh well. still funny... at least to me.

[richard_dionysus 0]