While tournaments get the lions share of attention when it comes to talking about online poker, the cash game (or “ring game”) is the core of the game and there’s a reason that even the biggest pros pause when it comes to sitting down at a ring game with people they don’t know. Cash poker game strategy is different and requires a different mode of thought for players, as shorter-term rewards are of a greater concern. In this article, we’ll discuss two common ways to control the game in no limit cash games.
One thing that can be used in cash poker games is the size of pots you play in comparison to the stack sizes you are facing at your table. Once you’ve established that you have a robust stack, you have the luxury of making bets that can put the short stacks to difficult decisions. But when matched up against a similar deep stack, decisions in the hand based on pot sizing can drastically affect the outcome of the hand. Knowing how much you have to put in to get out with others’ money is always an important aspect of poker, but in a cash game, the effect can snowball massively.
In a cash game, the best poker players are able to play hands that would be folded in a tournament because they’re interested in the chips at the table right now, not the final table. If a less skilled cash-game player raises pre-flop, and a better player would knows that his opponent is holding two aces, he could still call with a hand like 7 8 suited. The better player knows that the guy with the aces probably will over-play that hand. If the better player makes a straight, flush, or even two pair or trips he probably wins a huge pot. Therefore, he can make the call even when he knows he is walking up a hill that many people would balk at.
These two methods of getting ahead can help you at cash games of all stakes and sizes, and remember: if you’re in a cash game and you get over your head, you can always walk away! Knowing when to fold ‘em is a core part of every good poker player’s strategy.