In poker, what distinguishes a cash game from a tournament?

[ProGambler]

In a cash game of poker, every participant buys in for a particular sum of money and uses that money to play until they decide to leave the game. In a cash game, the chips are equivalent to actual money, and players are free to come and go as they like, buying in whenever they like, or to take their remaining chips with them when they leave. The game is played with the same blinds and antes (if any).

A tournament, in contrast, is a kind of game where everyone buys in for the same sum and is given a predetermined number of tournament chips. In a tournament, the chips do not represent actual money, and losers are removed from contention.

 

[CR7]

The goal of a poker tournament is for players to win as many chips as they can, with the objective of becoming the last player standing or reaching a predetermined payout structure. As players are eliminated, the remaining players are moved to different tables to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to win.

As the tournament progresses, the blinds and antes increase at predetermined intervals, making it more difficult for players with smaller stacks to stay in the game. The tournament ends when one player has all the chips, or when the remaining players agree to divide the prize pool based on chip count.

Overall, cash games give players more flexibility in terms of how much they buy in for and when they want to leave the game, while tournaments have a set beginning and end time and require players to win as many chips as possible to stay in the game.

 

[Dallax]

Tournaments are scheduled events with fixed starting times and structured blind levels. In tournaments, you aim to outlast opponents and win a prize from the tournament's prize pool, while in cash games, the goal is to win or lose money directly with each hand.

 

[adams]

Cash games in poker involve real money, allowing players to buy in, play, and leave at any time. The chips represent actual currency. In contrast, tournaments have a fixed buy-in, specific start and end times, and escalating blind levels. Players aim to accumulate chips to win a share or the entire prize pool.