Just How To Transition From Tournament Poker To Cash Games - They Are Only Poker Chips
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I played mostly Texas Holdem No Limit Tournaments in the Casino's and home games for years. I did not play that much in Cash Games. I was doing pretty well in the tournaments, frequently making the ultimate table, and sometimes in the money. I was very comfortable playing Tournaments, less when it came to cash games. I ran across I had the wrong mindset or attitude about Cash Games. Here's what happened to improve my mind-set, my attitude, and eventually improved my Cash Game play dramatically.
I mostly played small buy in tournaments, somewhere around $30 to $60 buy-ins, at a local Casino. They were held every day, and I played several per week. I was doing pretty well. On the days I obtained knocked from the tournament early and still felt like playing poker, I'd move to a cash dining table, $1/2 no limit with a maximum buy in of $300. There were mostly "regulars" playing, and I got to know a lot of them. I wasn't doing perfectly in the money Games, and I did not know why. I'm not really a bad player, but I really could not find out what was wrong with my Cash Game. The poker terpercaya chips just would not come my way. It seemed I kept getting bet out of the pot. I'd have what I thought was a very strong hand, not the absolute nuts, but a good hand, maybe the very best hand. I'd make my bet appropriately, say $35 to $50, and then someone would raise me to $150 or $200 and I'd fold.
I didn't really know it, but I was what you had call "scared money". I had trouble risking $150-$200 on a hand that was not the absolute nuts. This caused me to fold what was probably the most useful hand sometimes because of the fear of losing that much on just one single hand, sometimes just one card. Doyle Brunson made a comment one time, something to the effect that in order to be a professional at the poker tables, you have to have a "certain disregard" for the worth of money. I thought I had that. Well, I didn't. When it came time to put the big chips in the pot without being sure of winning, I was concerned about the cash. It was almost subconscious. Used to do not know I was "scared money".
One of the regulars I enjoyed was what I'd think about a very loose, aggressive, crazy gambling guy. His bankroll fluctuated like crazy. Some days winning several hundred dollars, other days losing a lot of or more. But he said something 1 day that really stuck with me. When some body commented on his loose, aggressive gambling style he said "I don't provide a hoot about the money. It indicates nothing at all if you ask me. I figure if I lose it all I'll just go make some more. I really don't care". He was serious and he meant it. At first I thought, "Man, this is a fairly flippant attitude to have about hard earned cash".
On the way home, I considered what he'd said. While I do not need to play as loose and crazy as he does, maybe I need some his attitude about money. It suddenly became clear to me why I was not doing so well in Cash Poker. Maybe I AM "scared money", and if you've ever played much cash poker, you probably know what After all. Scared money does not win poker chips. I decided right then and there, that if I'm going to play Cash Poker, I absolutely need to be prepared to risk up to many hundred dollars on a single hand or single card. If I'm not totally ready to do that at the poker table, I better adhere to tournaments.
By keeping this though in mind, I started initially to "gamble" more in the money games. Instead of folding to a $150 bet, basically really thought I might have the best hand, I'd raise another $150 or more. Not when I was completely unsure of where I stood, but on the days I felt right about my actions. I had not been going to allow "value of money" affect my play. I was going to play my best poker game, and risk whatever it took to play the best I could, regardless of the lack of money. Forget about "scared money" play for me.
Over time this small change in attitude, my mindset, made most of the difference. I soon found my opponents folding to my re-raises. I was winning bigger pots, my plays earned more respect, and it turned my entire cash game around. I had bigger losses some days too, but overall, it improved my cash game quite a bit. I had been playing as "scared money" and did not even know it during the time. Cash Poker takes a different mindset than Tournament Poker, and I finally determined what it absolutely was for me. Basically bust my daily Poker bankroll, I'll just go earn more.
