Just How To Transition From Tournament Poker To Cash Games - They Are Only Poker Chips

I played mostly Texas hold'em No Limit Tournaments in the Casino's and home games for a long time. I did not play that much in Cash Games. I was doing pretty much in the tournaments, usually making the last table, and sometimes in the money. I was very comfortable playing Tournaments, not so much when it came to cash games. I discovered I had the wrong mindset or attitude about Cash Games. Here's what happened to alter my mind-set, my attitude, and eventually improved my Cash Game play significantly.

I mostly played small buy in tournaments, about $30 to $60 buy-ins, at an area Casino. They certainly were held each day, and I played several per week. I was doing pretty well. On the days I acquired knocked out 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 eventually got to know a lot of them. I had not been doing very well in the Cash Games, and I did not know why. I'm not really a bad player, but I possibly could not figure out what was wrong with my Cash Game. The poker 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 did not 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 hand, sometimes just one card. Doyle Brunson made a comment onetime, 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 did not. When it came time for you to put the big chips in the pot without having to be sure of winning, I was concerned about the amount of money. It was almost subconscious. I did so not know I was "scared money".

One of the regulars I enjoyed was what I'd consider a very loose, aggressive, crazy gambling guy. His bankroll fluctuated in great amounts. Some days winning several hundred dollars, other days losing one thousand or more. But he said something 1 day that really stuck with me. When someone commented on his loose, aggressive gambling style he said "I don't give a hoot about the money. It indicates nothing at all in my experience. I figure if I lose it all I'll just go make some more. I really do not care". He was serious and he meant it. At first I thought, "Man, this is a pretty flippant attitude to have about hard earned cash".

On the way home, I seriously considered what he'd said. While I do n't need to play as loose and crazy as he does, maybe I need a little bit of his attitude about money. It suddenly became clear to me why I wasn't doing so well in Cash Poker. Maybe I AM "scared money", and if you've ever played much cash poker, you most likely know what After all. Scared money does not win poker chips. I decided right then and there, that if I'll play Cash Poker, I absolutely need to be prepared to risk up to several 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 began to "gamble" more in the bucks games. Instead of folding to a $150 bet, if I 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 let the "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. No more "scared money" play for me personally.

Over time this small change in attitude, my mindset, made all 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 poker terbaik 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 understand it at that time. Cash Poker takes a different mindset than Tournament Poker, and I finally figured out what it was for me. Basically bust my daily Poker bankroll, I'll just go earn even more.