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 years. I did not play that much in Cash Games. I was doing pretty well in the tournaments, often making the last table, and sometimes in the money. I was very comfortable playing Tournaments, not really much when it came to cash games. I ran across I had the wrong mindset or attitude about Cash Games. Here's what happened to alter my mindset, my attitude, and eventually improved my Cash Game play significantly.

I mostly played small buy in tournaments, about $30 to $60 buy-ins, at a nearby Casino. These were held every day, and I played several per week. I was doing pretty well. On the days I obtained knocked out of 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 many of them. I was not doing very well in the bucks 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 accordingly, say $35 to $50, and then some one 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 the thing that was probably the best hand sometimes because of the fear of losing that much on just one hand, sometimes just one card. Doyle Brunson made a comment one time, something to the effect that in order to be a specialist at the poker tables, you have to have a "certain disregard" for the worthiness of money. I thought I had that. Well, I didn't. When it came time for you 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 used was what I'd consider a very loose, aggressive, crazy gambling guy. His bankroll fluctuated constantly. Some days winning several hundred dollars, other days losing a thousand or more. But he said something one day that really stuck with me. When someone commented on his loose, aggressive gambling style he said "I don't offer a hoot about the money. It means nothing at all in my experience. I figure if I lose it all I'll just go make even more. I really don't care". He was serious and he meant it. At first I thought, "Man, this is quite a flippant attitude to have about hard earned cash".

On the way home, I thought about 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 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 I am talking about. Scared money does not win poker 99 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 a number of hundred dollars on a single hand or single card. If I'm not totally willing to do that at the poker table, I better stay glued to tournaments.

By keeping this though in mind, I began to "gamble" more in the money games. Rather than folding to a $150 bet, easily 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 times I felt right about my actions. I wasn't going to let the "value of money" affect my play. I would play my best poker game, and risk whatever it took to play the best I could, regardless of the loss of money. No more "scared money" play for me personally.

Over time this small change in attitude, my mind-set, made all 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 understand it at that time. Cash Poker takes a different mindset than Tournament Poker, and I finally determined what it had been for me. Easily bust my daily Poker bankroll, I'll just go earn more.