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 well in the tournaments, usually making the final table, and sometimes in the money. I was very comfortable playing Tournaments, not really much when it came to cash games. I came across I had the wrong mindset or attitude about Cash Games. Here's what happened to change my mind-set, my attitude, and eventually improved my Cash Game play considerably.

I mostly played small buy in tournaments, about $30 to $60 buy-ins, at a nearby Casino. We were holding held each and every day, and I played several per week. I was doing pretty well. On the days I got 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 eventually got to know a lot of them. I wasn't doing very well in the money Games, and I did not know why. I'm not a bad player, but I could not determine 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 best hand. I'd make my bet accordingly, say $35 to $50, and then some body 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 single 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 being sure of winning, I was concerned about the money. It was nearly subconscious. I did so not know I was "scared money".

One of the regulars I enjoyed was what I'd look at a very loose, aggressive, crazy gambling guy. His bankroll fluctuated constantly. 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 one 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 more. I really do not 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 seriously considered what he'd said. While I do not need to play as loose and crazy as he does, maybe I need a small amount of 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 almost certainly 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 have to be prepared to risk up a number of 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 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 changing times 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 possibly could, regardless of the lack of money. You can forget "scared money" play for me personally.

Over time this small change in attitude, my mindset, 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 situs judi did not even know it during the time. Cash Poker takes a different mindset than Tournament Poker, and I finally figured out what it had been for me. Basically bust my daily Poker bankroll, I'll just go earn some more.