Ring vs. Tournament strategy

[najdoyza]

So, I play tournaments but my friends tell me that you can make a lot more playing ring games. But the strategies seem very different. Can anyone give me a good rundown on what some of the differences are? And maybe even why it's so different....

[PokerPrincess]

Well, one of the main difference is that you get to "know" the playing style of the players at the table. They are not the "allin" because it's a tourney type.

Especially if you play large tourneys, there are players that will go allin with next to nothing in the "hopes" that they can double up.

Ring game players are there to make money and for the most part play proper poker. Also at a ring game you will get a couple of "fish" sit at your table and you can take full advantage of them once you pick them out.

Also in a ring game you take what you can afford to the table limit you can afford and you can walk away when you make your money. You don't have to play for 2 hours to "hit" the money. You choose how much to win or lose and you walk away at the end of that time.

[pokergal]

Thanks for this post. I wasn't very familiar with how ring games work. I have played in one tournment, mostly with other newbies like myself.

[The Professor]

You may find this page Tournaments of the Winning Poker Strategy Guide relevant to this topic.

There is alot of fundamental strategy changes between Tournaments and Ring Games.

Ring Games you can pretty much stick to a certain strategy - yes you have to mix it up a bit and react to the type of play going on from the other players at the table, but on the whole you can play a pretty consistent strategy.

Tournaments you have to play a much more evolving strategy. You don't have the luxury of static blinds which allow you to stick and wait for premium hands all the time, and neither do your opponents.

So with tournaments you have to have "gear changes" and the key is to have an overall tournament strategy that allows you to make those gear changes at the right time.

Cash/Ring games are more of a grind - where you can earn alot of money but you will grind it out in most cases winning small pot after small pot.

Tournaments you have to put alot more hours in before you get paid off - but the payoff will be alot higher.

[RiverQueen]

That's a very good explanation Professor. One of my main problems is "knowing" when to switch gears. I have won a few tournaments but I'm not sure if it was me or if it was the luck of the cards.

I would like to think it was me but since I'm still a bit of a newbie, I'm not sure.