The variety in poker games is almost unmatched. You have different types of poker and different kinds of games for each of those types. Within each game, too, there is an endless list of changing factors, making poker exciting every time you play. Every game brings different cards, different players, and different positions. The best poker players must be adaptable and prepared to handle anything the game throws at them. Many beginner players practice their strategy for just a single game type, usually cash games.
While this is a good idea when starting to reduce the things you need to learn, you may want to try and branch out as you get better at poker. The different game types have their ups and downs and unique strategies. You may even find a game type you enjoy more than regular cash games. This poker guide will help you find the game type you like by explaining the different types and giving tips for each.
Cash games
The most popular format, cash games, are the first kind beginners are introduced to. Everyone plays at one table, with players able to leave, join, and convert their chips to cash whenever they want. Starting stack sizes are the exact amount of money people pay to enter, known as a buy-in. Cash games have both minimum and maximum limits on buy-in sizes. They also have fixed blinds, and losing means you have to pay the buy-in again to join. Finally, according to player count, there are two cash games: 6-max (six players) and full-ring (nine to ten players).
Tournaments
Tournaments are the other primary format and a staple of competitive poker. They are big, scheduled events, unlike cash games where you can casually come and go at any time. You have no idea how long you’ll be playing, so you must clear your schedule on the tournament day. In terms of payout, tournaments are much more complicated than cash games. To enter, you pay a set buy-in, and everyone receives the same amount of starting chips. Chips do not have a 1:1 ratio with cash, and the tournament has different payout levels. Most entrants are not paid, and each level increases your winnings and the forced bets. Finally, when only one player is left with all the chips, the tournament ends, and that player gets the largest portion of the prize pool. Tournaments are also separated into freezeouts, rebuys, and reentries. Freezeouts are the most common, and you’re completely out once you lose. Rebuys and reentries allow you to buy in again in a certain time window.
Sit-and-goโs
Sit-and-goโs are a particular form of poker tournament that start when a certain number of players join. They are similar to the final table of a regular tournament, except for the payout. Another reason for their appeal is that they can be held 24/7 and start as soon as enough players register. They also finish much faster than regular tournaments, requiring less schedule commitment.
Poker tips: Cash games
Poker tips: Tournaments
Poker tips: Sit-and-goโs
Where to play poker games
We hope this article helped you understand the different poker game types. The best place to find these games is on sites like GGPoker, the world’s largest poker room. Online poker offers all these game types from the convenience of your own home. You also access poker tracking software, an essential tool that analyzes your gameplay to help you improve.
