Learn Texas Holdem

When poker began, there were no tournaments. The idea of a poker tournament was effectively unheard of well into the 20th century. When the World Series of Poker came into existence in the 70s, tournaments were still the province of only a select few professionals.

Today, tournaments are ubiquitous and it's easy to forget that for most of poker history they did not exist. However, the popularity of tournaments did nothing to signal the death knell of cash games. There are more no limit hold'em cash games today than ever. Here are a few things to keep in mind when playing in one.

Blinds

Unlike in tournaments, the blinds remain consistent throughout your cash game play. This means you can afford to be much more patient with your starting hand requirements.

You should endeavor to always have at least 100 big blinds in your stack, if possible. However due to the prevalence of capped games and bankroll limitations, this may not always be an option.

Rebuying

In a cash game, you can rebuy or leave the table whenever you want. This means that you must have some bankroll management skills. You must know when to quit and when to keep playing.

You should try to play for as long as you have an edge in skill over your opponents and you are playing well. However, if you have lost more than you were prepared to for the session, you may have to quit. Quitting or playing based on wanting to "get even" or "press a lucky streak" is not good poker.

Pot Odds in Cash Game Play

Anytime you play poker, you should be thinking about pot odds. If you have a better chance of winning than the pot the odds are laying you, it's time to put in your chips.

In a tournament, each decision may represent your survival. As a result, you need much bigger edges. In a cash game that allows you to rebuy, any edge is good enough to put your stack in.

If you feel you have a large skill advantage over your opponents, you may prefer to commit your stack at a time when there is less risk. However, the reality is that as long as your bankroll can manage multiple rebuys, you should be pressing any edge.