Cash games (also called ring games) are poker games where chips have real monetary value. You can join or leave at any time, and your winnings are immediately cashable.
Cash Games = Real money chips, play anytime, leave anytime
| Feature |
Description |
| Blinds |
Fixed, never change |
| Stack size |
Buy-in for any amount (within limits) |
| Entry/Exit |
Join or leave anytime |
| Chips |
Equal to real money |
| Goal |
Win chips (money) |
| Aspect |
Cash Game |
Tournament |
| Blinds |
Stay the same |
Increase over time |
| Buy-in |
Flexible, rebuy anytime |
Fixed, one entry |
| Chips |
= Real money |
Only have tournament value |
| Duration |
Play as long as you want |
Until you bust or win |
| Risk |
Only what's on the table |
Entire buy-in |
| Term |
Big Blinds |
Strategic Impact |
| Short stack |
20-40 BB |
Limited postflop play |
| Mid stack |
40-80 BB |
Some postflop flexibility |
| Deep stack |
100-200+ BB |
Full strategic depth |
Standard buy-in: 100 big blinds
| Stakes |
Blinds |
Max Buy-in (100 BB) |
| Micro |
$0.01/$0.02 |
$2 |
| Low |
$0.25/$0.50 |
$50 |
| Mid |
$1/$2 |
$200 |
| High |
$5/$10 |
$1,000 |
| Principle |
Why |
| Play tight |
No pressure to play marginal hands |
| Value bet |
Every chip is real money |
| Avoid coin flips |
No need to gamble |
| Game select |
Choose profitable tables |
| Good Time to Leave |
Why |
| Up significantly |
Lock in profit |
| Feeling tired/tilted |
Avoid mistakes |
| Game got tougher |
Better tables elsewhere |
| Set time limit reached |
Discipline |
Cash games offer maximum flexibility—join anytime, leave anytime, chips equal real money. Focus on making good decisions every hand without the pressure of increasing blinds or elimination.