How a cash game works
In a cash game, each chip has a fixed value for that table. Blinds usually stay the same while you play, and each hand is a separate contest for the pot. Depending on the table rules, players can generally join or leave between hands.
A cash-game stack is measured against the table’s stated stakes. The chips do not determine a finishing place in a tournament.
How a poker tournament works
A tournament entry gives a player a starting stack of tournament chips. Those chips track progress in the event and do not each represent a fixed cash value. Blinds and antes usually rise at scheduled levels, putting pressure on every stack.
A player is eliminated after losing all tournament chips unless re-entry is allowed. The event continues until its finish under the tournament rules, with places or prizes determined by its payout structure.
Cash games and tournaments compared
- Chip value: fixed at the table in a cash game; a measure of your tournament stack in an event.
- Blinds: generally stable in a cash game; usually increase by levels in a tournament.
- Length: cash players can often leave between hands; a tournament has a scheduled structure and may take a set or variable amount of time.
- Elimination: losing a cash-game stack ends your session at that table; losing a tournament stack usually eliminates you unless re-entry is available.
Which format fits your plans?
A cash game suits a session where you want to choose when to sit down and leave, subject to the table rules. A tournament follows a fixed event structure, so check its starting time, blind schedule, re-entry rules and expected duration before joining.
Both formats use the same hand rankings, but stack size and blind levels affect how the game unfolds. Read our guide to how poker tournaments work for more about levels, eliminations and finishing places.