[slappy sam]

Ok, I'm not a very experienced poker player, so I have this question (actually two questions). When people talk about a cash game and a tournament game, what is the difference? Does a tournament game have buy-ins and 1-6th or so place get a prize? Whereas cash you can cash out with your chips at any time?

The second question is this. What is the difference between a cash set and a tournament set? Would a cash set be more realistic values ($.50, $1, $5, $25)? And a tournament set would be...? Would you want more/less denominations for a tournament set?

Any help would be appreciated, I think I've got the general idea but I want to know the reasoning behind it (and if I'm correct).

[JM]

A tournament would have a fixed buy-in amount and you play till one person has all the chips. You can have it pay as many places as you like, typically 3 places per 10 players. Cash games start with as much as you want, add to it or leave anytime.

You can always get set that has 5/25/100/500 chips and use them as $$ for tournaments and cents for cash games.

[slappy sam]

Thanks. Why not just get lower denominations for a cash game and use the lower denominations in a tournament game, since your just playing till one guy gets all the chips?

Also, your reply was ridiculously fast.

[JM]

Well you could but typically the lower denom chips aren't as fancy as the higher denom chips. And its more fun to raise someone $1000 than to raise them $10.

[hachkc]

You're basically right on the differences between a tournament and cash/ring game. Also, in most cash games that chips represent the actual value of the chips you purchased while in a tourney you may buyin for $20 but get $1000 in chips (commonly referenced as T1000).

This is why some folks have 1 set for cash games to represent .25/.50/$1/$5 and whatever other denominations you need and a different set representing their tourney denominations such as $5/$25/$100/$500 upto $25,000 or whatever.

Also, some folks don't want chips from their Tourney set "showing" up in their cash games. My cash set's highest denom is $5 while my tourney set's lowest denom is $25.

[MeridianFC]

You've pretty much got it.

A tournament has a buy in and a set number of places get paid.

A cash game (aka "ring game") you buy in for whatever the amount required (in casinos there's usually a minium, like 10X the big blind; sometimes, as in the case of low level No Limit, there's a maximum). Most home games work the same way. Whatever you have made (or lost) in the course of the evening is your (or your opponents).

As far as chips, a cash game set will be for whatever values you're playing at (.25/.50, $1/$2, etc.).

A tournament set can be any values as long as everyone starts off with the same amount. Tournament sets can typically require more colors of chips for coloring up and the like, though this doesn't necessarily have to be the case.

Some folks, of which I number myself, believe in having two separate sets of chips, one for each kind of game. The security reason is so that someone can't take a tournament chip and try to cash it in a ring game. The bigger reason is it's a very good excuse to get more chips.

The whole trick with any set of chips is getting the most (and best) you budget will allow, so that you have flexibility, but not so much that what you have is not managable. There is only so much table space.

[viet rounder]

Personally, i think its silly to use denominations that do not represent the actual value. Every chip in your hand should represent its actual value when in play. When u buy in for $50, you should recieve chips that add up to $50 worth, just like how u pay $10,000 in the WSOP and recieve $10,000 worth of chips. Using denominations that do not represent its actual value is like wearing a fake Versace shirt. No need to take yourself out of reality. Be proud of your stakes.

[slappy sam]

I agree with the above poster.

Thanks everyone, I got it now .

[JM]

True to a point. At the end of the WSOP, the winner does not get the 17 million in chips that are in front of him, he only gets a portion of them, so they really don't represent anything at that point.

Originally Posted by viet rounder

Personally, i think its silly to use denominations that do not represent the actual value. Every chip in your hand should represent its actual value when in play. When u buy in for $50, you should recieve chips that add up to $50 worth, just like how u pay $10,000 in the WSOP and recieve $10,000 worth of chips. Using denominations that do not represent its actual value is like wearing a fake Versace shirt. No need to take yourself out of reality. Be proud of your stakes.

[Strange]

Originally Posted by viet rounder

Personally, i think its silly to use denominations that do not represent the actual value. Every chip in your hand should represent its actual value when in play. When u buy in for $50, you should recieve chips that add up to $50 worth, just like how u pay $10,000 in the WSOP and recieve $10,000 worth of chips. Using denominations that do not represent its actual value is like wearing a fake Versace shirt. No need to take yourself out of reality. Be proud of your stakes.

I'd have to say that you are missing the point a bit here.

Having a tournament set that is based on T1000 starting stacks gives more flexibility and doesn't really have anything to do with realism. It allows you to use the same set for a game that has $100, $1000 or $1 buy ins without needing lots of different denominations and thousands of different chips.

If I want to have a $2.50 tourney, what do I give the players? 1 cent chips? What would the starting blinds be? And if I want to play a $25 dollar tourney the next day?

Much easier to use the same system of 1000 points, (or 100, or 10,000) no matter what the buy in.

>> Using denominations that do not represent its actual value is like wearing a fake Versace shirt.

No, it really, really isn't.