'Dear Geno,' a reader writes. 'I have a question that demands an answer from your worthy mind. I have a low-paying job which means I don't have much extra money to spend on poker, which happens to be my favorite past time. My question is this: if I have $100 to spend maximum, should I buy into a $1-3 no limit cash game or should I invest the money in a tournament? David W., Phoenix, AZ.'
Good to hear from you, David. If you have played at Wild Horse Pass or Talking Stick Casino, we have probably rubbed elbows at a poker table.
My answer to David's question is basic and elementary. By all means, buy into the tournament and forget the cash game.
It doesn't matter how good a poker player you are...
...going into a cash game with only $100 in chips is comparable to donating all your money to the other players without hope of winning.
It only takes one or two plays in no-limit to depleting a $100 buy-in. I know because I have tried it many times and it rarely works.
To make the $100 work in a cash game requires early good cards that hold up. If you can weather that storm for two or three hands, you have a chance of winning.
No, I would much rather take that $100 or most of it and buy into a tournament where I can play on $10,000 to $20,000 in chips. With the extra chips, you can afford to be wrong a time or two. You can plan your strategy and if one move doesn't work, try another one.
Remember...
...in a poker tournament, your objective isn't just to make the final table -- it's to win the tournament. Play poker for blood and achieve that goal.
It takes practice to win a poker tournament. You can practice in the privacy of your home or apartment and learn what hands stand up under pressure, or you can take the more expensive route by practicing in casino poker rooms. It's your choice and be my guest.
If you really want to be taken seriously as a poker table, you need to take a stand and know when you want to commit your chips to the table. It takes experience to get to this point, but you will recognize this when it happens and it will profit your game enormously.
It takes only one good performance in a tournament to get your game running right. Let it happen to you. Play hard, play aggressively tight and win a tournament. See what that does to your confidence level.
Many beginning tournament players...
...have a problem with the Bubble. Yes, it is tough making that final table. But when you think beyond just making that table and winning the tournament, you will take a giant leap toward becoming a winning tournament contender.
I hope David will stay in touch with this website and let our members know how he does. We are always interested in your progress. Around here, we like to produce winners.
Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.
(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).
