What are Cash Games in Poker?

If you’re just starting out with online poker, you might find the jargon a little confusing. And you’re not alone, because there are formats, game types and lots of other terminology that sounds cool, but where the meaning may not always be obvious.

One Online Poker term you might hear people refer to is a ‘cash game’. Which might leave you asking, all poker games are about cash, right? Well, yes, but there’s a big difference when people mention cash games, and games played for cash. And, in this short article, you’ll discover where the difference lies.

Defining ‘Cash Games’

Cash Games, sometimes known as Ring Games, are the real heartbeat of online poker. They’re the games you’ll stumble into as a novice, and the games you’ll jump into for a quick half hour to test your mettle.

There are two main types of online poker: Tournament Games, and Cash Games.

Tournament Games are just that – they follow a tournament format, with a permanent knock out (maybe with one or two extra options to buy back in), tournament chips and a payout based on your final position. The number of chips you play with doesn’t always match the amount you could win.

Cash Games, on the other hand, work differently. You can come and go as you please, play for as long as you want, and cash out your chips at any time. What’s more, you can buy back in as many times as you like, and the money you bet with is your money.

You can buy into a Cash Game for between 20 and 100 Big Blinds. This means if you play on a £0.03/£0.06 table you can bring in a minimum of £1.20 and up to £6.

The other thing to remember about cash games is that the blinds (the forced bets you make at the start of each individual game) never change. In tournaments, they usually go up in a specific timeframe, for example, every 15 minutes, to keep games flowing and ensure a snappier conclusion (nobody wants to join a tournament that takes forever to finish).

This means you can focus your skills on the betting rounds within each game, rather than plotting your long game like you would in a tournament.

There is no set start or finish time for a Cash Game; a game will start when two or more players sit at the table and will continue until the last players leave. There is a maximum number of players that can play at any one time.

In online poker, you can join a live game at any time of the day. Table information is available in the lobby area. Once a game has started, players can leave the table at any time and new players may join (if there is a seat available), at any time.

What are the differences between Cash Games and poker Tournament Games?

• Blinds stay the same – no blind increases unlike in a tournament
• Join when you like – if you miss the start of a tournament, you’ll have to wait until next time
• Leave when you like – walk away from the table with any winnings, or take a break if you’ve lost a few hands
• Game anytime – there’s always a table free in online poker

Types of cash game – and which table to choose

There’s usually a huge choice of Cash Games to choose from. Once you’ve picked a format, there are even more options, from heads-up to ten-handed, from small limits to $1,000+ blinds, and even things like satellite games and sit-and-go tournaments. There are also pot limit, fixed limit and no-limit games and, of course, you can play any for cash, meaning you’ll need to have your budget in mind when you choose.

With William Hill Vegas, you can jump straight into poker Cash Games, but there are a couple of things to consider.

Firstly, you need to decide whether to play full or short-handed. This refers to the number of players around the table. You’ll play around 60 hands per hour against up to nine other players.

If you want to focus on the game, then heads-up cash games are a good option. You’ll play one-on-one with another player (sometimes virtual). This is good if you just want to play a couple of rounds when you have a little bit of spare time.

Joining a Table

You can browse our Cash Games at William Hill Vegas or via the lobby. Then select your limit type: Fixed Limit, No Limit or Pot Limit. And then the name of the game you are interested in. Once you’re done, you’ll receive more information about the game to help you make your choice.

Once you’re ready to play, double-click or press the Play/Watch button underneath the table information panel to open up the table. Then click on ‘Seat Open’ and you’re ready to get started.

Remember, you can leave a table at any point without penalty and cash out your chips for the full amount.

Cash Games with William Hill

If Cash Games sound more exciting than Tournament Games, then the good news is we’ve got plenty going on at William Hill.

Once you’ve signed up and deposited, you can dive straight into poker games like Texas Hold ‘em, Omaha poker, Caribbean Stud and Seven Card Stud.

For more about how to play and possible strategies, check out our guide to playing Poker