PokerWorks

If you've got small kids, especially babies, and you want to play poker, you're going to have to play cash games. You can play SnGs or tournaments, but only if your kids don't wake up, ever, once you put them to bed (and if that's the case, I hate you). Or you don't have babies that need to be fed every few hours (and if that's the case, you're raising a poker bot, not a child). I suppose you can leave the parenting duties to your spouse or partner, but good luck, after a couple months of that, of avoiding all the things that are thrown at you. And, given that computers are fragile, something's bound to hit it and break
it.

Cash games are flexible because you can leave them at any moment to care for a crying baby (or spouse).  Let's say you've never played in a cash game online, and in fact, the closest you'vencome to a cash game is watching "High Stakes Poker." Well, no wonder you're nervous.Here are a few tips to get you started into the world of online cash games.

• It's even more crucial to avoid tilt, given that you can lose a lot more. I've heard of online players blowing all their bankroll in one tilt fest by playing cash games. If you're having a bad night, turn off the computer, and if you must play, don't step up a level or two to "make up the losses." I wrote a lot about ways to avoid tilt in a previous article.

• I've always believed it's better to play tighter in a cash game than a tournament. Some will strongly disagree with this. Those people say "you can always rebuy" in a cash game. True, but that's the kind of attitude that justifies loose calls and, therefore, losing a good portion of your bankroll. Don't fall for it. Play strong
starting hands at first, and when you get more comfortable with the cash on the table, you can start to gamble a bit.

• Start small - I'd suggest starting at the .10/.25 tables just for starters. You may want to play limit at first, but if you've played no limit, then stay at no limit. Just stick to those blinds or lower at first until you're comfortable losing that much.

• An all-in push means a lot more - In a cash game, there's no reason to go all-in, unless you've got A-A and some guy re-raises you. You're not trying to steal the blinds. So if a guy moves all-in on you, especially pre-flop, take it seriously. I have folded Q-Q in that spot many times. I should fold K-K even more than I have. And, yes, I have folded K-K.

• Post flop play is more important - Again, there's no real reason to steal the blinds, so you'll probably see a lot more flops. You should, in fact, see a lot more flops in a cash game because many times, if it's cheap to see them, you're getting pot odds to do so.

• It's OK to limp more in a cash game - You'll probably get more opportunities to see cheap flops unless your table raises a lot. That's rare in a lower-limit cash game. I wouldn't limp with A-K or big pairs, but you can probably try to limp with sooted connectors and small pairs to control the pot size and try to hit a big flop.

• Implied odds are important - That's how much money you think you could take from your opponent if you made your hand. It raises the value of hands such as small sooted connectors and small pairs. It's correct to call with these types of hands even if you know your opponent has A-A because you will probably bust her if you hit your hand.

This also means if your opponent has a small stack, which is more common in cash games, you may not be getting the proper odds to call a raise with a small pair because your implied odds are small. You can only win what's in your opponent's stack, so if you don't think another player will call that raise, I'd fold.

• Fancy moves like squeeze plays, etc., are unecessary in a low-limit cash game online. Straightforward poker usually works well. That doesn't pertain to the higher levels of cash games, say $2/4 NL or above, but if you play these levels, why are you reading this article?

• Cash games can be a grind, so take more breaks. I also recently wrote an article on knowing when to take a break.

• Bonuses are important. Ultimate Bet frequently offers reload bonuses, and on some Web sites your credit card is still good despite the new laws. Take advantage of any bonuses you can get because now that you're a cash game player, it's much easier
to clear them.