Cash games

Cash games, also known as ring games, are games played without a predetermined buy-in, although there's usually a minimum buy-in amount required. Buy-ins are calculated in real amounts, so players can only buy chips proportionally to the money they have on their account.

Differences with tournaments

• In tournaments, chips are not convertible for real money, as tournament players usually receive a fixed amount of chips, regardless of the buy-in.
• You can join and leave a cash game as you please. If a player loses all their chips, they don't have to leave but they can simply add more to the table, if they have enough money to do so.
• Cash game table limits don't increase. If a player wants to change the stakes they're playing at, they must leave the table and find another one. In tournaments, blinds and antes are raised at every level of play.