It is a sad fact, it is not possible to be great at everything. In poker be it the "win a lot of pennies" free poker type or big cash it is why people become experts or specialists in their particular games. It is the same as in any profession, field of study or in the workplace where people find their unique niche for the company that they work for and devote their efforts to becoming as good as they can in order to be promoted and earn more. So how does this relate specifically to the world of poker games? Like this, some poker players are brilliant cash game players, while others are expert tournament players. There are some players who are very good at both cash games and poker tournaments but this is very rare. Most players specialize because they are more successful at one than the other. How do you determine whether cash games or tournaments are your speciality? It might not be that clear at first. You obviously need to try your hand at both, but here are a few suggestions that may help you to figure it out. Cash Games If you're a patient player who looks to play only in clear EV (expected value) situations, then you may prefer cash games. Full-ring games are all about waiting for premium starting hands and extracting the most value from them in the most favorable situation possible. Thus, cash games are good for players who don't deal with variance very well. The biggest mistake a beginning cash game player can make is playing too many hands. You don't want to commit too many chips in marginal situations. The opposite can seem to be true in the late to middle stages of a tournament. Tournaments It is correct to play tight in the early stages of a tournament, but once the blinds start to escalate you'll need to loosen up your starting requirements. Once you're low on chips, you'll need to look to move all-in to survive. You may also need to put yourself in situations that may have negative EV in certain occasions. If you're one of the big stacks, it's also correct to start playing looser to bully the other players. It's all about accumulating chips to either survive or thrive in tournaments. It's not for the faint of heart or those who can't deal with variance. The biggest mistake a beginning tournament player can make is not pushing all-in enough when they get low on chips. Because the price of blinds increase as the tournament goes on, your chip stack can easily get whittled away. Typically, tight players can't win tournaments. Conclusion If you like tight then it is best to focus on cash games. However, if you're an action junkie, you should consider concentrating on tournaments. With that said, it is possible for tight styles to work in tournaments with a few adjustments, and a loose style can work in cash games can work under certain circumstances. Ideally do your testing on free poker sites that way you can learn to play poker for free and find your style while not losing lots of money in the process!