When poker is played with no pre-defined end time, with money or ‘real’ chips as stake then it is called a live action game or cash game. This is what a poker ring game is in comparison to a poker tournament which would have an end time prescribed and the chips used would not have any value outside of the tournament.
In a poker ring game players can buy in to a game between hands just as players are allowed to leave by cashing out. It is however not allowed for players to take from the table a portion of the chips. This means that if a player joined a poker ring game with a buy-in of $100 and won $100 which would total to $200 he cannot take away the buy-in amount of $100 while remaining in the game. The choice is only to forfeit the seat and rejoin the game with another buy-in. In a poker ring game if a player tries to take his portion of the chips from the table it is known as ‘ratholing’ or ‘going south’.
Once a game has started in a poker ring game players are not allowed to wager additionally. These games are mostly table stakes. To put in additional money a player would have to wait until the end of the hand in play.
Basic difference between a poker ring game and a poker tournament has to do with the blind structure. In a poker tournament the blind increases routinely while in the case of a cash game the blind remains constant. The other major difference is with the style of play. In poker tournaments the style would be a predetermined one and would not be changed, whereas in a poker ring game the players could change the style depending on the rules that have been set.
Unlike in poker tournaments, cash games allow straddles and chops. When a player who is the first to act has two big blinds as bet it is called a straddle. This is a dark bet and entitles the player to bet again if there is no raise in bet. If players agree in common to withdraw their blind bets if no one else has bet then it is called a chop. The chop decision would mean that the house would not get a share from the pot.
There are “no limit” poker ring games and limit poker games. In the no-limit poker games there is a maximum buy-in. This stops players from gaining an advantage due to chip stack size. In limit poker ring games the maximum buy-ins are not prescribed but since each hand has a limit the advantage of a getting a big chip stake is ruled out.
If the poker ring games are played in a casino then the casino rake is taken in case of a flop and also whenever the pot value reaches certain levels. There are also games in which the rake is based on time and not on the value of the pot. In such cases the players are charged for every half an hour for the seat occupied.
The strategies that are applied in a poker ring game vary to what’s applied in a poker tournament. Poker ring games are just as popular as poker tournaments. Television channels broadcast poker ring games in the same manner that they would poker tournaments.
Poker ring games are for those who do not like to stay at a game for too long. Players in such games are free to come and go as they please which is not the case when it comes to poker tournaments.
