play to win or play to cash?

[madjek]

I here this a lot. Daniel Negreano says he thinks he hasnt done well in wsop main event because he comes into it to win not just survive and cash. I've heard others say this. I don't quite understand the difference. I play to cash and win. What do you mean by saying you play to cash not to win. I think cashing is my first goal, once I reach that, anything can happen. I guess the point is not to get too short stacked? Though I've seen guys come back from only a blinds left and get right back in it. Of course most the time not, but if you're overly aggressive early, you don't often survive either. Just wondering how you "play to win", maybe I need to make some adjustments.

[Assistanc3]

Playing to win instead of cash gets you to ship it with more draws. In the early goings of the tournament your more willing to play looser more often, say for example limping in with 78s (suited connectors) in EP/MP instead of just fold and save the blinds.

After watching Day2 of the ME at the WSOP when Daniel was playing I don't think it was his style (small ball) that was hurting him, it was his reads. Although when you look around the net you can see exactly how to play back at that style of poker.

Phil Ivey plays a similar style of poker as Daniel Negreano with what looks to me the difference being 2 things and the main reason why he is the most feared player currently playing.

1. Phil Ivey is impossible to get a read off of
2. Phil Ivey bets so strong one would think he can't be bluffing

Tight Aggressive players tend to play for the ladder, thinking in terms of moving up in stages based on average stacks, player count and payout structure. TAG players tend to also be more 'trappy' then LAG players so they think of double ups over blind steals.

Both styles work LAG and TAG, you just need to find which style works best at the table your currently playing. You should never go into a tournament and say "oh I am gonna be loose aggressive today", when you should be first finding out (by playing) if that strategy works best with the players at the table.

[sos_egg_n]

To be honest i only think of this as in bubble / or just around situation as to play in a large field with the intent to WIN OR BUST is pretty dumb sounds like good old D G is making excuses for piss poor results. As like ur point u play the same early stages of a tournament and the WIN / BUST comes into play late stages ie final table where u decide to sit back to move up places and become tighter.

Rgds