Tue, 09/13/2011 – 07:41 – PokerPages Staff

When playing online poker at PokerStars there are two main ways in which you can play the game.  Both ways offer a fantastic poker experience, but with major differences between the formats it is important that beginner poker players are aware of what they are getting themselves into before they sit down at the virtual table.  If you’ve ever wondered what the differences are, read on and be illuminated.

Cash Ring Games

Cash ring games are the sort of games that people play around kitchen tables up and down the country.  Likewise, if you’ve ever walked into a casino and just started playing poker at a table, the likelihood is that you are playing a cash ring game.  All poker bets at cash ring tables are for real money, with the possibility on some tables of playing for some seriously high stakes.  It is important to be aware at all times that each bet you place is for your money from your account.

Tournaments

Whether playing a single or multi table tournament, the premise remains the same: your entry fee, or buy-in, buys you a stack of chips from which all of your bets are taken.  Other than your buy-in, no more of your money is at risk, as every other bet is for ‘imaginary’ money.  Chips have no monetary value, with the prize structure of tournaments dictated by the number of players participating and the size of the buy-in.  Unlike a cash ring game, where you can choose to walk away and cash up after any hand, in a tournament players only leave the table when they are out.

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Tue, 09/13/2011 – 07:58 – PokerPages Staff

5. Mike Sexton – Career Earnings of $3,090,222
Resident of Las Vegas, Mike Sexton has been a poker industry stalwart for over 20 years. The owner of one WSOP bracelet and a total of nine first place finishes, Sexton’s biggest victory came at the 2006 TOC for the WSOP, where his victory earned him a cool $1 million.

4. Michael Martin – Career Earnings of $3,237,002
Michael Martin’s poker career has followed an incredibly steep trajectory, since he began playing seriously in 2006. A series of 15 cashes has been peaked with one first place finish, the PokerStars EPT Championships, worth just under $2 million.

3. Mike Matusow – Career Earnings of $6,721,806
Nicknamed “The Mouth” for his somewhat forthright opinions on all matters poker, Mike Matusow has been incredibly successful at the poker table. Holder of three WSOP bracelets, Matusow has won a total of six tournaments, and cashed 66 times.

2. Michael Binger – Career Earnings of $7,029,303
Possibly one of the only poker pros on the circuit to have a PhD in theoretical particle physics, Michael Binger has also carved out a successful poker career. Binger’s biggest night at the poker table came in 2006, when he pocketed $4 million for coming third in the WSOP championship.

1. Michael Mizrachi – Career Earnings of $11,218,746
Streets ahead of any other poker playing Michaels is “The Grinder”, Michael Mizrachi. Nicknamed due to his methodical and relentless play, Mizrachi has cashed in 94 events, and won four cash pots over $1 million.