A fun cash game will likely be a more profitable one

MARCEL LUSKE

Your best profits lie in games where people are being sociable and having a good time. Players tend to play a bit looser in that type of environment and are definitely less focused. If you are trying to make money, you are far better off playing with people who are just there to have fun. If they’re recreational players who only have a few hours to play after work or before a show, they will be far less likely to wait two hours for aces and will be mixing it up more to get some action. Meanwhile, the guy who is making a living out of it is going to wait for better hands.

If you find a table you like and expect to be playing there for a few hours, it is best to create a pleasant ambiance. You can play a little bit loose and go after small pots at first, and perhaps end up losing some money. But eventually, you can change gears and create a big edge. Just because you are being friendly and having fun doesn’t mean you can’t play to win.

Often, people prefer to be social rather than cautious and will play a lot of hands so they can be a part of the camaraderie you have helped create. It is similar to a group of people going for a coffee. You may rather have a nice glass of orange juice, but you actually have a coffee because that is what your friends are doing. The same will occur in a cash game if people are enjoying themselves; they will play hands that they shouldn’t. Being aware of that phenomenon is one of the best ways to make money in cash games. The big difference between you and the other players is that you are going to make sure that the percentages are in your favor when the big money goes in.