If you’re playing poker to make money, not just for fun, you’ll eventually have to choose whether to stick with multi-table tournaments (MTTs) or grind it out at the cash game tables. Both formats offer potential profit, but the kind of returns you’ll see on your time and bankroll can vary wildly.
MTTs (Multi-Table Tournaments)
MTTs are the flashy cousins in the poker family. With buy-ins starting low and prize pools often reaching thousands, they lure in hopefuls chasing the dream score. And it’s not just a dream or fantasy; someone always wins.
ROI in MTTs can look wild. Say you enter a $20 tournament and win $2,000—that’s a 9,900% return. But here’s the thing: that big win might come after 50 tournaments where you busted before the money. The variance in MTTs is brutal, and long dry spells are part of the grind, even for strong players.
It is not uncommon for poker players to hone their skills using online casinos. Unlike MTTs, online casinos have buy-ins that are completely up to your budget. Players may choose to raise the stakes or start low. For the most part, the only competitor is the algorithm. However, players can choose to compete with others through live tournaments or multiplayer games. The best casinos to play online also offer 24/7 access to live dealer tables that are manned by real humans. This feature is for those who want a realistic experience in preparation for participating in an MTT.
MTTs are time-intensive. A deep run in a mid-sized tournament can easily stretch over five or six hours. And if you bust early, that’s two hours gone with nothing to show for it.
Still, for players with patience, emotional stamina, and time to burn, the rewards can be massive. That’s why MTTs are the format of choice for people chasing high peaks, even if the valleys can be rough.
Cash Games
Cash games don’t come with shiny trophies or massive prize pools. But what they lack in drama, they make up for in stability.
In cash games, each chip has a real cash value. You can buy in, play for an hour, and cash out. No need to wait for blind levels to go up or for 90% of the field to bust. It’s poker in its purest form—no gimmicks, no clock, just you and your opponents trading chips.
ROI here is measured in bb/100 (big blinds per 100 hands), and for strong players, the profit comes in slow, steady chunks. A win rate of 5–10 bb/100 doesn’t sound glamorous, but over time, and especially at higher stakes, it builds real profit. You won’t hit a $10K score in one night, but you also won’t go weeks without a win.
The biggest advantage is that you control when and how long you play. No more being stuck at a final table at 2 AM on a work night. Cash games fit your schedule, not the other way around.
Time Commitment
A lot of poker players forget this, but your time has value. ROI isn’t just about how much money you make, it’s about how efficiently you make it.
Let’s say you win $500 in an MTT. Sounds great. But what if it took you 20 hours of play across a week to make that happen? That’s $25 an hour—good, but not amazing.
Now, consider a cash game player who earns $20 an hour consistently. They may not have the excitement of a big score, but over a month, their earnings often match or beat MTT players and with far fewer hours logged. This is called The Compound Effect, which the author and founder of SUCCESS magazine, Darren Hardy, wrote about. He explains it as a phenomenon where small, consistent wins add up to big outcomes.
Cash games offer more flexibility in of time management, you can play for as long as you like because you’re not required to be at the table for a stipulated time. For MTTs, a considerable amount of commitment is needed. That’s why MTTs demand a serious time investment, something not every player can afford consistently. And while time is one factor, how quickly you improve also matters.
Skill Development and Strategy
Cash games give you quicker, clearer . You play more hands per hour, face the same opponents for a while, see more situations, and make adjustments faster. That’s crucial when you’re trying to plug leaks or test new strategies.
MTTs are more dynamic and teach different skills: ICM (Independent Chip Model) strategy, short stack play, and bubble strategy, but those spots come up less often. If you’re only getting deep once every ten tournaments, it takes longer to learn.
That’s not to say MTTs aren’t valuable for skill building—they are, especially in mental endurance and reading opponents under pressure. But for pure volume and refinement, cash games win out.
How Much Bankroll Do You Need?
Bankroll management is a concept that can apply to most gambling games using various models like the Kelly Criterion, percentage, fiat, and confidence. The ROI in bankroll management should be adjusted as required to suit each gameplay. But here’s where things get tricky. MTTs require a larger bankroll. Because of the high variance, even the best players can go 50–100 tournaments without a lot of cash. That means you need enough of a cushion to survive the downswings.
Cash games, with their lower variance, allow you to play with a tighter bankroll. You can also move up and down in stakes more flexibly, depending on how you’re running. That flexibility makes a big difference if you’re not backed or playing full-time.
Which Format Has the Better ROI?
That depends entirely on your goals.
Choose MTTs if:
- You’re okay with high variance and emotional swings
- You’re chasing big scores and final tables
- You can commit longer hours for uncertain results
Choose Cash Games if:
- You want steady, predictable profit
- You value flexibility and time control
- You prefer grinding smaller edges over time
For most players, the long-term ROI is higher in cash games, especially when measured hour-for-hour. But MTTs can deliver life-changing money—if you hit it big.