{"id":5263,"date":"2026-11-07T19:37:53","date_gmt":"2026-11-08T00:37:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pokertraining.com\/poker\/blog\/?p=5263"},"modified":"2026-11-07T19:42:54","modified_gmt":"2026-11-08T00:42:54","slug":"cash-game-poker-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pokertraining.com\/poker\/blog\/cash-game-poker-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Reasons Cash Game Poker Is Better Than Ever in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Cash game poker is better than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I just finished traveling all over the United States playing poker. I played on the West Coast, the East Coast, in the Midwest, in the Rockies, and a little bit in the South.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And let me tell you guys something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the best time ever to play cash game poker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, I said it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The best time ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let me explain why I think this is an incredible time to make money at the cash game tables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Your cash game is not as tight as you think<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When I went to Central New York, I had a lot of people telling me that the cash games were tight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I will admit, the games were tighter than some of the games I had been playing elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But it was pretty easy to get people to start playing big pots with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So what did I do?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I started with a little playful trash talk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And because everybody is so damn sensitive these days, that got under some people&#8217;s skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I also started raising to around two times the size of the pot preflop repeatedly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At one point, I did it with seven-four suited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then I showed everybody my hand and said, &#8220;Hey, this is my favorite hand!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That got a lot of people annoyed with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eventually, my huge preflop raises started getting called by mediocre hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now think about what that means.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you start with a really strong hand in a really big pot, preferably in position, and people are calling you down with much worse hands, it becomes much easier to make money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once more people started calling me, I increased my raises to around three times the amount in the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That got a lot of my pots heads-up or three-way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now people had invested a significant amount of money before the flop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And when they made a mediocre pair, they had a really hard time folding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They would regularly stack off against me and lose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I was walking out of $1\/$2 games with $1,500 after walking in with $300.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The lesson here is that just because a game starts out tight does not mean you cannot do anything about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes you need to change the dynamics of the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Get people involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Get them frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Get them playing bigger pots than they are accustomed to playing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then punish them when they start making mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Your implied odds are greater than they have ever been<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is another huge adjustment I have noticed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the past, I had to be very careful when telling people which hands they could call with preflop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because during the 2010s, people were often much more reluctant to pay you off with mediocre hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They were trying to play solid poker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They were trying to make disciplined folds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But now?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A lot of people seem to have given up on that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They are mad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They are frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And they want to get their money in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That means your implied odds can be enormous in the right games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s go through a few examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have a pocket pair, you are going to flop a set or better roughly 12% of the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But I generally want around 15-to-1 implied odds before calling with a small pocket pair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have a suited connector, you are going to flop two pair or better roughly 5.6% of the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For those hands, I generally want around 25-to-1 implied odds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have a suited gapper, you are going to flop two pair or better roughly 5.2% of the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For those hands, I generally want around 35-to-1 implied odds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, those are guidelines, not guarantees. You still need to consider position, the strength of your opponents&#8217; ranges, and whether you can realistically get paid when you hit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But here is what makes today&#8217;s games so interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are a lot of <a href=\"\/poker\/blog\/8-cash-game-mistakes-that-cost-you-money\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">multiway pots<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are a lot of limped pots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And there are a lot of players who simply refuse to fold when they make a pair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Look at how much money you are calling preflop and compare that with how much you could realistically win from the effective stacks after the flop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In some of these games, the potential payoff is much larger than it used to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And when you hit something strong, keep betting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You might be surprised by how much money people are willing to put in with one pair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They are done trying to play perfectly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They tried to play perfectly when they were younger, and it did not work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now they are just mad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And that can create some tremendous opportunities for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. When a flush draw misses, nobody wants to fold<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I have lost count of the number of times I have made a huge value bet with a mediocre two pair after a flush draw failed to complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes I will overbet two times the pot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And what happens?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Somebody with second pair practically beats me into the pot with their call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, when I table my hand, they start screaming at me like I did something wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Apparently, there is some civil way to play poker that I was never taught.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But this is something you need to recognize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When there is an obvious missed flush draw on the board, a lot of players immediately start looking for reasons to call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They think, &#8220;Well, the flush missed.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then they think, &#8220;He could have been drawing.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And finally, they decide, &#8220;I&#8217;m not folding.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It does not matter that your line makes perfect sense for a big hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It does not matter that you have been betting for value the entire time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They can see the missed draw, and that is enough justification for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This creates massive <a href=\"\/poker\/blog\/the-5-most-common-post-flop-mistakes-in-cash-games\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">value-betting opportunities<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have a strong hand and your opponent is the type of player who cannot fold whenever a draw misses, stop worrying about getting called.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Start thinking about how much you can bet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a lot of these situations, you are leaving money on the table by betting small.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. People are running more terrible bluffs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Another thing I have noticed is that people are making some really dumb bluffs much more often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Especially when they are tilted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If somebody raises preflop and they are already frustrated, you can sometimes expect some truly ridiculous triple barrels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They are not necessarily thinking about board texture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They are not necessarily thinking about your range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They are not necessarily thinking about whether their bluff makes any mathematical sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They are just angry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They want to win a pot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And they think the solution is to keep betting until you finally fold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This creates a fantastic opportunity for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You need to learn how to set a few traps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You also need to be willing to call down with some top pairs against the right opponents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, I am not telling you to become a calling station against everybody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most people still do not bluff enough in many of the biggest pots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But when someone is clearly frustrated and starts firing bets that do not make much sense, you need to recognize what is happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes your opponent is simply trying to buy their way out of a bad mood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if you have a hand that can reasonably call them down, you can make a lot of money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Everybody thinks they need to defend their big blind with anything<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is one of my favorite developments in live cash games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Everybody has heard that they are supposed to defend their big blind more often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But a lot of people have taken that advice way too far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They think because they are getting a discount, they are supposed to call with practically anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And this gets especially ridiculous in multiway pots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They call with all kinds of weak hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then they flop second pair or third pair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And because they have already decided they are supposed to defend, they start calling down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They call the flop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They call the turn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes they even call the river.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They are putting more and more money into the pot with hands that should never be playing that big of a pot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is fantastic for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You do not have to make some elaborate bluff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You do not have to run a complicated solver-approved line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You just need to recognize that your opponent has a lot of mediocre hands in their range and does not want to fold them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then value bet accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A lot of players have learned that they are supposed to defend more hands preflop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But they have not learned how to play those hands correctly after the flop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And you can make a fortune from that difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. People are stacking off with top pair in multiway pots<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is another enormous opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s say you are playing a multiway pot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You flop a set or two pair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then you make a huge raise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That should be a pretty obvious sign that you have a strong hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You are raising into multiple players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You are risking a significant amount of money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And you are representing a hand that can beat top pair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But you know what happens in today&#8217;s games?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>People get frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They look down at their top pair and think, &#8220;I&#8217;m not folding this!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They start convincing themselves that you could have a draw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They start telling themselves that you are trying to push them around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And suddenly, they are putting their entire stack in with one pair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have seen this happen repeatedly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are more players than ever who seem unwilling to fold top pair once they have invested money in a pot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That is a wonderful situation when you have a monster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You do not need to get tricky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You do not need to slow-play everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes you just need to raise huge and let your opponent make a terrible call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, you need to be willing to put up with some variance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes they will hit their miracle card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes your set will lose to a draw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes your two pair will get counterfeited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That is poker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But if people are consistently putting their money in behind, you are going to do very well over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Match-the-stack games create incredible short-stack opportunities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>My final huge edge right now is in match-the-stack cash games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These games can create some fascinating situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A lot of times, players are buying in for 300 to 500 big blinds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of them have enormous stacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They are straddling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They are re-straddling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They are raising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And they are calling raises with all kinds of hands because they want to play big pots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now imagine you buy in for 100 big blinds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You are sitting there with a much shorter stack than the other players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You wait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Somebody straddles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another person re-straddles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then somebody raises, and a couple of people call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Suddenly, there is a huge amount of money in the middle before the flop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And you only have 100 original big blinds in your stack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the right situations, that creates a tremendous opportunity to move all in with a strong range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hands like pocket tens or better and ace-queen suited or better can become attractive shoving candidates, depending on the action, the effective stacks, and the ranges involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes everybody folds, and you pick up a huge amount of dead money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other times, somebody calls you with a hand that is much worse than yours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, you still need to account for the strength of the original raiser&#8217;s range and how likely the other players are to call. The shove is not automatically profitable just because there is a lot of money in the pot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But this is the opportunity I want you to recognize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You do not necessarily have to buy in for 500 big blinds just because everybody else is doing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can sometimes sit down with a shorter stack and take advantage of people who are making the game play much bigger than the posted blinds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you understand how to adjust to straddles and re-straddles, these games can become extremely profitable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And right now, there are more opportunities to find these situations than I have seen in a long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s my time for today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to learn more about how to take advantage of today&#8217;s cash games, be sure to check out <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pokertraining.com\/poker\/blog\/goto\/aHR0cHM6Ly9ndW1yb2FkLmNvbS9hLzg2NTg0MDg1MS9qdWl2eG0\/b2ZmZXJfY29kZT0yMDI2Y3J1c2hlcnM=\"  >Master Small Stakes Cash Games in One Class 2.0<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is 14 hours of brand-new cash game training designed specifically to help you win in 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And right now, you can get the entire training package for just $99.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, there are only 10 copies available at that price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After those 10 copies are gone, the website will tell you that the discount code has expired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So do not delay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By the way, if you purchased the original Master Small Stakes Cash Games in One Class, please understand that you do not automatically receive this training package for free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is not an update to the original course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is an entirely new, standalone product with 14 hours of brand-new training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I appreciate your continued support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wishing you the best of luck on the felt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cash game poker is better than ever. I just finished traveling all over the United States playing poker. I played on the West Coast, the East Coast, in the Midwest, in the Rockies, and a little bit in the South. And let me tell you guys something. This is the best time ever to play [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":5265,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>7 Reasons Cash Game Poker Is Better Than Ever in 2026<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Alex Fitzgerald explains why live cash game poker is better than ever in 2026, with 7 ways to exploit loose calls, big pots, bluffs, and 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