In a few days, I am headed to Las Vegas and planning to play three or four World Series of Poker (WSOP) tournaments, including the Main Event. The trip is not with the intent of it being a vacation or “for the experience.” While I have some other reasons for going out, one of the main factors is my perceived positive expectation playing in the tournaments.

While obviously the variance in a few tournaments means anything could happen with such a small sample size, I believe I am a favorite to be profitable against the fields that are turning out. If I could play enough of the tournaments over the long-run, I would show a solid return on investment.

My bread and butter is playing cash games, though. They are more readily available and more consistent than tournaments. The cash games around the WSOP have always been strong, with many players taking a shot at games they usually wouldn’t play in, steaming from busting out of a tournament, or just generally taking their once or twice a year poker trip and playing with money they fully expect to lose. So, knowing these games are going on at the same time as the tournaments leaves me with some decisions to make.

As a general rule, when I play tourneys, I try to focus on them and not go back and forth between cash games and tournaments. When I bust a tournament, I never hop right into a cash game. Any time I have had an off day or short day in a tournament where I am coming back for another day, I have made a point not to play cash in between.

This year, with a short trip planned, I won’t have as much flexibility to take days off and still get as much, if any, hours in at the cash tables. I have considered just saying I’m not going to play any cash and focus on tourneys, but I hate to make a rule for myself that causes me to potentially miss out on some great opportunities. So, instead of a hard and fast rule, I have decided to make some general guidelines to try to stick to.

First, if I am still in a tournament, I won’t be playing any cash. The only possible exception to this will be if I play the Main Event on Day 1A and make it through. Then, I may play some cash on the second starting day of the Main Event and then take Day 1C off to relax and prepare for Day 2.

If I bust a tournament, I will leave the Rio and go somewhere else for dinner, a workout, and anything to get me away from the casino to clear my mind before coming back to potentially play cash. In the past, I would not have played at all on that day, but with a tighter schedule this year, the evening after busting a tournament may be my only chance to get in a decent cash game session.

Finally, on any nights before a tournament, if I play cash, I will be done by midnight to give myself time to get back to where I am staying, wind down, get a good night’s sleep, and still get up in plenty of time for my pre-tournament routine.

Changing gears from tournaments to cash games and back can be tough and is one of the reasons the cash games around major tournament series can be so lucrative. But, I am hoping that going in acknowledging those difficulties can help me find a middle ground where I can still get in some cash games and play well, while also adequately focusing on the tournaments I am making the trip to Vegas to play in.

Court Harrington has worked on the business side of the poker industry in roles including tournament reporting for PocketFives, radio hosting for PokerRoad Radio, coaching for the WSOP Academy and privately, and a variety of behind-the-scenes responsibilities. He also plays in cash games and tournaments. Harrington is currently doing consulting work and exploring business opportunities outside of the poker industry. You can contact him at Court@CourtHarrington.com.