Before you can start playing in cash games you might be asking yourself, what are cash games? There are two different types of cash games that are seen most often in DFS. There are 50/50 games, and there are double up and triple up type games. What makes these types of games particularly attractive is that your chances to win are high. In these games, you typically have a 40-50 percent chance to win, whereas in a GPP (Guaranteed Prize Pool) game you would only have a twenty percent game. So while your one dollar play might only be able to win you half, or double your entry fee, they can still pay off or you by playing them in volume. If you really like your lineup you could enter the one dollar lineup into ten different games.
In a 50/50 game, the top half of the pool of players wins money. In this style of game, you typically win 50 percent of what your buy in was. For example, you pay one dollar to enter, If you finish in the top half of the contest, you win a dollar-fifty. In a double up type game, fewer entries win, but they win more money. So if you pay a dollar, if you finish in the top forty percent in the contest, then you will win two dollars.
How should you handle a cash game lineup differently than a GPP lineup? The simple answer is yes. The reason why you want to treat these games differently is that you get paid the same amount to finish first versus being the last person into the money. You can be more conservative, and using a player who will be popular on a given day helps you, instead of hurts you. If you are playing a cash game on the NFL, you would be more likely to use Russell Wilson or Patrick Mahomes because their performances are stable, you wouldn’t need to take on risk with them, instead of taking on the risk of using a player like Justin Herbert or Joe Burrow. In that same idea, if 50 percent of the contest uses Russell Wilson and he doesn’t perform well, you still have a chance to win, as you failed along with half the group. If the rest of your team does well you can still win your contests and have a good day.
Because your lineups will be built differently, how you handle your budget will be different as well. As you would be expected to have higher-priced pieces in your lineups, it will be more important that you understand the team that will likely score the most points and the players that will contribute to that, but you will also want to have some low priced players who will help your line up work so that you’re not taking zeros in your lineup.
Additional Free DFS Articles
• Understanding DFS Terms and Acronyms
• How To Win DFS GPP Events
• How To Manage Your DFS Bankroll
• How To Pick Winning Head to Head DFS Lineups
• Winning DFS Tips For Traditional, Year-Long Fantasy Players