# Object of the Game

Poker Academy lets you play two different types of Texas Hold'em: ring games and tournaments.

### Ring Games

A ring game is also known as a cash game. Players sit down with a certain bankroll and try to win chips off each other. The chips represent dollars directly. There is no set ending and you can leave the table whenever you want. The objective is to consistently win as many chips as you can off your fellow players in the long run.

### Tournaments

In a tournament each player buys in for a certain amount of money and receives a set amount of tournament chips. These chips do not represent cash directly. Players play until they have no chips left in front of them and they are eliminated from the tournament. The number of people still in the tournament when you get eliminated is your finishing position. Tournaments have a payout structure where the top finishers are awarded prizes (for example the top ten places usually get money in a 100 player tournament). The objective in a tournament is thus to survive long enough to be one of the players who recieve a prize. This is called "making the money".

In general you play tournaments much the same way as ring games. Consistently winning chips (your only goal in a ring game) is a good way to survive in a tournament! However at certain points in a tournament (for example just before you make it into the money) you will want to be aware that survival is your true goal and adjust your strategy accordingly (for example not taking risks if someone else appears all but certain to be eliminated before you).