How do you measure a poker player?

Individual prizes at the British Poker Awards went to Neil Channing (best cash player), James Akenhead (best tournament player), Chris Moorman (online player), Sam Trickett (newcomer), Richard Ashby (all-rounder) and Praz Bansi (player of the year). That is certainly a shiny list, though it inevitably provokes debate, for how do you measure a poker player? Consistency? Flair? Absence of tilt? Total money won? Observers will always argue for and against each name. Judging a cash player is perhaps the most interesting, since many new players are bred on tournaments and fail to understand some key strategic differences with cash play. I considered this last night in the casino, when a young stranger raised from the button in a £5-£10 no limit holdem game with Q♠ 3♣. This, I thought, is not a cash player. The hand has no potential whatsoever. All you can hope to do is pick up the blinds. In tournaments, every hand costs something (even if only time), so it's worth collecting every precious chip. But a cash game has no time limit. You are looking to build and win large pots, not snatch at worthless, stagnant blinds. Cash poker requires a far higher ratio of patience to aggression. Bluffing is to be used more rarely, later in the action. Hot tip: a great cash player gives the impression of playing far more loosely than he really does. A cash player must be able to choose his table wisely, and shrewdly judge how much money to put down. Tournaments give you no choice there. A great cash player is also pleasant company at the table, so fish are drawn to him. He never criticises a bad move. He just says, "nice hand" or "unlucky". He is, quite literally, playing the long game. victoriacoren.com