The one big difference between tournaments and cash games is that the blinds increase at set intervals in tournament poker, driving the action. This means that in tournament play, you can find players playing hands they would not play in a cash game.

The size of a player's chip stack when compared the to the size of the blinds can lead a player to play hands that they would muck in a cash game. They might decide to play a marginal hand for fear that "time is running out" on them and the blinds will soon destroy what little stack they have left. You can also find players playing cards from out of position when feeling the pressure of the blinds.

The size of a player's stack may influence their play in other ways at a tournament table. Because losing your chips means losing your chair, players may decide not to call in situations where they have the pot odds in their favor because they do not want to invest too much of their stack on a draw. This changes the way poker is played at the table, putting more value on hands that may not hold up if it were a cash game.

Cash Games
In a cash game, the blinds never increase. This means players are never forced make anything happen, the clock isn't working against you if you fold. As a result, every marginal hand can be thrown in the muck. No one ever needs to play a hand from out of position.

Also, getting caught either by a bad decision, or an unlucky turn of the cards will not cause you to lose your seat. After taking a bad beat, you can simply buy more chips and stay in the game.

The ability to dig into your pockets and get more chips also means that there is no reason to pass up on good bets. You can afford to call the times when the pots odds are in your favor, but the bet is expensive. Since you are playing for the long-haul, instead of the short-term like in a tournament, you can take advantage of every play that yields a positive outcome over time. Short term fluctuations do not need to influence your game.