how to switch up between tourny and cash play

[Checkov]

I'd like to hear from cash players how you switch up your game when you're in a tournament and when you're in a cash game. Are there fundamental differences that can be defined?

[Born2DogBaby]

Poker tournaments are just like regular poker games, except every like hour there's a level and you power up or something, you dont have to worry about that! all you need to do, is make sure you play perfect POKER.. the whole time

[jrbick]

One major fundamental difference between cash games and tournies is that in cash games (assuming you practice good bankroll management) is that your stack is always replenishable. So, since you're (hopefully) never in need of chips there's no need to chase ever small equity edges in an effort to add to your stack.

However, since the need for chips is, for the most part, absent, playing a little bit looser than what might be optimal for tournament play is helpful in inducing action for your bigger hands whereas in tournaments this isn't the case at all really, at least in the middle-late stages of a tournament. Naturally this depends on whether or not you're playing in 6-max or full ring cash games.