Moving up the Limits

[istewart]

I play online currently at $.01/.02 and cannot currently buy-in for the maximum ($5) yet, maintaining a level of 20 buy-ins in my bankroll constantly. My online bankroll is pure profit and I intend to keep it that way, moving up slowly as my BR grows. Starting from the bottom rung.

However, the next step up, $.05/.10, has a max buy-in of $10. I want to make at least $100 (20 x $5 buy-ins) at $.01/.02 before considering moving up. But, should I even be considering moving up if my bankroll isn't fit for 20 MAX buy-ins? Is it worthwhile to move up, buying in for the minimum at $.05/.10 ($5) before buying in with the max. I would rather not put myself at that obvious disadvantage.

Any thoughts? Thanks millions.

[boondockst]

I don't know what the whole "disadvantage deal is all about"...i know everyone here buys in at the max but i prefer to do the halfway (at least on those 0.05/0.10)...the minimum on UB is only 2.50 for those so i still have some people covered from the start...i'm probably playing a little "scared" by this but i'd rather get sucked out for only the $5 on the bad beats than not get that other guys' last dollar when i hit my hand b/c he had me slightly covered...when the play is this loose i don't like to risk more than i have to to be successful...many of them buy in at $2.50 and i like playing with a "smaller" stack....they like to call your big bets as desperate...(don't take that comment too seriously)

[BradleyT]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't know what the whole "disadvantage deal is all about"...i know everyone here buys in at the max but i prefer to do the halfway

[/ QUOTE ]

I play to win, how about you?

[boondockst]

how does not buying in with the max (that most players don't have) make you not a winner? i'm 3-tabling right now and worked one up from my measly $5 to $27 in 40 minutes and busted out one on a beat (only lost the 5 though)...

Is it that horrible if you can cover most stacks to only buy-in halfway? I just see everyone definitively saying to buy in at the max and never the reasoning...yes, if i do take any kind of hit i will rebuy or leave the table...i won't sit there with a buck and try to build back up...on the tables i'm successful at i can usually work my stack up a little first and then almost have the max buy-in

[sillyarms]

If you beleive you can play better than your opponets you should buy in for the maximum amount. If you are making better decisions you are costing yourself profit in the long run by not having enough money to cover the bets that your opponets would be willing to make. There is alot of money to be made on turn and river decisions that you will be missing out on if you do not have the stack to bet.

silly

[TheWorstPlayer]

Not only are there turn and river value bets that you are missing but there is also a lot of hand protection being done on the turn which you cannot do if you buy-in short. Look at Fimbulwinter's simple brag post. If he had bought in short, he wouldn't have been able to give incorrect odds to chase on the turn, let alone being able to double up off of the bluff on the river.

[edge]

If a half-buyin covers all of the other players, that's fine, but what happens when someone doubles up? You don't cover that player anymore. If you buy in for the max, you're still covering that player.

As for why you want to cover the other players, you want to be able to take their entire stacks on a big hand. Of course, you want to have more on the table than players worse than you and less than players better than you.

[jimdmcevoy]

If you are pretty sure you are a winning player, I recomend this formula (I used this and turned $1 playing .01-.02 into over 2k) :

Aim to get 10 full buyins at your current limit, and 2 full buyins at your next highest limit. Once you get this, you have enough to "take a shot" at the next limit up.

But if you lose those 2 full buyins at your new limit, drop back down again so you have 10 full buyins.

Also, if at anytime you have dropped down to only having 5 full buyins, lower your limits so you have at least 10 full buyins.

This system got me from .01-.02 to .50-1, with some patience.