When should I consider moving back down a level?

[nmadd]

New player. I've been playing poker online for about 4 months and been seriously studying for the last month.

Since keeping track, I've played about 7k hands at the .50/1 level almost exlusively on PartyPoker for 2.92BB/100.

I've read plenty of the posts that recommend a certain amount of hands to mark a player a "winning player." However, I decided to move up to 1/2 after these 7k hands. Now getting smacked to the tune of (5.20)BB/100 after only about 1k hands though. I feel comfortable there and have a large enough bankroll.

Moved up too soon after only 7k hands, so I should go back down and practice more?

Just a bad run, not nearly enough hands; keep going and keep studying?

Any comments for this new player appreciated. Thanks.

[MarkL444]

1k hands is nothing

post some hands

[JinX11]

If I were you, I would not move back down just yet. 1K hands is not even a blip; should you continue playing, you'll run into much worse runs than -52BB over 1K hands. Much worse.

If you are comfortable and are appropriately bankrolled, I recommend you continue feeling out 1/2. When you become uncomfortable or underrolled, then consider moving back down.

Best of luck to you!

[Zetack]

[ QUOTE ]

Moved up too soon after only 7k hands, so I should go back down and practice more?

Just a bad run, not nearly enough hands; keep going and keep studying?



[/ QUOTE ]

There's absolutely no way to tell with that sample size at both limits so do whatever makes you feel happy.

That said, 1/2 is harder than .5/1.00 and if are truly new to poker then you probably have way more to learn than you can get in 7k hands. Do you want to do your learning at the easier less costly spot or at the (marginally) harder and twice as expensive spot?

Up to you really.

--Zetack

[dogmeat]

Not everybody does well when they move up in limits. Some players at 2+2 were able to continue right up to $15/$30 without taking a hit. It has been estimated that just 5% to 6% of the poker players in the world are long-term winning players.

I will make an estimate that 80% of those winning players try to move up and about 10% do so without any serious losses until they reach a high enough limit to match their income needs (most here are at $15/$30).

This means that only .0048 do this - or about one half of a percent. So, don't feel bad. It means 99.5% of us reach a level that requires serious labor to adapt and usually comes with (what is hoped to be) a short-term losing period.

You can't improve to the level you want to be at without playing there, but there is no sense burning your entire bankroll trying. Drop down to get your senses straight, reread you poker library, rebuild your bankroll, get your confidence back in order - and then move back up. Good Luck.

Dogmeat /images/graemlins/spade.gif

[sin808]

[ QUOTE ]
There's absolutely no way to tell with that sample size at both limits so do whatever makes you feel happy.

That said, 1/2 is harder than .5/1.00 and if are truly new to poker then you probably have way more to learn than you can get in 7k hands. Do you want to do your learning at the easier less costly spot or at the (marginally) harder and twice as expensive spot?

Up to you really.

--Zetack

[/ QUOTE ]

We have a winner!

[scrummie2]

I just moved down for the week from 3/6 after going from 12.1 BB/hr for the last week (was on a good streak) to down about 100 BB over the weekend. Just wasn't playing well -- playing too many tables/tourneys and not paying attention.

So went back down to 2/4 to collect my head a bit. I have no doubt though once I get focused again I'll move back up.

I play as lawhoo on party (scrummie2 on empire) - you may have seen me yesterday giving away chips lol

[nmadd]

Thanks for the posts.

I think I'm on my way back down to .50/1 to rack up a bunch more hands and to learn a LOT more. Time to study up and read every post on the forum. /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Thanks

[lefty rosen]

You have to be playing the relatively tight aggro day games. Because if you are losing on the late night games your having problems big time. The late night games are the same thing with double the value. Just choose better tables during day. If only one soft one is around just play that and play a .5/1 game or 2.........

[nmadd]

[ QUOTE ]
You have to be playing the relatively tight aggro day games. Because if you are losing on the late night games your having problems big time. The late night games are the same thing with double the value. Just choose better tables during day. If only one soft one is around just play that and play a .5/1 game or 2.........

[/ QUOTE ]

I really didn't even think about the difference between a day and night game. I play the majority of my games during the day.

Time for a search for threads on table selection.

[signal]

Hi,

I just wanted to add a few things.

* You may want to check out 1/2 6 max; if you can play shorthand, the place is a gold mine.

*It is not uncommon for people to take hits when moving up; the important thing is to keep a cool head and don't let yr bankroll get significantly dented (i.e. perhaps set a stop-loss amount).

*And bonus whore some more! Rakeback too. The money will come to take a stab again.

[JohnnyHumongous]

Hello,
The first time I really ever played poker for money was at the casino 45 minutes away. I went with my buddy. There were 9 hold-em limit tables, and the lowest limit spread was 5-10. So, in we went with $400 each. We agreed to split our profits or losses right down the middle. Well, 5 hours later my buddy was even, and I was up $700, and I haven't looked back. I played at that casino probably 20 or 30 more times before making an online deposit. Online, I played some 5-10 before moving to 10-20.

I am sooooo thankful that I started at that casino where the lowest limit available was 5-10. I didn't have time to ask myself, "Is my BB/100 rate high enough to move up?" etc. etc. My roll was nonexistant, period but I didn't even take that into consideration. I guess what I'm saying is you gotta take risks to get ahead in this world. You have the roll. Play the game, observe, figure things out. Play higher stakes if you can because this is more challenging and will more greatly accelerate your growth as a poker player. Poker is poker, no matter what limit you play. Best of luck to you.

[einbert]

You know I'm going to go against the grain here. I think you should stick it out as long as you have >300BB for the next lower level (.5/1). Once you drop to a $300 BR, then you should probably move back down. Until then I think you can learn a lot more playing $1/2, and you will develop your skills much more strongly there. I didn't learn a damn thing playing $.5/1 except how to value bet and count outs, but I learned a lot of things from 1/2 that are really essential.

When I first moved up to 1/2 I had a tough run. When I first moved to 2/4 I had a couple of nights of bad cards where I would get to thinking that I couldn't beat this game, that I should move back down. Same thing when I first moved up to 3/6--but at each level, I adapted and learned from my mistakes and from the mistakes of my opponents.

Remember that the higher the limit you play, you're more likely to play better (or at least more aggressive) players--and this means bigger swings in terms of BB. It can easily make you think you're not a winner, but you very well could be.

Most important, whether you stay or move back down to boost your confidence (certainly no shame in doing so), just keep analyzing your own plays and your own mistakes. We all make them, just learn to recognize when you've made a mistake so you will be less likely to make the same one in the future. And if you are really stuck on a certain situation or hand, post it and get some help from others who have been there.

Just my $.02

[DeeJ]

I played 53 hands at 20/40 and with AQ/QQ/QQ all holding up multiway finished up 45BB.

Should I move up? /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Sasnak]

Don't worry about 1k hands just keep playing your game. I'm working my way out of a very tight/weak game style I've played for a long time before deciding to really study the game and setting some goals for myself.

Staying at .50/1 for a while longer after my good run of cards would probably have been the better strategy, but I moved to 1/2 with the 300BB winnings. I have runs of 1k hands where I'm +9BB/100 and also at -9BB/100. Overall at 25k+ hands I'm currently -.4BB/100 and improving.

A couple of 200BB downswings were sprinkled within there as well so keep your bankroll in good shape and hang with the 1/2 game. It's a great learning level.