Stagnating at the $55s. Should I move back down?

[jedi]

Here's the background. Last February, I decided to try to move up in SnGs. I started with roughly $150 and set off trying to beat $5.50 SnGs (1 or 2 table) at Poker Stars. When I got to 30x the entry for the next level ($330), I'd move up, moving back down if I ever got to 30x the entry for the previous level. In 8 months, I moved up from the $5s to the $55s. I played a lot of 2-tablers, and did well there, but at the $50s, the 2-tablers don't fill up that fast (started slowing down at the $30s, IIRC).

Well, now it's been 8 months since I moved up, and my SnG bankroll is back down to $2500. My ITM is 41%, but my ROI is a measly 4.1%. I'm starting to question my play. Games in which I felt that I had total control are now gone. I'm shying away from striking during the bubble because I've been called by hands that *I* wouldn't have called with (stuff like A3 or KT that winds up beating me because I have crap).

So, should I just end the experiment and move back down to the $20s or $30s and just keep playing there? The hope was originally to move all the way up to the $215s, but that looks like a slim chance now. I'm also in the middle of a semi-bad run of 17 SnGs where I was ITM in only 3 of them. The last one, I overplayed KQ from the BB on the first hand and lost to a hand that flopped quads. Oh well. Or, maybe I should just take a break.

Anyone go through this before? What did you do to get out of the funk?

[TheNoodleMan]

there is no shame in moving down. There are many reasons that players drop down, sometimes its to regain confidence after a bad run, sometimes its to work on their game, sometimes it is to stay within their bankroll.
All are perfectly good reasons to drop down.
The game is full of challenges. Play within yourself and your abilities, whatever the level may be.
And most of all, know that dropping down and getting back in the groove is just as important a step in the road to the 215s as moving up. The experience will make you stronger.

[jedi]

Here's the thing. I don't want to give up on this. The reason I moved up the way I did was to keep a good bankroll for the level I'm playing at. I'm still well within my bankroll and I feel that I'm just giving up on my little challenge. Maybe I just need to step back, play 1 table at a time and try to get really good reads on the 1 game I'm playing too. I'm freezing up when people are playing back at me, because the better players will. I'm just not sure what's going on in my game up here.

I can probably convince myself that there's just simply more money to be made for me at the $30s, easier money to be made. My run at the $50s, while profitable for about $1000, told me all I need to know. On the other hand, I did go through a similar phase in the $30s, where I was totally convinced that I was playing crappy and needed to go back down to the $20s.

I think I'll take a break from SnGs for a week or so, then get focused when I get back to it. Maybe I'll even take a shot at the $100s and see what happens.

[AlcateL]

I dont thin ktaking a shot at the 109's is the answer.

[zambonidrivr]

quit pushing total crap and just push crap. that will help.

[Meatmaw]

Agreed. Don't take a shot at the 109s for any confidence reasons. What would you be looking for? Affirmation that you are a winning player, which you wouldn't get until you played at least 1000-3000 SNGs anyway?

If you feel the loss has upset your place and truly altered it, then a break is reasonable. If you are within your bankroll, though, I would stick with it and drop to 1 table in your buy-in before considering dropping. You are, after all, trying to work out the intricacies of that particular level, so why not give yourself more time to focus on a particular game? Take Eastbay's SGA in hand and plug in numbers as you play if it's too boring to 1-table, as long as you appreciate the limits to which it can help you decide your move.

[JohnnyPhoenix]

Jedi

Which poker site you're playing the S-n-G?

JohnnyPhoenix

[jedi]

[ QUOTE ]
Agreed. Don't take a shot at the 109s for any confidence reasons. What would you be looking for? Affirmation that you are a winning player, which you wouldn't get until you played at least 1000-3000 SNGs anyway?


[/ QUOTE ]

No, just wanted to take a shot so that I could take a shot. That's all

And I play these at Poker Stars.

[vindikation]

I'm doing the exact opposite thing. This weekend I'm moving up to the $55's after playing the $10's & $20's for 6 months. My bankroll is up to $2000 and I'm sick of playing such small stakes with that bankroll. I'm going to use a sliding buyin bankroll and see where my play takes me.

$0 - $1000: $10's
$1000 - $1500: $20's
$1500 - $2000: $30's
$2000 + : $50's

Should be an interesting adventure