Any Good Guidelines on When to Move Up?

[BigBluffer]

I'm just starting to play $10+1 SNG's and am encouraged by my results so far. Are there any general rules of thumb to help determine when I'm ready to move up? Bankroll? Sustained ROI or ITM after X number of games? (What is the value of X?) Thanks.

[smcannon]

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I'm just starting to play $10+1 SNG's and am encouraged by my results so far. Are there any general rules of thumb to help determine when I'm ready to move up? Bankroll? Sustained ROI or ITM after X number of games? (What is the value of X?) Thanks.

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30 times the buy in is the rule of thumb I generally go by.

[lawrence]

If you're young and don't have a job like me, I would keep 50 buy ins at the 11s, and then put 200 or so to taking shots at the 22s. They're really not that hard. So keep 550 in your account for 11s, but if you have 700 play some 22s, just only use 150 or so. Eventually you'll break through and have a roll at the 22s.

[Slim Pickens]

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I'm just starting to play $10+1 SNG's...

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Bankroll

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Most "rules-of-thumb" for bankroll (you need x buy-ins to play at y level) apply more to sustained play at a single level by an experienced player with a mature game than to new players interested in learning and moving up. My advice is to play the highest level meeting both of the following conditions:

1) You feel comfortable that IF you lose your bankroll, it was not because you were outplayed or "outraked."

2) A starting (or re-starting) bankroll of 10 buy-ins is sufficiently small that if you were to lose it to runs of negative variance you could replenish a few times without worrying about having to win back your losses to pay the bills.

Good luck to you.

Slim

[Blarg]

That's good to keep in mind. It's easy for the answer to this question to gloss over that for a losing player, no bankroll is big enough.

[vindikation]

I played the $10's for the past 6 months and just moved up to the $20-$50's the past 2 weeks because my bankroll hit $2000 and I was getting bored at the $10's. The players are better at the $20-$50's, but it didn't feel that much different moving up. The biggest thing I noticed moving up was my opponents make a lot less mistakes, which leaves me a lot less room for my mistakes.

I'm not making as much money at these higher levels, but I have noticed that my game has improved and I am learning more by playing with the better competition.

This is what I'm doing and it seems to be working out well for me so far (basically a 50 buyin pyschological saftey blanket). If my bankroll is:

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

[codewarrior]

Move up when *you* are ready. All the bankroll advice in the world may be good, and may hold you back. The strategies you use in a $50+5, or a $25 turbo are invalid at a $5+.50, but it may be your style.

Edit:

When you're really good, you can bounce around, and know how to play any level. But, again, you'll also know when you are over your head, even if you win and get "lucky".

You'll know if you are playing too high for your skills, and not just based on a couple of bad beats.

[SuitedSixes]

I reliable poster told me that if you have a 38% ITM after 500 SNGs that is a very good indicator that you are able to beat the next level.

[Mr_J]

"that for a losing player, no bankroll is big enough."

Eh. I prefer to think that for a losing player no bankroll is small enough /images/graemlins/wink.gif