Mental block with 'moving up'

I've noticed an interesting problem I'mhaving trying to move up a level in SNG's.

I'm pretty much at the start of my poker playing but after about 100 SNG's I'm beating the micro level of $2 + $0.50 (consistent top 3 fnishes) I know it's a small sample still but the rake on these small SNGs made me want to move up to the $5 + $0.50

I decided that I'd try a few at the $5 level and my results were terrible. Yeah I know that I've only played about 20 of them and given variance and all the other factors the sample size is too small to be significant. I stopped playing them as a 20 buy-in swing, whilst still within my bankroll, hurt a bit.

I dropped back to the $2 level and my results were even better than before. I've not finished out of the top three in the last few days and I've started slowly replacing the buy-ins I lost.

I now have this huge mental block about trying the $5 again. I seem to want to settle for winning at the lower stake rather than risking it at the higher. My problem is that whilst I may not be good enough to place every time at the new level like I have been the old I'm not sure I'm getting any better playing where I am.

I know that the sample size is too small and that I should not be short term results oriented but unless I can stop thinking like I do I'm starting games at the new level expecting to loose.

Any ideas for helping me stop thinking in this negative way?

Thanks

[unreal_nh]

is the level of skill in the $2.5 vs the 5.5 that much different? it doesnt seem like there would be much of a difference. a 20 tourny sample is definitly way to small to draw any conclusions from. you should definitly move up to the 5's as soon as you have the bankroll to do so. the rake at the 2's is eating away so much of your profit its sick.

[ QUOTE ]
is the level of skill in the $2.5 vs the 5.5 that much different? it doesnt seem like there would be much of a difference. a 20 tourny sample is definitly way to small to draw any conclusions from. you should definitly move up to the 5's as soon as you have the bankroll to do so. the rake at the 2's is eating away so much of your profit its sick.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think there is that much difference in skill level. I beleive the problem is in my head, hence the post here rather than the SNG forum. It's like I'm playing scared. My roll is large enough to cope with the $5 ones I just enter them feeling negative. So when you start thinking you are going to get knocked out early that's usually what happens.

[unreal_nh]

i dont know what else to tell ya... just try to block out the fact that it is a higher buy-in and just play your normal game with the intention of winning every one of them. variance is always going to be there, and one way to deal with that is to think of everything in the long-term... if you are a solid winning player with a solid strategy and solid game you will win (in the long term). gl

[MarkGrandy]

play a few bigger STT (10+1 or 20+2 etc) and try 5+0.5 after it ?

[ QUOTE ]
play a few bigger STT (10+1 or 20+2 etc) and try 5+0.5 after it ?

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That's an interesting idea. Not sure it would work but I like it.

[Alex/Mugaaz]

If you multitable, play 3 (or whatever) of regular limit and 1 of the next step up.

Honestly all of the small limit games, regardless of which game or strutcture play ALMOST exactly the same. Some people like to think otherwise, but it really isn't true.

[ QUOTE ]
If you multitable, play 3 (or whatever) of regular limit and 1 of the next step up.

Honestly all of the small limit games, regardless of which game or strutcture play ALMOST exactly the same. Some people like to think otherwise, but it really isn't true.

[/ QUOTE ]

No I don't multitable. I'm more concnerned with becoming a better player than my ROI at the moment.

Everything points to this just being a mental block so later tonight I'll set aside perhaps 20 buy-ins and just play them out over the next few days. I'm going to ignore results and just use the time to get comfortable and used to playing them.