when do u play higher stakes?

[loco55]

i would like to know when its the right time to play higher stakes. i usually play split limit 1/2 $ holdem and no limit buyin max. 25 dollars. but i dont seem to beat the 2/4 games or higher. maybe im just superstitious. i made the mistake playin higher stakes on a bad streak so the last few weeks were a lil bit hard. should i take some time to decide whether to play a higher limit or just sit in? is it usually harder to beat higher stakes or is it nearly the same playin for example 15/30? i cant imagine there are players wasting 1000s of bucks playin 15/30 so i figure all of them are quite skilled and selective. what do u say? i began with poker this year and i dont know what is the right stake. my bankroll usually is at least 250 $ and at 1250 $ i cash out.

[CrisBrown]

Hi loco,

Yes, the play is generally better at higher stakes. As you go up in stakes, more of your opponents will be pros -- who want to play at the highest stakes they can beat and afford so as to maximize their hourly income.

If you play for fun -- and there is NOTHING wrong with that! -- you're better off staying at stakes that won't stress your bankroll and at which you can be successful enough to enjoy the game. There's no law that says you must go up in stakes ... ever. As Al recently noted, Bill Gates plays $3/$6.

Cris

[MrBlini]

Bill Gates playing 3/6 is like me playing with little bits of cat dander for the small bets. I'm not even sure I have enough pieces of dander:

"I raise."
"How much is it to me?"
"A dander, two litter pebbles and a medium dust bunny."

[Al_Capone_Junior]

Excellent questions.

Playing online there is usually very little difference between 1-2 and 2-4. Even higher limits are often crawling with poor players, especially on large sites with lots of games. Of course you should be selective of your games, but at the smallest limits it's less important than at the higher ones. Obviously tho 15-30 is going to have much better players than 2-4, it does get tougher as you go up.

Technically you need 300 big bets as a bankroll if you don't have any way to replace them when you lose. I generally don't have that many on any one site, but I can replace the $ if I have a bad streak (I keep some in neteller for emergencies).

The thing you do NOT want to do is take on a higher stakes with a small bankroll. If you have $250, you could take a pretty painful loss at 2-4, especially if you are playing on tilt, or during a bad streak.

al

[LetsRock]

Generally speaking, you won't find much difference in opponent skill level between 1/2 and 2/4. I don't know what limits you will start to run into more better players than fish ratio, but (from what I've heard) there are plenty of fish at even much higher limits. Just because some folks have lots of money, doesn't mean they can play poker.

It's tough hitting a cold streak and it's much more magnified if your'e in a higher level because you money will go away twice as fast. But, it's part of the game.

You never really know when it's "time" to move up, but as another (and about 10,000 others) poster mentioned, you should have about 300x the BB to be able to withstand a bad run of cards without busting out.

One thing to be careful of, is to monitor YOUR value of the money. If suddenly having to call $16 on a turn bet is making you "fearful", then you're not ready. If you're playing a hand differently in 2/4 than you would have in 1/2 because the $ are different, then you're not ready.

You absolutely, positively have to be able to look at it as SBs and BBs no matter what level you play at. That's one reason the 300xBB is a good yardstick: it gives you a pretty good cushion so that 2 or 3 BB looks pretty small compared to your BR.

If you drop $80 on to a 2/4 table, it wouldn't take a horrible run of cards to bust out in 15 minutes. You could potentially drop $48 in one hand!

You should be able to recognize if you're having bad luck or being outplayed. If you're getting outplayed, step down until your confidence and skills improve. If you're just getting bad luck then if your bankroll and confidence can handle it, keep at it.

[mike l.]

"i cant imagine there are players wasting 1000s of bucks playin 15/30 so i figure all of them are quite skilled and selective."

that couldnt be further from the truth.

if you are scared, dont move up. ever.

[Noo Yawk]

[ QUOTE ]
"i cant imagine there are players wasting 1000s of bucks playin 15/30 so i figure all of them are quite skilled and selective."

that couldnt be further from the truth.



[/ QUOTE ]

I was thinking the same thing when I read this part of the original post. The fact is, there are terrible players who waste all kinds of money at all levels of play, for whatever reasons they have. If all the players were great at the higher stakes, why would anyone want to play higher?

[J_V]

Only when I'm stuck like a pig, and I don't think I'll be able to break even for that day at whatever limit I'm playing. Not exactly textbook.