Is 2/4 sufficiently equal to 1/2 is equal to .50/1?

[TommyTutone]

I'm new to online playing for real coin. I've read Sklansky, regularly do well in the home games I play in, and played extensively with 'play' money.

I signed up Sunday for 'real' for the first time, bringing in $45. In the three days (maybe 12 hours of play combined?), I've turned that into $83 playing at $.50/$1 tables.

I am doing this more for fun than a way to make a living (which is a given at these stakes), but if I go from this table up to the $1/$2, should I expect to get my ass handed to me, or, if I play like I have at the other table, does it follow that I should perform on average over time equally well?

I know that going to a $10/$20 is a whole new ball game, but to go from the one low level to the next low level, what should I expect?

Thanks!

[Homer]

If you can beat .5/1, you can probably beat 1/2 and 2/4 as well. There's not really much of a difference between these limits in online games (at Party Poker, at least), other than maybe a bit more aggression at 2/4. But the looseness is definitely about the same. Once you hit 3/6, you have to start playing some real poker at times, and you pretty much always have to play solid poker once you hit 5/10.

Keep in mind, though, that even a solid, winning player will go bust 40-50% of the time with only 41.5 bets in his bankroll.

-- Homer

[bisonbison]

The texture of each level depends on the site, but basically, it gets harder when you move up, and if you don't have a large number of hands, you'll have a real hard time determining what are legitimate wins/losses vs. variance.

The best plan would be to pick a level where you feel comfortable with the stakes, allot yourself 200 - 300 BB and play 30k hands or so. Don't expect a 40BB bankroll to survive even a light swing. And a 40BB swing is exactly the kind that winning players have all the time.

[Bob T.]

At every level, you can expect a slight improvement in your opponents play, they will play a little tighter, more aggressively, and trickier.

You had a nice start, and if you don't want to rebuy, you should probably play .50/1.00 a little longer, because an $83 bankroll is ok for a session buy in at 1/2 but probably won't last through the variance you will experience.

As you said, you aren't doing this for a living, so if you are willing to rebuy, then play at what ever level you feel comfortable at.

Good luck,
play well,

Bob T.

[Oblivious]

1/2 is tougher and slightly tighter than .50/1. Same goes for 2/4 when compared to 1/2. Just commit to moving back down if you get to a certain low point in your bankroll. If you really can beat .50/1, youre going to be able to continue playing on your $45. Id say move down whenever you hit 100BB for the lower level (ex. youre playing 1/2 with $150, when you get down to $100, go to .50/1). These bankroll sizes are smaller than some would recommend here, but Im comfortable with them personally.