another stupid moving up post

[hobbsmann]

300bb is fine to take a shot, but be prepared to drop back down if you drop below the 200bb mark. If you do this you will still have a fine roll to comfortably play 2/4 with and your game will probably have improved from learning how to deal with the increased aggresion.

[brettbrettr]

[ QUOTE ]
With a bankroll of slightly over 1k, is it totally stupid to move up right now?

[/ QUOTE ]

1k isn't even big enough for 2/4 IMO.

[lxdx]

I’m gonna throw in my idiot story that takes place over the last 3 days. I recognize every idiot thing I did, so no need to point it out any further than I will. Moral of the story is I got slapped by variance right when I moved up under-rolled and it sucks. And this isn't aimed at OP. More like going to confession to be cleansed of my stupidity.

So I’m building up from scratch basically and I’ve been rollin along at .50/1.00 then 1/2 beating it to win up to $400 after several K hands. I know I shouldn’t even be playing 1/2 with $400, but it’s so freakin soft and it’s not a “true” bankroll (I have more I could deposit). Saturday rolls around and I feel like gambling a little ‘cause, hey, it’s the weekend, and so I start playing 2/4. Good times, I finish Friday up to just under $600. Stupid move, but lucky. Now drop back to 1/2, idiot, where you finally have a proper roll.

Nah, lets give 3/6 a shot, just to see what it’s like. I realize real quick how much tighter it is than 1/2 and 2/4, so I ratchet down and wait. I’ve reviewed my hands and don’t see any huge mistakes, but a couple flush draws came in against my big pairs that I was betting and raising for all I’m worth, and, well, a 35BB swing is nothing after a few like that, but -$200 sure hurts my piddly wad. Then I learned. Right.

1/2 is so boring, I think, and 2/4 just wasn’t much harder (fool! Variance! Variance! Variance!). I can beat that for a while and be right back where I was. Take a 40BB hit there the next day, then tuck tail and crawl back to 1/2, lose another 20BB. So after my first downswing in the 100BB neighborhood I’m down twice as much as if I’d played at my maximum legitimate limit the whole time, which would’ve sucked plenty.

For my foolishness, I am hereby sentenced to a depressingly long time in 0.50/1.00 purgatory. My this be a lesson to you. Meanwhile, if you see me in the gutter, say hi.

[peterchi]

nice post

i wish i had read this last summer when i was taking shots at $5/$10 with a bankroll of $400 [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

[CCovington]

I moved from 2/4 to 3/6 about 2 months ago, and like other posters have stated there really is a noticable difference in the two. The play is tighter and much much more aggressive. I would definitely wait till you get $1800 before taking a shot. Swings could be vicious with the maniac/laggy play.

[cdxx]

i am not going to pretend that i know what i am talking about. but to me adjusting to 1/2 was a lot more difficult than 2/4 and 3/6. in fact, 3/6 was much-much easier than 2/4. partly because of the money (you learn to be more careful with K8o because it's $6 to play), partly because it forces you to only play 1 table or 2. after a while, you get into a rhythm of thinking in terms of bad hands are expensive to play, good hands are cheap to play, without actually considering the money.

the main thing in adjusting your overall strategy and beating 2/4 and 3/6 is extracting value out of your hands with 3-bets and caps. on .5/1 and 1/2 those are practically extinct.

[cdxx]

ok, here's my take on variance. it is important to adjust your overall strategy when you try 2/4 and 3/6 (more like overhaul your overall strategy). however, it is also important to start adjusting your play to the table. you will see different results at tight and loose tables, even though you are talking about 31 vs. 25 able vpip. this type of stuff is not obvious and takes some time to start noticing, either with poker tracker or simply in your head. i looked over some of my early 3/6 sessions, and wondered how i could have lost in that session while being dealt AA twice, KK once, and QQ twice. the answer was, the table was tight and they made me pay when i tried to ride my "image" and raise out of position again (as if i had AA), even though this sort of play worked to perfection on on 31/3 type tables.

i am not advocating table selection here, in fact, i don't practice it. but to me the most important adjustment is your overall strategy and a close second adjusting to play at the table.

[mdeck]

[ QUOTE ]
If it makes you feel more underrolled, I play 3/6 and 5/10 6max with somewhere between 8 and 10K in my roll.

<---- NIT.

Also, I recommend building up a bit more and moving to Short handed games, as that's where the money is.

[/ QUOTE ]

Exact same for me.

[Harv72b]

[ QUOTE ]
1k isn't even big enough for 2/4 IMO.

[/ QUOTE ]

For most beginning players this is true, but since the OP is relatively experienced (just coming back from a break) and, I assume, at least proficient at poker, I think he can probably get away with playing 2/4 with a 250 BB bankroll. That's why I didn't bring question it in my post, anyway.

300 BBs is a great benchmark to aim for, but most of the time you can cheat a little and still be okay, particularly at the lower limits. If you're a winning player, of course.

[Paxosmotic]

[ QUOTE ]
If it makes you feel more underrolled, I play 3/6 and 5/10 6max with somewhere between 8 and 10K in my roll.

<---- NIT.

[/ QUOTE ]
Cash. Out.