How long did it take you to move up through the limits?

[beaster]

I've followed that exact path and just now started play at 2/4. My experience was this:

0.02/0.04: Play money table. I gave up on this crap shoot after a thousand hands or so.

0.05/0.10: The first "real money" table I played. I played for about 5k hands after which I had a winrate over 5 BB/100. Moving up...

0.10/0.20: Started off tremendously then bottomed out to zero. It was here that I found the competition to stiffen up a bit. It was at this point I picked up Lee Jones' excellent "Winning Low Limit Hold'em". Came back after a couple of months off and crushed it to the tune of 8 BB/100. I think I spent about 10k hands here.

0.25/0.50: Jones' teachings are still serving me well. I only spent 4k hands here.

0.50/1: Winrate slowed down a bit here at first. This is where I picked up Small Stakes Holdem. Winrate takes off. After 5k hands at 7 BB/100, I waste no time in moving to

1/2: Thus begins my serious poker education. After 10k hands I'd accumulated 300BB. I was about to move up but figured that now that I am playing for decent stakes I better be sure I know what I'm doing. I went on a gutwrenching break-even streak for the next 25k hands. I had a couple of 100BB swings, and one 150BB swing. I wasn't used to that at all. I played through it though, re-reading my poker books and starting to respond to hand posts at 2+2. I finished the level at 45k hands at a winrate considerably less than I was used to. But I had confidence. That is what is key.

2/4: First thousand hands in. So far it plays just like 1/2, maybe a bit looser. Could be the sites I'm on. Most of the bonuswhores plant themselves at 1/2 and turn into tight nits.

So that's been my experience. Now some high-level advice: continue playing a level until you feel confident to move up. If you're feeling lost you should continue to study and read the micro forum. If you feel confident after 5k hands, fine, move up. I now know that's a statistically miniscule sample size, so be aware you might take some lumps later on. I certainly did at 1/2.

Also, be willing to adjust your goals. You mentioned 300BB before moving up. Of course you should have 300BB of the next level, but continue to play some at your current level once you reach that magic 300BB mark. Do this to ensure that you can 'keep it going'.

There, that's my conservative advice. Early on though, I moved up sooner than I should have, but I've been able to grind through my lessons and advance my poker game.