Why am I chicken?

[Hotchile]

I have a problem and I can't figure out how to solve it. I am hoping someone here can shed some light.

A little background.

I have been playing poker for 15 years with the last 3 online. Since I have been online, I have done very well but I always cashed out winnings and left a bankroll of 300 BBs online. That left me playing 2/4 and 3/6.

Ok, on June 20th of this year, I decided not to cash out anything so that my bankroll would build to where I could play larger limits. Well, I have had some pretty good fortune and my bankroll has grown to where I have over 300 BBs for 15/30.

The problem is, I am scared to move up. I have played "some" 10/20 and I have done well but for some reason, I am "afraid" of moving up and making that my primary limit. I am sure that I am costing myself money (assuming that I can beat the game long term) but I just can't make myself go up.

I have identified one of my weaknesses as having difficulty quitting when stuck. I have a habit of getting stubborn. I have dug myself out of 70 and 80 BB losing sessions but I also lost 150 BBs (at 10/20) in one session as well. I went bust and had to redeposit.

Is that why I am scared of moving? I am afraid of going bust again after working so hard to build the bankroll?

If anybody can offer some advice, I would sincerely appreciate it.

HC

[Noo Yawk]

Read my reply to Al on "stop loss limits." I think it may help.

[astroglide]

consider whether it your goal to make as much money possible playing poker at any cost. if it isn't, do whatever you would like to do. contrast the best-case and worst-case scenarios and go for what you can handle.

[TripleH68]

I don't think you should feel like a chicken. I have been there. If you move up, suffer losses and decide to move back down...it takes a great deal of work to recoup.

If you are truly serious...log on and spend a few hours observing the higher limit games. You will have a better idea what you will be up against without risking your bankroll. Peace.

[Al Schoonmaker]

I do not know why you are "chicken," but I am confident that you should not move up if you don't feel comfortable about it. If you play outside your comfort zone, you will probably play scared, weak-tight poker.
That style can win at low limit games because so many people play too loosely. It will NOT win at 15/30. The stronger, more perceptive players will run over you.
Add in the fact that you are reluctant to take small losses, and you have a very dangerous situation. You can quickly and easily lose your entire bankroll.
For all these reasons my advice is very, very simple. DON'T MOVE UP.
If you later feel confident and comfortable with higher limits, take a shot. For the moment be happy that you have found games you can enjoy and beat.
Regards,
Al

[playerfl]

Its good that you can afford 15/30 but that is not enough reason to play at that level.

I read somewhere that Bill Gates plays $4/$8.

[fnord_too]

I'm curious, did you build up your bankroll playing 3/6? If so, there are 4/8, 5/10, 6/12, and 8/16 games online you can try. If you want to eventually move up, you can always wade in vice diving into the deep water. Big jumps are scary, and rightfully so.

If you have tried to ramp up slowly and are still having problems, there is some evidence that people have a comfort zone that is fixed, i.e. not related to bankroll. If yours is 3/6, that's just what it is. You certainly shouldn't think there is anything wrong with you; everyone has their own valuation system and their own risk tollerence. Ifyou have gained some insight into what yours are, good for you. Self awareness is something I personally value very highly.

[Hotchile]

Thank you to everyone who replied.

fnord_too. I built up playing everything up to 10/20 but my stays in 10/20 were generally not that long. I would play for an hour or two and once up a couple hundred dollars, get out of Dodge. I have also done fairly well in tournaments. Both single table and multis.

Do any of you recommend making it a point to play 1 or 2 hours per day at 10/20 until I become more comfortable playing the limit?

HC

[Al_Capone_Junior]

Fear is both your ally and your enemy at poker, particularly with bankroll issues. If you are afraid of playing 15-30 (for whatever reason) don't play. Most players have the opposite problem, they aren't afraid enough of higher limits and over-extend their bankroll limitations. I have been guilty of this in the past, and so have many others on these forums.

I have gotten much better at quitting a loser in the past year or two, and I am MUCH better off for it. Sometimes I am losing, but it becomes plain as day that I can't reasonably expect to get even in the current game. Often a fish or two will hammer me on several bad beats, then they leave, and there's nothing but fairly tough players left. I CANNOT expect to get even when this happens, thus leaving is the best play of all. There is always another game elsewhere, and I'll get even, but maybe not today. You MUST adopt this attitude, otherwise don't bother trying to move up.

To play 10-20 and up you MUST be able to toss around those red chips WITHOUT fear, otherwise you are going to just be weak-tight AT BEST. No point playing higher limits in this situation.

al

[Hotchile]

One common theme amongst all responses that I couldn't agree more with. If one is not comfortable moving, don't. The question is now, how can I get more comfortable. (Read, gain confidence)

The only stat that I keep on a daily basis is wins and losses. Would it help if I started to maintain stats from different limits?

For example, if I played 100 hands of 10/20 every day and maintained a database and then found after 10,000 hands that I was beating the game for 1 or 2 BBs per hour, do you think that I might gain the confidence to make it my main game? Would there be a pychological risk of learning that I am not beating the game?

All thoughts are welcome and appreciated. As you can tell, I want to move up but I want to go prepared and confident rather than as a scared puppy hoping to get lucky.

HC