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twostate's picture
When is it time to move up?

Ok say you've just moved up a stake level after beating the lower games for some time.

You do well in the new level and have an ROI of anywhere between 5 and 10% after a month or two.

After how many games would or should you think about moving up to the next level?
- providing of course you are properly rolled and confident in your game, and not just on a heater.

Newff's picture
If you have the bankroll to

If you have the bankroll to skip a limit because you think theres no change in competition then it's fine, as long as you move down if things don't go well.

twostate's picture
I'm not saying skip a level,

I'm not saying skip a level, I'm asking how many games is enough to prove you are a winner at a certain level and perhaps capable of beating the next.

Newff's picture
Oh sorry, very tired and

Oh sorry, very tired and misunderstood. Not sure about sample size but I'm sure someone else can help

RyPac13's picture
As long as you are rolled

As long as you are rolled and can move back down, just move up until you lose.

That sounds kind of stupid, but why not?  What are you gaining by staying at your level if you're in the game to grow the most as a player and maximize your earnings?

Somebody may say "well you want to gain confidence, don't want any swings, don't want to have to move down, want steady results."

That's all fine and legitimate, but then you KNOW what you want already.

If you're at the lower levels and the only reason you're really playing is to move up high so that you can earn a very healthy income someday, I think my original suggestion is much better.

Now if you're talking about moving up from the $115-230 type levels, that's a different story.  But most people aren't satisfied with winning 5-10% at say the $10s, long term.  It's good for short term goals, but they usually set new and higher goals, such as 5-10% ROI in the $20s, and so on.

Moving up and down a lot will also lead to a stronger mentality.  You'll start to realize that the only thing that is truly important is how well you make decisions throughout your games, you'll focus less on the buyin level you're playing and more on the actual opponent.  That is all great for you, I'm sure you can imagine how much time many people waste just looking at their results after every match, calculating how long until they are "ready" to move up and similar things that aren't really leading to profit potential.  Dig down deep, build your confidence and focus on the important things, you can't go wrong if you keep a strong head and don't lose control.

twostate's picture
Great reply as always Ryan.

Great reply as always Ryan. Thanks for the time to put some thought into it and a heap of words down :)

To be a bit more specific I'm talking about going from the 34.50's to the 57.50's, but it is my goal to get to the 115's (and beating them at a decent roi) as quickly as possible. It is then I can start to earn decent money and obviously look towards making poker my sole/main income.

I also am a bit more realistic about going from 115-230 as according to everyone who knows anything (such as yourself) it is not an easy jump, which makes alot of sense. Obviously it is a bigger jump than 34.50-57.50, but i imagine alot of players from bigger stakes would move down when the games are dry and/or running bad.

kingcobra's picture
Well to answer your original

Well to answer your original question, if you're beating the level you're at now at all, then it's worth looking to play higher, it's important to always start out taking shots at it, and not commit a big chunk of your roll to this.  You'll find the players a bit better but that doesn't necessarily mean lower ROI, you may find players at the higher level more predictable for instance and in particular if they play a style of game you play better against, rather than say the more unpredicable fish you might see at your current level but less so at the higher one.  There's only one way to find out really and that's to just jump in and see how you do, don't be discouraged too much though if it doesn't work out as well as you would like at first, it often takes several attempts to move up for good as it should since you should be dipping your foot in the water more than diving in head first where you might hit your head on a big rock :)

dzikijohnny's picture
twostate what do you consider

twostate what do you consider a decent living?

twostate's picture
5-6k per month

5-6k per month

kingcobra's picture
I wish that was enough for me

I wish that was enough for me with the way my wife spends :D

Nomboo's picture
keep going

Keep moving up until you hit a wall, it is fun

dzikijohnny's picture
Which stat do you guys think

Which stat do you guys think I the most important when making the move up decision, the roi % or the EV$ Adjusted?  I am 15% roi after 100 husngs (reg FTP $5) but, I am 6.3% EV$ Adjusted.