When to Move Up
How to Tell When to Move up Stakes
Most internet poker players like starting at low stakes when they play whether there playing ring games or tournaments. As you start getting better at the game and gaining confidence it’s common for players to want to move up the stakes and play higher limits. This is fun and all, but before you make the jump you need to ensure that you’re prepared for the jump. Not every player is ready to jump from low stakes to high stakes, and we’re going to spend some time looking at what it takes to play high stakes action.
Your bankroll on www.FullTiltPoker.com is going to be a huge deciding factor in whether or not you should increase the limits you play. If you don’t have a large enough bankroll than you’re only asking for trouble and you could potentially lose your entire bankroll. Generally you will want to have about 20 buy-ins in your bankroll so before you jump up the stakes make sure you’re bankroll can allow for the increase. You don’t want to go on a bad streak and lose your entire bankroll due to playing higher limits. Another thing to note is that if you start losing you should go back down the stakes to increase your bankroll again. If you can’t show the patience it takes to slowly build a bankroll than you’re never going to end up a long-term winning player.
Apart from your www.FullTiltPoker.net bankroll you’ll also obviously need the skills in order to compete at the higher stakes. You might have become use to playing against a bunch of beginner fish players, but you can guarantee once you go up to higher stakes poker you’ll find much stiffer competition. Your opponents are going to make a lot less bad moves and you’ll need to also minimize the amount of bad plays you make while playing. Before you play you’ll need to make sure you’re focused because one mistake at the high stakes table could cost you a lot of money.
Another thing I noticed when I made the jump from low stakes poker on www.PokerStars.com to high stakes poker was that my entire mindset had changed. I was a lot more scared to play in pots and I would rarely chase any draws, which I believe was a huge downfall. I have since become more comfortable, but you’ll need to realize that you will need to be prepared mentally for playing in high stakes poker. You’ll be a lot more nervous about making the call or raise and it can definitely hurt your game. If you find you’re losing money due to the mental aspect of your game you should go back down to lower stakes until you’re mentally ready.
Playing in high stakes poker is a lot more exciting and fun then playing low limits, but there are a few things you should remember. You should also bet money you can afford to lose and you should also make sure you meet the guidelines above. There is no rush in getting involved in high stakes pocker, it takes time and with your own money on the line there is no need to rush.