Moving to Higher Stakes Poker Games
Knowing when to move up to next level can be quite difficult and once you are there learning how to adapt your approach to win at that level can be equally difficult. If you know how to approach playing in higher stakes games then you have more chance of staying in them. However, if you don’t know when it is the right time to move up then you are going to struggle, no matter what changes to your game you make.
Poker Win Rate
First lets deal with when to move up. There are a few factors that need to be considered when thinking about moving up to the next level. The first is your win rate at your current level. It goes without saying that if you are not winning at your current level then you should not be considering a move up to the next level. It is acceptable to move up once your win rate reaches 3bbs/100 hands however this needs to be a consistent win rate over the course of at least 20,000 hands. Do not move up if your bankroll does not allow it.
Player Confidence
The second factor to consider is your confidence. If you are feeling confident and have a good win rate at your current level then by all means take a shot at the higher stakes games. If you lack confidence then you might well be better off grinding it out at your current level a bit more.
High Stake Games
So, now you know what win rate you need to have to move up lets look at how to approach playing in higher stakes games. You should not be doing anything to drastically change your game when you move up a level. However, it is never a bad idea to play a little tighter than usual and maybe a few less tables for the first few thousands hands so you can get a feel for things. To be successful when moving up you also need to have a good mental approach. You need to remove the fact that your winning and losing more money from your mind set completely. A good way to do this is to allow yourself to lose a certain number of buyins and then move back down if you reach your stop loss.
Moving up to Fast
It is always important to move back down if you are struggling with the step up. No matter what stakes you play at the moment if you move up to the next level then you will encounter better players than you are used to. Tables will have less fish on them and therefore the games will be tougher to beat. Don’t allow yourself to decimate your bankroll – swallow your pride and move back down if things aren’t working out.
If you are struggling to build a bankroll at your current level then there are a few things you can do to quicken things up a bit. The first is study, spend some time reading around the game, use poker forums and join up with one of the many video training sites out there. Alternatively you could even join up with a new poker site and cash in on the bonus deal on offer. There are some great ones out there like the Expekt poker bonus code which entitles new players to a $600 bonus.
