When is it the right time to move up your stakes and move up to the bigger league? That is one of the most common dilemmas for most poker players from around the world.
We understand that this subject is a big deal for players, and we would like to shed light on which aspects of their game need further improvement.
Win Rates
In order to be able to work on your performance, you will always need insight into your current stats. Keeping track of your cash earnings, your current bankroll management, and keeping score of the number of hands you’ve played is an excellent starting point.
Of course, keeping track of so many things at once can be really challenging. So we would recommend finding a poker tracking software that will do the bulk of the work for you.
Figure out your win ratio and estimate your current standing as far as wins and losses go.
That type of information is crucial when it comes to improving your poker skills and simplifying your long-term strategy. At the very least, taking a long, hard look at your statistics will give you an insight into your strengths and weaknesses as a poker player.
Your Playing Style
Define your playing style. Namely, are you a nit or a plunger? You can do so by simply being honest to yourself. And using your statistics in the right way will make it easy to determine if you prefer holding up and risking very little or taking huge gambles.
At the end of the day, while playing poker, gambling and taking risks is almost inevitable. Moreover, aggressive players generally tend to have better odds in this game.
Making steady amounts of money in a short period is a relatively safe way to play. However, your abilities are not developing if you keep it safe. So once you start playing with the big boys, you will not be able to handle those stakes properly.
By avoiding progress, you are stopping yourself from growing as a poker player.
Bankroll Management
Before moving up to the bigger league, you would do well to set your bankroll up in advance. That is a decision you should make, and it should be appropriate for the level you are moving up to.
Besides your skills, you will need a lot of discipline to follow through and develop your money management abilities.
The amount should be strictly set in advance and not amended along the way. That way, you are showing certainty in your decisions. That certainty will translate to the attitude you show while playing. Consider this bankroll management your new financial venture and develop strategies accordingly.
The best advice would probably be to gamble only with the money you can spare. So separate that amount immediately from your paycheck to protect yourself. Alternatively, you might be setting yourself up for a huge failure once the stakes get higher.
Psychology and Comfort Levels
Being comfortable with the attempt to move up in stakes is possibly the most important aspect of the process. That includes both implementing correct bankroll management and being able to upgrade your level of skills.
Bear in mind that playing with bigger players will bring in more knowledge on handling higher stakes, and of course, develop your skills even more.
Coming up with a transitional period could be a good solution when moving up to higher limits.
For example, if you are regularly taking a shot at 10NL, you could try implementing bigger stakes once in a while remaining in your regular ones. That way you will be able to transition to the next level much easier.
Test the Waters
First of all, this will possibly help with overcoming the psychological obstacle you may be having right now about moving up to higher stakes in the future. You will probably have a big disadvantage when you start playing with tougher competition like never before, but keep this in mind — this will only be you testing the waters. If you dislike it, you can leave at your leisure.
Summary
No matter how you wish to enter the big league, whether it’s slowly or abruptly, a well managed and controlled bankroll, studying and preparing yourself, and building a great amount of confidence will assure an easier transition to the world of higher-stake poker games.